Our Vicar
Father Dane Batley-Gladden
Father Dane became vicar here at St Mary's in November 2014, additionally serving a five-year term as Area Dean of Dartford from May 2024.
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As part of his duties, he provides support to a number of organizations in the local community. He has been a school governor since 2000, joining the governors of St Mary's Primary School in 2014 when he became vicar here. He was elected vice chair in 2017 and has served as chair of governors since 2020. He is a member of the Royal British Legion and since 2017 has been Branch Chaplain for Swanley, Crockenhill & Hextable Royal British Legion and since 2018 has served as Branch President. Fr Dane became Mayor's Chaplain for Swanley Town Council in 2017 and this has been renewed each year since. In 2025, he began the process of becoming Squadron Padre to the local RAF Air Cadets Unit. Sustaining a link with his previous parish, Father Dane is a patron of the BYT Charity associated with the Orion Primary School (click here for more details, we always need support!)
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He was born and brought up in Belvedere and after a career in finance and admin trained for the priesthood at St Stephen's House, Oxford. Fr Dane was made deacon in 1999 by the Rt Rev'd Richard Chartres and served in the parish of St Alphage, Burnt Oak, he was ordained priest in 2000 by the Rt Rev'd Peter Wheatley. In 2001, Father Dane moved to serve the parish's daughter church, St Augustine's, which is on the Grahame Park estate. Whilst at Grahame Park, he served as a trustee of the London Diocesan Board for Schools, chaired the Colindale Communities Trust and, briefly, the advisory board of the Wingfield Sure Start Centre. He was also vice chair of the Grahame Park Regeneration Partnership Board. He became chairman of governors for Goldbeaters Primary School in 2001 and chairman of The Orion primary school's governing body in 2002. These two schools were joined in a federation in 2004, and he served as chair of governors from then until 2014 when he left Grahame Park to become vicar of St Mary's Swanley.
Our Bishop
The Right Reverend Luke Irvine-Capel
Bishop of Richborough
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Bishop Luke was consecrated Bishop of Richborough on 27 February 2025. He was previously Archdeacon of Chichester and has offered parish ministry in the Church in Wales, the Diocese of London and the Diocese of Chichester. He has also served on General Synod.
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Bishop Luke's ministry is an extension of the diocesan bishop's oversight and care. Bishop Jonathan Gibbs is our diocesan bishop and it is through his desire to care for all the churches that Bishop Luke exercises a pastoral and sacramental ministry for St Mary's.
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Bishop Luke is based in Portsmouth and is on the road quite a lot! He came on his first pastoral visit to us in July 2025, when this photograph was taken, and we are sure he must have some hobbies but realize he won't be getting an awful lot of time for them. We are very grateful for his ministry.
The Bishop of Richborough is an assistant bishop in the diocese of Rochester and is a Provincial Episcopal Visitor, appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Bishop looks after the eastern half of the Province of Canterbury with dioceses stretching from Lincoln in the north to Winchester in the south and from Leicester in the west to Norfolk in the east.
Our Diocesan Bishop
The Right Reverend Dr Jonathan Gibbs
Lord Bishop of Rochester
Bishop Jonathan began his ministry as Bishop of Rochester in 2022, having previously served as Bishop of Huddersfield in the Diocese of Leeds.
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He has served in the north west of England and in Europe. Bishop Jonathan is married to Toni and they have three grown-up children. At the time of his appointment, the Bishop said that his interests included walking (usually with his dog) and rummaging in second-hand bookshops - whether he now gets time for much of either we can't be sure, but he is often in our prayers and in them we offer our hope for his rest and relaxation as well as his work!
OUR OFFICERS
Churchwardens
Christine Parkes and Kevin Merrick are our churchwardens. Both offer their voluntary service to St Mary's enabling us to prosper.
Sandra is our Hon Treasurer and very happy to receive contributions to our work - big or small!
Larree is our safeguarding officer and she's always glad to meet new people so do say "hello."