PPPARISHPARISH PROFILEPROFILEPROFILE
The Benefices of Bredon and the Beckford Group
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Welcome from the Bredon Hill Group Ministry
On behalf of the parishes of Bredon Hill we welcome your interest in this post and we look forward to working alongside whoever is appointed.
The Bredon Hill Group consisting of four benefices which comprises of fourteen churches, is currently in a time of transition following the untimely deaths of two previous incumbents. This appointment to the Benefices of Bredon and the Beckford Group is instrumental to work with the existing incumbent of the Eckington Benefice to take forward the future ministry and mission of the Group. As incumbent you will be assisted by retired clergy, Authorised Lay Ministers and by our excellent network of churchwardens.
The Group Ministry is well established as these benefices have been working together since 2008. The Group was made fully formal in the legal sense in April 2017. Over time the vision for ministry shared between clergy and laity has been established.
Part of the ongoing vision you will need to bring and work collaboratively with, is the revision of the Sunday service rota which has clergy and lay ministers deployed across the whole fourteen churches, albeit with the intention of each focusing mostly on their home benefice(s). There is an expectation to appoint to a third clergy position in the future, the exact nature of which is yet to be decided.
Over the last few years a united service for the whole Group has been held on most “5th Sundays” with the summer one followed by a picnic lunch. Other joint initiatives have included shared Lent courses, united services at Advent and Easter, and occasional training events. On the afternoon of Good Friday, we hold a service on top of Bredon Hill which regularly draws a crowd of 300 or more.
This appointment will be an exciting opportunity of leadership, to discern with others how the Holy Spirit guides and shapes the future of the Bredon Hill Group Ministry and invites us to be a part. If you are looking to minister collaboratively and to minister where clergy and laity work creatively together, then this might be the place for you. If you are reasonably flexible and resilient and have a good sense of fun, we would love to hear from you.
Reverend Sarah Dangerfield Reverend Allison Davies Rural Dean of Pershore Vicar of Eckington
We believe that the Challenges facing the two benefices are:
To engage with the latent spirituality within all our communities.
To explore a wider variety of regular worship
To develop/build upon an outreach programme for all ages.
To build on what has been achieved and motivate us to embrace a future that encompasses all Worship (Fresh Expressions).
We seek a Minister who is:
Someone who values the biblical preaching ministry, who will travel with us, inspire us, and encourage us along the road.
Approachable and empathetic, with the ability to listen
Able to engage with all people across the generations
Clear thinking, with effective management skills
Sympathetic to the challenges of rural ministry and is sufficiently experienced to take on the responsibility of being a key player in the Bredon Hill Group Ministry.
Has a desire to see the bigger picture and grow diverse worship thus enhancing us all as Kingdom People.
THE BENEFICE OF BREDON WITH BREDON’S NORTON
There are many ways of spelling Bredon – from Braid-own to Brydun, but all are based on the Celtic word “Bre” and the Anglo-Saxon “Dun”, both meaning precisely the same – a Hill or High Ground. Some say the history of Bredon goes back to a hill fort of the 2nd century BC. Nothing remains of these early days, but we do know that in 716 AD the King of Mercia gave the land for a monastery to be built here. The Parish of Bredon is made up of 5 villages – Bredon, Bredons Hardwick, Bredon’s Norton, Kinsham, and Westmancote. Approximately 2,600 people live in our community.
27% of the population are aged 65 and over. 19% are under 18 years. There is a high level of private housing ownerships (84%). The types of property very much reflect these statistics with a very healthy number of bungalows, a number of retirement properties, and also social housing.
ST GILES The building is light and spacious. The Nave, Chancel and Porch are Norman, but the unusually high steeple was added in the 1300’s together with the Mitton Chapel (Lady Chapel). The Vestry was added in the 20 th Century. There is medieval glass, Victorian glass, 20 th century glass (including two windows by Sir Ninian Comper). An amazing alabaster memorial; incredibly old “coffins”, a coffin front unearthed during repairs, an Easter Sepulchre, its endless – you just have to see this beautiful, peaceful place of worship.
We are blessed with a large congregation averaging 64. Currently we have a service every Sunday at 10.30am – Eucharistic on the first, third, and fourth Sundays; the second Sunday is our regular relaxed Village worship. Morning prayer is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The bells and spire of St. Giles were made famous by A.E. Housman (In summer time on Bredon) and John Masefield who wrote of (“All the land from Ludlow Town to Bredon Church’s Spire”). For nearly 90 years it was believed the bells would destabilise the tower. This proved to be incorrect. In 2003 they were restored and a sixth bell added.
About our church facilities .
The Church Rooms are adjacent to St. Giles. The building is leased from the Worcester Diocese at a small rent. There is a hall, committee room, kitchen and cloakrooms, with limited parking outside. The rooms are used for various meetings, storage, and provides the printing and distribution centre for the parish magazine.
Church Yard – The churchyard is currently open and still available for burials and ashes interment. We recognise that space is now limited, and the time will come, probably in the next 2 to 3 years when it will have to be closed. The PCC are in discussion with the Parish Council to provide additional space.
Our School – Bredon Hancock’s is a very successful voluntary aided Church of England First School at the heart of the village community. We have been graded Outstanding by both OFSTED and SIAMS and have always enjoyed a very close working partnership with St Giles’ Church. We enjoy a variety of services in church during the year and we hope soon to have a weekly worship in school with the Rector, once again. Our vision is for a school which provides equality of opportunity for all in partnership with the whole school community, within a loving Christian environment, and which seeks to promote and develop every child’s potential to the full in a positive, fun and meaningful way. Our strap line is: “Dream, Believe, Work, Achieve” and we are very proud of the distinctively Christian ethos that prevails, which is underpinned by 12 core Christian values. These values have evolved over the last few years and come from an overarching umbrella of “Love” – as described in the Bible in 1 Corinthians 13.
We are a one form entry first school, with close links to the Middle School and feeder Pre-schools in the area. We have 175 children on roll arranged in 6 classes. We have a very keen and productive PTA. We have many helpers in school, who are from extended families or are Open The Book members and everyone feels that they are part of the Bredon family.
We would like a new Rector who loves us and is keen to further develop the strong relationship between church and school. We will welcome you on to the full governing body of the school helping to shape, protect and direct our future. These things are really very important to us- a visit to Bredon Hancock’s would show you just how much! Melanie Millar, Head Teacher
Our Playgroup Bredon Playgroup was registered in 1992 and is a community pre-school. The group is run by experienced staff and managed by a committee of parents. The Playgroup is self-financing and is a registered charity. There are close links with Bredon Hancock’s First School. The Reception Teacher will visit and pre-school children will visit the school. The curriculum follows EYFS .
Our Outreach: Bredon with Bredon’s Norton are blessed with active groups working alongside our Rector. We have: A Local Ministry Team, Home Groups, Regular Lent groups (often 5) working with the other members of the Bredon Hill Group Ministry on an agreed theme. A Village Worship planning team. We are one of the few churches in the Group that still has a choir. The Friends of St. Giles – a dedicated team that work tirelessly to raise funds specifically for the maintenance of the church. A Parish Magazine – edited by a retired member of the clergy and for the benefit of the Parish. And we must not forget the Dust busters, Flower Guild, Polishers and Shiners, Bell ringers etc.
Drop in Café has grown from a thought first voiced 3 ½ years ago. Run and operated on a rota basis by church members and held in the Village Hall, it fulfils two roles being a monthly weekday venue for people to meet for a catch-up and a drop off point for food and other items donated by villagers for Tewkesbury Foodbank
Mustard Seed is a joint programme between St. Giles Bredon and Holy Trinity, Tewkesbury, to reach young families, (parents and children) in Bredon and nearby villages. It has been running now for three years. It meets once a month on Friday evenings in the Village Hall with breaks for holidays. It is similar to Messy Church. Numbers from Bredon are still small, but those that attend value it.
Open The Book We have an active and very enthusiastic group that go into our school every other Monday to enact the Lion Story Bibles. The children love their Open the Book assemblies and regularly take part. The group make all their costume and props – quite a feat when taking on Jonah and the Whale!
Bredon Boat Races take place on the River Avon at The Old Rectory meadow and are organised by members of the PCC. The event was started to involve the whole community with the aim of providing a great community day out.
Parish Secretary – We share a Parish Secretary with Beckford and have offices at Bredon Rectory, and Beckford Village Hall.
Our Very Active Village Bredon has so many facilities considering the size of the Parish. For the active we have: Cricket, Tennis, Football, Rugby, Bowling, Playing Fields where regular children’s activities take place. A village hall with 3/4 halls, a kitchen and bar, A Doctors Surgery, 2 pubs. A fish and chips shop. The list is endless!!
CHAPEL OF EASE, BREDON’S NORTON AND ITS COMMUNITY The Church. Situated in the very heart of the Village, Bredon’s Norton Church, a chapelry to St Giles Bredon, is Norman in origin. Substantially rebuilt by the Victorians (Nave 1877, Chancel 1883), the 13 th Century Chancel arch still remains, as does the Norman doorway reset in the 19 th Century porch. The current building is in generally good condition and the 2018 Quinquennial inspection revealed no major defects. The Church is surrounded by a peaceful churchyard regularly maintained by villagers. There is one Churchwarden, backed up by a reliable team of volunteers who help with assisting at services, cleaning, flower arranging, maintenance etc.
The Village. Sited on the Western slopes of Bredon Hill, Bredon’s Norton is set in a peaceful rural landscape of woodland, pasture and arable land, looking down & across at the flatter farmlands of the Avon Valley, and Severn Vale. The Village is reached through two roads from the main Bredon Eckington road (B4080) and is thus spared the continual rush of through traffic. Two working farms preserve the rural character of
the Village while the wide range of housing stock including an Elizabethan manor, a number of 18th & 19th Century houses, and many cottages and converted farm buildings reflect the changing demography over the last century when 100 years ago most of the dwellings were occupied by farm workers, compared to today with a population of largely professional folk commuting to larger towns & cities in the area, with a proportion of retirees and still a sizeable number of people who have lived in the Village all their lives.
Village Life. The Village School having closed many years ago and the local Post Office following suit some time later, Villagers largely depend on Bredon for its excellent School, Surgery, Pubs & shopping facilities. Nonetheless there is an active & vigorous social life in the Village, with an energetic Social Committee organising a regular programme of popular & well-attended events including Quiz Nights, Progressive Suppers, Bonfire Night and an annual Cricket Match. Many of these events are held in the Village Hall, a very useful facility, refurbished recently by Lottery Funding, with a large function room, kitchen, disabled access, toilet facilities and a spacious garden area. The Hall is regularly used by both Villagers and outside groups including a Bridge Club and a History of Art group.
The Church and the Village. Weekly Sunday Services have been held at the Church since records were first kept, and currently they follow a regular pattern of Eucharist at 0900 on the second and fourth Sundays of the month and Choral Evensong at 1800 on the first and third Sundays using the Book of Common Prayer. During the current Interregnum the Evensong services have been mostly lay-led, and have proven to be popular.
Attendance. Of the 25-30 regular worshippers there is a solid core of 15 or so at the morning Eucharist service, with a number coming from outside the Village (Bredon & Westmancote). The Evensong Service is also well supported by regulars, including 3-4 Catholic villagers which adds a pleasingly ecumenical touch to the occasion.
Attendances are boosted by the occasional wedding ceremony, perhaps 1-2 per year, and by 3-4 funeral services per year. A well-attended event is the Parish Good Friday service, and as is to be expected both Easter Day & Christmas Day services attract larger numbers. A now regular boost to the congregation is provided by the annual Christmas Carol Service, featuring the Bredons Norton Choir, a “pop-up” ensemble of villagers who, under the expert guidance of a choirmaster augment the traditional carols with more complex pieces. The Village has a number of young families, some of whom attend Church when services are appropriate, typically, but not only, at Christmas & Easter. The Church is usually packed on these occasions and a challenge for the new Incumbent will be to encourage some of the irregular attendees to visit more frequently.
Fund-raising for the Church includes such activities as the annual Lambing Day, when families from a widespread area visit Home Farm and enjoy the experience of being on a working farm and seeing lambs being born. Other funds are derived from the Annual Walkers Supper, and donations from the Village Social Committee.
Mention should be made of the long history of bell-ringing in the Village, the Church has a fine set of well- maintained bells, with a number of Villagers, including a teenager, in the “Tower”, and with 6-7 visits a year from ringing teams from further afield.
The somewhat traditional approach to worship outlined above does not preclude Villagers wanting to explore alternative modes of worship, and while this emphatically rules out suggestions of ripping out the pews, installing wide-screen TVs and playing “Shine Jesus Shine” on permanent loop, a move towards Services with a more contemplative, meditative theme, with perhaps less emphasis on prescribed ritual may be welcomed by some.
Bredon with Bredon’s Norton Financial Position
Our largest annual expense is the Parish Share which currently stands at £57,076 – St. Giles being responsible for 85%, Bredon’s Norton 15%. This, we believe, has always been paid in full.
Last year St. Giles had an annual income of £102,961.00 and Bredon’s Norton £11,300.00 Our monthly Expenditure is current standing at – St. Giles £8,499, Bredon’s Norton £1,144.00. Thankfully we are blessed with a solid base of regular Gift Aid donors.
OUR RECTORY
The Rectory was built in 1960’s/1970’s. It is situated on the main road. There are four bedrooms, two bathrooms (one en suite), a lounge, conservatory, kitchen/dining room, a utility room, a study with separate entrance (which is currently used as the Parish Office), a large garden, garage, and off-road parking. It was purchased by the diocese in the 1980’s (the Old Rectory – whilst a beautiful Grade 2* listed building was an expensive home for both the Rector and The Diocese).
The Rectory has been a very happy family home for our two previous Rectors.
Harvest lunch held inside St Giles
THE BECKFORD GROUP PARISH
Organisation: The Beckford Group PCC, under the chairmanship of the Vicar, has the responsibility for all matters concerning the administration and finances of the Group. Members include all clergy licensed to the Benefice, two churchwardens for each of the three parish churches, and one deputy warden for each of the two chapelries of Overbury. At present only 2 of the churchwarden posts are filled, one from Beckford and one from Overbury.
The Districts: The 4 districts, (Ashton-under-Hill, Beckford, Overbury and the Chapelries) each have their own Church Committee (DCC) responsible to the Vicar and the PCC for the day to day administration of their district and the care of their churches. Each have their own chairman, secretary, and treasurer.
Finance: Each DCC keeps its own accounts. The PCC determines each year the proportion of Parish Share and Parish Expenses due from each district. District treasurers make payment of these to the PCC treasurer, who is responsible for making payment to the Diocese. Annual accounts for each DCC are delivered to the PCC treasurer, who is in turn responsible for preparing the consolidated Annual Report and Accounts for the whole Group. Parish Share for 2018 was paid in full, eventually.
Worship: The worship tradition can be described as middle of the road traditional Anglican, using both CW and BCP liturgies, and enjoying a welcoming sense of fellowship. The regular congregations tend to be predominantly middle-aged or elderly, but Ashton and Overbury also have thriving lay led family services. A schedule of services is prepared annually covering the whole of the Beckford Group. This is done in consultation with the other members of the Bredon Hill Group Ministry. The time and nature of services is intentionally varied, but there is an underlying pattern. On each of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Sundays of the month there is one service in each of the three parish churches and in one of the two chapelries. On 4th Sundays there is a United Service in one of the five churches of the group in rotation. On 5th Sundays there is a similar United Service in one of the churches of the Bredon Hill Group Ministry. The aim has been to encourage parishioners to worship in all churches of the Benefice. Attendance figures at United Services are reasonably encouraging in this respect. Festivals, patronals and special services are also included in the schedule.
There are currently no Lay Readers in The Beckford Group
Support for Charities: As a Group we have a regular commitment to the CATCH project in Mzamomhle, a South African township, which runs a foster home for AIDS orphans, a small clinic, a programme of health education, sport and vocational training.
Communications: We have a well-supported Parish Magazine, published and widely distributed throughout all parts of the Group, funded in part by advertisements and in part by modest subscription. It covers all aspects of life within the Group, both church and community matters. It is backed up by monthly published weekly pew notes. The Group itself does not have an active website at present, but the Parish Magazine can be read and downloaded from the Teddington and Alstone Village Hall website. (See Chapelries section for address)
Minibus: The Parish Minibus is a valued parish resource, which is used for pastoral purposes, regular shopping trips and is available for use by all organisations in the Parish.
BECKFORD
Beckford is a rural village with a history of settlement going back to the 8th century. Its current population is approximately 600 and is physically split into two almost equal halves by a major trunk road, the A46. The older part of the village including the church is north of the road. The half south of the road is called Little Beckford. The parish also includes the hamlet of Grafton situated between Beckford and its neighbouring village of Ashton under Hill.
The buildings in the village reflect its history, ranging from older listed buildings to modern properties with a significant proportion of social housing concentrated in Little Beckford.
Beckford Church St John the Baptist’s church in Beckford, built about 1140, is a rare survival of a complete Norman nave (with some later fenestration), seating around 120 people. It is listed Grade I and is set in a dominant position in the centre of the village. It stands in a large churchyard which is still in use for burials, and is approached through a lychgate which is the village war memorial. The building is in good repair, but we seek to install a toilet and to improve the very basic kitchen facilities, to widen the use of the building for concerts etc, and replacement of the lighting system is becoming a matter of necessity. There is a sound system which includes a hearing loop. The church is always open in daylight hours to welcome visitors and services are normally held on three Sundays a month.
Activities and Programmes
Although there is no church hall, we do have a village hall which has a Tennis Club, Croquet Club, children’s playground and recreation field attached. This also hosts a Parish Office which the Parish Secretary occupies one morning a week.
While not attending church regularly in great numbers, the local community does support church-related events enthusiastically. These include a bi-annual ‘Open Village’ event, summer garden parties, monthly coffee mornings (which raise funds for other charitable causes as well as the church) and other one-off events held in the church from time to time.
There is a small but keen team of bell ringers who ring in the three towers of Beckford, Overbury and Ashton for major services and other events. They are committed in their maintenance of the bells and the tower is popular with visiting teams of ringers.
The village has a thriving WI and a Gardening Club which both use the village hall for their meetings. The village hall is available for private hire which currently includes a Toddler Group, Meditation, Pilates and Tai Chi classes and fund-raising events such as barn dances and quiz nights. It also hosts a monthly lunch event where home-made soups and sweets are served to all-comers for a nominal charge. This also raises funds for the local community.
The village has its own Nature Reserve, run and maintained on behalf of the village by a team of volunteers. This is very popular both with local residents and visitors alike.
USEFUL CONTACTS/INFORMATION www.beckfordvillagehall.org www.beckfordnature.org.uk www.thesheiling.net www.beckford-parish-council.org.uk
THE CHAPELRIES DISTRICT
The Chapelries district is that part of the historic parish of Overbury which now lies in Gloucestershire, namely the small villages of Teddington and Alstone, and includes the hamlets of Bengrove and Little Washbourne. Together they form the civil parish of Teddington and Alstone, with an adult population of about 330 – in 174 households, of which 45 are in Alstone and Alstone Fields. Although the two villages form distinct communities, they join together for all social and religious activities and festivals. The main local occupation is essentially agricultural, but this involves only a small part of the population. In recent years this has been massively increased by the influx of both retired people and young business professionals attracted by the pleasing location and easy access to good motorway links. There are no mansions or ‘great houses’, the few surviving older buildings being essentially farm houses or cottages. There is little social housing.
There is no church hall, but a thriving and well-appointed Village Hall in Teddington serves both communities. It can hold events for up to 60 people, and currently hosts 50+ Club and Flower Design Club every month, with Pilates and Yoga classes weekly. There are well maintained playing fields in both villages, with modern play equipment. The Hall has its own website: www.teddington-and-alstone-village- hall.org.uk with links to its Facebook page and the Parish Council website.
The Churches of the Chapelries
St. Nicholas’, Teddington: Listed Grade I, it dates originally from the 11th or early 12th century. The oldest part is the high semi-circular chancel arch, of Anglo-Saxon design. The church was much altered in the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly the west end which features a window and columns salvaged from the ruins of Hailes Abbey. The tower has 2 bells dating from the early 17th century. Covering much of the south wall of the nave there is a fine mural of the arms of William and Mary.
The church is well maintained. It seats 55, has moderately effective heating throughout, but disability access is very poor and there is no sound loop system. There is no running water or toilet facility. A recent whole community survey called for all facilities to be improved to make the building fit for purpose for both church and community. The large churchyard is well tended and is still open for burials. The church is always unlocked in daylight hours.
St. Margaret’s, Alstone: Listed Grade II*. It is set in the middle of the village, next to Alstone Manor, and dates originally from the 12th century. It was extensively rebuilt and enlarged in the 13th, 16th and 17th centuries. A major restoration around 1876 to 1880 saw the replacement of the old bell turret with a central wooden tower and clock. The south west window has restored and reframed fragments of medieval stained glass depicting, inter alia, the Annunciation and Christ displaying his wounds in the tomb.
The building is well maintained, and seats about 50, with some open space in the north aisle, and in front below the chancel arch and pulpit. There are no water or toilet facilities. Heating is barely adequate and there is no sound loop. Disability access to the church itself is satisfactory, but not so the steps to the churchyard gate. The church is unlocked in daylight hours. The churchyard is well tended and is still open for burials.
St. Mary’s, Little Washbourne: Listed Grade II. Built in the 12th century, it was closed for regular worship in 1973 and is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. It is used once a year for a Benefice United Service – at which 35 attended in 2018. The interior retains a fine 18th century wooden altar, pulpit and box pews throughout. It has no heat, light or other facilities. The churchyard has traditionally not been used for burials.
Church attendance and activities
The Chapelries do not have a formal lay ministry team. In fact lay participation in services is limited to Lesson reading and chalice assistance/serving, and only very occasional leading of intercessions.
Average normal Sunday attendance in the Chapelries is 15. Festival services are well attended, particularly when publicised energetically to attract young families and children. (For 2018, Teddington Crib/Christingle 89, including 37 children; Alstone Carol Service 37).
Fundraising activities include an annual summer garden coffee morning, an evening event in the Village Hall, and a Christmas fair. Opening St. Nicholas church tower for tours with a church quiz, followed by teas in the Village Hall proved to be a great success. Money was also raised at a Harvest Supper run by the Village Hall committee, with proceeds shared with the Hall, a successful collaboration. Christian Aid envelopes distributed throughout both villages each year have been most productive. Carol singing in Alstone and collections at the Crib and Christingle and other Christmas services have raised substantial amounts for the Children’s Society.
Chapelries Community Survey
In 2018 questionnaires were delivered to each of the 174 households in the Chapelries. 33 responded (19.2%), half being churchgoers, half non-churchgoers. 100% of respondents wanted both churches to be kept open for worship. There was also a widespread call for both churches to be able to be used for appropriate secular community activities. This highlighted the current shortcomings of both buildings, and feasibility studies for improvements are in hand. In the meantime, the survey provided a list of things for the chapelries to be getting on with, making simple improvements involving little expense. One initiative has already borne fruit: the establishment of collection points at both churches for the Tewkesbury Food Bank.
The survey also revealed a long-standing perception of the Chapelries’ isolation, both physical and social, from the rest of the Benefice.
THE TWO BENEFICES LOOKING TO THE FUTURE TOGETHER
There is a desire in both benefices to develop ‘latent spirituality’: to make churches more accessible; to be more overtly inclusive; to be open to change. There is a willingness to support a new incumbent exploring the inclusion of new forms and patterns of worship, and a determination to provide appropriate facilities to make our churches ‘fit for purpose’. Special services and events are always welcome, making best uses of the individual attributes and features of particular churches.
FORMATION OF BREDON HILL GROUP MINISTRY (a more detailed history) Originally a vicar, resident in Beckford, cared for the parishes of Beckford, St John the Baptist, and Ashton under Hill, St Barbara. Similarly Overbury St Faith, had a vicar who also cared for the attached Chapelries of Teddington and Alstone, with Little Washbourne.
From 1985 there was no longer a vicar in Overbury and that parish was attached to Beckford under the care of its vicar, forming the Parish of Overbury with Teddington, Alstone and Little Washbourne with Beckford and Ashton under Hill. In 2008, on the resignation of the then Vicar of Beckford, the Bishop determined that there should be no replacement appointed and the group of Beckford parishes was given into the care of the Rector of Bredon (who was at that time also Rural Dean of the Pershore Deanery), with the assistance of the Vicar of Eckington and the Rector of Elmley Castle. The living was suspended while future plans were formulated. Pastoral care for Beckford was given to the Rector of Bredon, while the Vicar at Eckington took responsibility for the pastoral care of Overbury and its attendant Chapelries: the care of Ashton under Hill being awarded to the Rector of Elmley Castle.
When the role of Rural Dean passed from Canon Matthew Baynes to the Revd (later Canon) Susan Renshaw – the Vicar of Eckington – he took over pastoral care of the Chapelries to ease her workload. Hence the current split away from the traditional group pattern of Overbury and Chapelries. Little Washbourne, St Mary, is no longer in regular use and is in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust – though an annual united service is held there every August.
After a number of years of planning and deliberation, the Bredon Hill Group Ministry was formally recognised on 1st April 2017 and established by the Bishop’s direction, following the pattern which had been successfully running since its conception in 2009. The arrangement has had the happy effect of drawing together the congregations of the fourteen churches around Bredon Hill as we meet to combine in regular united services and other events.
This is a strong foundation on which to build and take forward the future mission and ministry of the Bredon Hill Group
St Faith, Overbury St Barbara, Ashton under Hill