The Rev Simon Gates has been Vicar since 1996, coming previously from St Andrews, Hong Kong, where he met his wife Helen. Together they have three children: Charis, Anna and Samuel. Simon loves cooking, and can often be found in the kitchen cooking for groups at church, as well as gardening.

His favourite passage in the Bible is Revelation 21 and 22 where the new City of God is described in all its colour and variety, and he longs to see something of the touch of the new city here in London.

Simon and his son Samuel are shown preparing to demolish the old Weir Hall, to make way for the new Weir Link building.

The Rev Betsy Blatchley has been Associate Vicar at St Thomas with St Stephen since June 2006. Before coming here she served her curacy at St Joseph the Worker Church, Northolt, in West London where, among other things, she headed up a number of community projects and established an after-school church for children.

Before training for ordination at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, Betsy worked in theatre for over 20 years, initially as an actress, singer and dancer, and then as a producer, culminating in a five year stint at the Royal National Theatre on London’s South Bank.

Betsy is married to Alastair and has one son, Jack, who is currently at university. Betsy enjoys alternative consumerism (aka shopping in charity shops) and is a big film fan. She is inspired by the Biblical call to act for justice, particularly for the marginalised, and is passionate to see the church in our nation and throughout the world speak and act on behalf of those who have no voice.

The churchwardens are the senior non-clergy leaders of the local church. Every church has two. We have Dennis Church and Richard Lea.

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is the board of trustees for the local church.

St Thomas with Stephen is a parish in the South Lambeth Deanery, and representatives of each parish in the deanery meet together in a Deanery Synod.