New vicar for St Mark's and St Andrew's Surbiton

The Bishop of Kingston has welcomed Rev'd Robert Stanier as the new vicar for St Andrew and St Mark in Surbiton. 

Commenting on his new position, Rev'd Robert Stanier said: "In many places, the church doesn't link to the local community at all: Surbiton isn't like that."

Robert was previously chaplain at Archbishop Tenison's School, a boys' comprehensive in Lambeth as well as youth and children's minister in two churches in Lambeth.

Robert was brought up nearby in East Sheen. He studied classics at Oxford before his first job in 2000 as a market research executive for the Henley Centre, specialising in consumer trends and the impact of the internet.

He left to train for the ministry in 2003. 

People may have spotted Robert Stanier previously in contributions he has made to various debates on Sky TV, Cosmopolitan Magazine and others on subjects ranging from the BBC TV series Rev to 'Advice for Grooms on their wedding day'.

This appointment comes at the completion of 20 years' work by the parish of St Mark and St Andrew, Surbiton, to see through its Vision to revitalise its two church buildings and construct new community facilities.

The position became vacant on the retirement of Rev'd David Houghton after 5 years in the parish.