With the Pastorate again vacant, it was decided to appoint David Reynolds as Chairman and invite the Rev. Bruce Henry, B.D., who had acted during Peter Nash’s ‘Sabbatical’, to act again for special pastoral matters.

The procedure suggested by the General Superintendents for churches without pastoral oversight had been amended since the Church was last without a minister. The Church was now asked to provide a ‘Profile for Future Ministry’ and prospective ministers were likewise asked to provide a profile (an extended curriculum vitae) of their own particulars and beliefs under a number of headings.

The preparation of the Church Profile proved a salutary exercise, because it not only required an honest assessment of where the Church stood, but also an indication of the kind of ministry it wanted.The situation presented new challenges and the new diaconate set about reviewing the various aspects of the life of the Church, under the headings of Worship, Evangelism, Teaching, Fellowship and Prayer, making practical recommendations under each section, and the Church was by no means inactive in the latter part of 1990 and in 1991.

The system of outreach known as ‘Good News Down the Street’ was adopted and met with modest success. Teaching continued through the house groups and was helped by some consecutive Sundays led by the Rev. Stuart Filby, then Assistant Minister at Bognor Regis Baptist Church, and later, with his wife Joyce, a B.M.S. missionary in Belgium. The B.M.S. ‘World Mission Links’ scheme started, and Jean and Michael Gardiner (of Bookham) became our special links in Brazil. Three young people from the Church went with the Rev. Stuart Davison, Sussex Baptist Association Missioner, to Romania, to assist in relief work there.

On the practical side, John Daws took over the Chairmanship of the Maintenance Committee from Jim Sweet and almost immediately became involved in the re-roofing of the vestibule and canopy and installation of gas central heating in the South Hall and adjoining rooms, with considerable up-grading of the kitchen.

The Chichester Council of Churches was replaced by ‘Churches Together in Chichester’ and David Reynolds became the Baptist representative. The St. Richard of Chichester Christian Care Association, upon which also David Reynolds was the representative, decided to take some urgent action for the homeless and set about a three-fold task of providing a hostel for young people, a night refuge, and a day centre.

During the months without a minister the deacons also returned to a re-examination of the Church Rules and in July 1991 the Chairman and Secretary submitted a report, recommending ways in which these could be ‘tidied-up’, and this was considered by a Special Church Meeting on 11th September and agreed by a substantial majority with none against.

And so the Church reached its Fortieth Anniversary and combined a celebration with a harvest supper and an Exhibition from 13th to 22nd September, 1991. A Catalogue of the Exhibition is in the Church archives.