Parish Overview

St Paul’s is an Anglican Church in the Diocese of Guildford with a growing congregation of over 500 people including over 100 children and 21 paid staff. Over 200 adults meet in a variety of small groups during the week to share life and grow in faith together, as well as midweek groups for children, younger youth and older youth.  We run a number of courses to help people in their discipleship of Jesus, such as the Alpha course, the Prayer course, the Parenting For Faith course, and the Marriage Preparation course. 

We are an evangelical church committed to teaching the Bible, Spirit filled worship, prayer, community outreach, and children’s and youth ministry. We have many links with churches overseas, especially in Kenya, Brazil and Peru, and closer to home we are part of Dorking Christian ministries such as the Foodbank, Besom, Beatitudes, Soul Connect, Christians Against Poverty and Street Pastors. We minister regularly in 4 residential nursing homes, Dorking Hospital, and Pelham Woods, and from our church building we run a daily free café, Ofsted Outstanding Nursery, and many groups and activities for people of all ages. We minister in both secondary schools in Dorking, as well as four Primary Schools. Adjoining our parish is The Priory School, one of only two Church of England Secondary Schools in the Diocese, and we are part of the Chaplaincy team there. 

St Paul’s Parish extends southwards from the main Dorking High Street to the A24. Over two thousand households provide homes for over 5000 people. Along with St Paul’s Church, St Paul’s Church of England Primary School is at the heart of the parish and is situated in the same road.

We have recently formed a new Group Ministry with St John's North Holmwood, and the benefice of St Martin's, St Mary's and St Barnabas Ranmore. In 2019 our curate left to become the Vicar of St John's and, with a group of members from St Paul's, joined with the existing congregation of St John's to begin a new chapter in their life of ministry and mission.

St Paul's is part of the New Wine network of churches.