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The importance of our help to Biliam and his congregation Thank you so much for your continuing support, here are pictures of two disabled parishioners who the people of St Giles have been able to help. Thank you also to everyone for the boat that I was able to purchase through your generosity. This will allow my church members to access the waters which are an important way of travel in Bangladesh and a place to fish from. There is also a picture of the altar that my daughter Miriam decorated for Good Friday and a picture of the congregation.




A Heartfelt Request Honourable members of St.Giles Church, I am sharing my life story and my daily parish work with you by the kindness of Fr Matthew Hughes.


I am Billiam Sardar and from St Pauls Church, Barisal. I am a priest of God and started my service in 1993.From 1993- 97 (Chritichrist), 1998-99 (Deacon) and from 1999 I have been in service as a priest. In 1999 I met great Fr Matthew and he lit a fire in my heart. My preaching life became heavy and I struggled through danger and excitement but with Almighty God and Fr. Matthew’s blessing and heavenly guidance my life was saved.


Although we are very few followers in this land I have my present church, named St. Pauls Church, and another three branches in my parish. Many of the people here are Hindu and Muslims. On Christmas Sunday two family members became followers of Jesus Christ. Please pray for me. Normally we cannot baptise people here. We have a lovely Sunday school in my parish, and a orphan home The young women are very active but in a very challenging situation.

I have a lovely family. My wife is Dorothy, we are both from orphanage hostels, but we feel it proud of it in the name of Jesus Christ. Now we have two children, William and Miriam Maya. My son received support from you all via Fr. Matthew and he is a nurse now. He married a nurse and they are enjoying a happy life together. My daughter Miriam is also receiving support from St.Giles and Fr. Matthews is now enjoying studying for qualifying in HSC (Science). Honourable congregation of St. Giles church and especially Fr. Matthew, you know that I had two heart attacks and you all supported me. So I am feeling weak and very often just existing. Very soon I shall become retired, but I have no house in my village. Two years ago I brought a little land (one and half katha) by the kindness of Fr. Matthew Hughes and you all.



So it's my heartfelt request to you and the congregation of St. Giles, if possible, please arrange or provide a home where we can spend our retirement. I believe that my Almighty heavenly God will provide for me. I shall be very grateful to all of you for ever and ever. Thanks indeed for all your kind support, guidance and prayers for me, my families and my congregation of St. Pauls. Peace be with us always. God bless. Please keep us in your loving prayers.

Biliam Sarder

Reverend Billiam Sarder Celebrates his move to a new location, with a new Vicarage, 


Father Matthew, and the People of St Giles and St Nicholas send you our best wishes, love and respect. We have passed so busy time since last week. Yes, we have moved St. Pauls Church, Dhamsor, Barisal. Mayas college and college hostel 20 k.m away from our vicarage. We all feeling better for this. It’s Muslim and many Hindus around us. And maximum people are from Hindu background. Here have a Orphanage Hostel, there’s 60 Boys in this hostel. Nearly 15 are Hindu Boy in this hostel. OUR vicarage is a lovely but little. Today maya have admitted the * City College *. She is Very much happy. It’s a little bit that's she need couching teacher because of Science is a Hard subject. I am missing my old Parish. I am sending you my new church photo, Mayas College, Oxford mission church building and our little vicarage. Thanks Again indeed father for your love, compassion and take care our-self. Please take care your selves. God Bless. Your loving Biliam Sarder and Dorothy. (sic)

April 2022

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About Biliam Sardar

Biliam is a parish Priest in the Church of Bangladesh, his parish is located in a rural region which is dominated by small farms, mountainous countryside and lots of rivers and small lakes. 

The Church of Bangladesh first came into being when an independent Bangladesh was formed in 1971.  The Church serves a minority community of Christians (there are between 350,000-500,000) in a predominantly Muslim country.



In 1999 the Church Missionary Society, which was founded in 1799, celebrated its bicentenary.  Part of the celebration focused on the legacy of their missionary work in different countries around the world.  Churches were invited to send a selected member of their Church to the UK in acknowledgment of the link between the CMS and the churches that they had either helped to establish (mainly in the Victorian era), or supported in other ways.

At that time I was a Team Vicar working at St. Christopher's Ramsgate in the Diocese of Canterbury. St. Christopher's was selected as a host church and for six months we welcomed four fellow Christians - Sister Makarika from the Coptic Church of Egypt, Fr Vincent Dymitriov from the Russian Orthodox Church, Kim Sun a female Ordinand from South Korea and The Reverend Biliam Sarder, a then Deacon from the Church of Bangladesh.  Over six months they helped across the parish, visiting, leading services, and youth work, helping with funerals and baptisms and many other areas of parish life.  They were billeted with four members of the congregation, who were paid board and keep. 

We also arranged some social excursions to well-known tourist attractions in the South East such as Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and Chartwell. It was lovely to have them with us for what proved to be a mutually enriching experience. 

We all particularly warmed to Biliam as this was the first time he had left rural Bangladesh.  Biliam was a wonderful companion and over the years he and his family have become dear friends to me and many others. 

I am pleased to say that now a good number in our parish are aware of Biliam and the work he does in his parish and over the years people have been so generous in supporting the various appeals I have made for him. For example, just recently I was able to send him £300 which allowed him to buy 100 Bibles for his Sunday School children (see photo above and the panel  to the right).

Support like this makes such a difference to him and the mainly poor people amongst whom he lives and ministers.

Matthew Hughes

Read more about the
Church of Bangladesh