Our Minister

Our present minister, Rev Stan Hamberger, was converted in the old Union Congregational Church at a Mission Meeting during August 1977.

The Rev Albert Johnson came from Wheelock Congregational Church in Cheshire at the request of the then minister, Rev. Gordon Booth. Following that mission Stan became a member of Union and a year later he was promoted to the office of Fabrics Deacon.

In 1999 Stan became the acting minister of Union which was then confirmed with his Ordination and Induction service in 2003.

Stan is married to Margaret and they have four children; Ford, Michael, Julie and Richard. These children are now grown up and have families of their own. The extended family now includes seven grandchildren and one great granddaughter.

James Wilson – Deacon

I was born in a private house in Rayleigh Essex in 1945, as my mother believed children should be born at home.  My younger brother Jack was also born at home eighteen months later when the family moved to Westcliff.

Our family have always attended Nature Cure or Homeopathic doctors rather than conventional practitioners and this has stood us in good stead for four generations.

I was educated in private schools in Westcliff and finally at Eton House school in Shoebury.  Although I did well academically I left at the early age of fifteen as I wanted to go into our family business.

My family had been Church of England, but left the church during the Second World War because they did not think the church should have invested in armaments.  My mother’s family were pacifists as my grandfather’s six brothers had been killed in the First World War.

My mother is a great believer in Jesus and always taught us to pray about everything in our lives, but she did not attend any particular church.

After reading the bible for many years, I decided to look for a church at which to worship.  I had no idea as to what type of church it should be, I just started driving around the area and listening to various preachers.  After some time I noticed the Union Congregational church and after attending one service given by the Reverend Jim Thompson I knew this was the person I wanted to hear again and again.  He was a wonderful teacher of The Word and opened my eyes to many things that I had not understood before.  I particularly liked the fact that, unlike many preachers, he spoke about the bible rather than about himself!

I was very unhappy when we had to let him go in 1999,  but thankfully our present pastor Stan Hamberger has carried on his excellent tradition of preaching The Word.  It is through his vision and hard work that we have a lovely new church at which to worship.

I have one hard working son named Mitch, whose ambition is to make his way as a writer and has just finished his first book of poems.  My hobbies are bible study, golf, photography, yoga and writing music.

I am most grateful that the Reverend Stan has asked me to give sermons when he is away preaching elsewhere.  It has made me realise how many hours of preparation it takes to enable one to give a thirty minute sermon!

I continue to pray for outreach at our church, that we may bring others into the one true way of life, through Jesus Christ our Lord