Winchelsea Parish Church 

The Reverend Darren Smith, born 1962, is General Secretary of the Additional Curates Society an organisation founded in 1837 by Joshua Watson. He had a concern for the evangelisation of the rapidly growing industrial areas of our big cities known to history as the Industrial Revolution. He saw this in term of not only funding the churches ministry in such deprived areas but also supporting the construction of buildings this providing social care etc. Supporting this approach to ministry remains its primary function to this day

Fr. Darren was born in Cleethorps in 1962 his father being a deep- sea fisherman. His theological training was at Lincoln Theological College ordained deacon in 1986 and priested 1987. He served his title at St. Aidan's New Parks where, as it so happens our Rector was Vicar 1998-2004. In 1991 Fr. Darren was appointed vicar of St. Luke's Kingstanding in the Diocese of Birmingham. Kingstanding is a very depressed area of that city and he inherited a parish church literally falling down. Fr. Darren by dint of a vigorous pastoral ministry, much prayer and personal sacrifice bought life and vigour to the church in Kingstanding. Both St. Luke's and St. Aidan's receive financial support from the Additional Curates Society, and given the socio economic nature of the areas is badly needed.

He was appointed General Secretary of the Additional Curates Society in 2007. And has brought his natural flair for innovation and capacity for hard work to the task in hand.