The Parish Visitors are a group of parishioners who have been trained under the Diocese of London Parish Visiting Scheme to assist the priest by undertaking various ministries including that of pastoral care. The scheme also provides for growth in Christian discipleship. The aim is to provide a link with the church for those parishioners who are unable to attend or are in need of support at a particular time.

The visitors' work is two-fold - meeting the families of those who bring children for baptism and dropping in on elderly parishioners and those who are housebound. It is an expression of pastoral care following the example of Christ who said, ‘I know my sheep, and they know me'.

The baptismal work involves a visit before the christening. The visitor may well not know the people, so it is an important link between the church and the family. The visitor may explain the service to the family, answering any questions they may have, helping them prepare for the day. If they can, the visitor then attends the baptism and welcomes the family. It is a joy to be able to welcome them on the day of baptism and their child as a new member of Christ’s body, our church. As a follow-up, a card is sent for two years after the baptism, around the time of the anniversary. Also, each year there is a 'baptismal tea party' when the families of those baptised are invited back to St. James's for a social occasion to maintain a link with the church.

The second aspect of the visitors' work, visiting the elderly, those in hospital or housebound and visiting the bereaved, is perhaps not so much reaching out as maintaining links. Not all of those visited regularly are housebound, but for those who are a visit can be the continuing expression of the church's concern and care for that person. They are still part of the church community even if they can physically no longer attend. (People also have the option of receiving holy communion at home regularly, if they would like it.) Twice a year a tea party is held for those being visited so that again the continuing link with the church is maintained. Each member of the team has one or two housebound or elderly persons whom they visit as and when they can, fairly regularly. We feel that some of the visitees are quite lonely and would probably be glad of more visitors.

An opportunity for reaching out could come in the future as the visitors have agreed that there could be people who live in the parish, but who do not regard themselves as church members, who nonetheless may value a visit and have come into contact with St. James's through the vicar. A visitors’ meeting is held every two or three months to report or discuss anything that has cropped up.

Historical Background to the Parish Visitors
During 1953 there was a church representative in every street in the parish and all sick and lonely people who desired it were visited regularly. A parish visiting scheme was set up in 2005 to provide some company to anybody in the local community, including the housebound, the elderly, the lonely and those who were unwell. Families of children and infants prior to their baptism were also visited.