The United Benefice of , and with , Bramley and Little .

Profile for the appointment of a Priest in Charge

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Priest-in-Charge

The United Benefice of Sherfield on Loddon,

Stratfield Saye and Stratfield Turgis with

Hartley Wespall, Bramley and Little London

Deanery of .

The Bishop of Winchester, the Rt. Revd. Tim Dakin writes:

As a diocese we are committed to rooting ourselves in Living the Mission of Jesus. We have begun a strategic process to deliver a mission-shaped Diocese, so that parochial, pastoral and new forms of pioneering and radical ministry will be infused with the life of the Spirit of mission. It’s a life lived out in three dimensions:

. Passionate personal spirituality; . Pioneering faith communities; and . Prophetic global citizens

The is an exciting place to be at the moment. We wait with eager anticipation to see how this process will unfold. We pray that, if God is calling you to join us in his mission in this part of the world, he will make his will abundantly clear to you.

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The Archdeacon of Winchester writes:

This benefice was recently enlarged to include the parish of Bramley and to bring all of the parishes into the Deanery of Odiham. There is an Assistant Priest based in Bramley with its pastoral care, although he is icensed across the benefice. This year the Deanery of Odiham (in common with all of our deaneries) will create a deanery map through Mission Action Planning (MAP), giving us a clearer shape of the deanery for mission. In 2015 each parish and benefice will be expected to create its own MAP. It is for this reason that the parish is ‘suspended’, and a Priest in Charge will be appointed for the time being.

We believe that we are living in exciting times as a diocese and sense that we are being challenged by the Spirit of God. We are therefore looking for a priest who will come and join the benefice, but also the Deanery and the Diocese. This is an exciting and challenging post with many creative possibilities.

Michael Harley, Archdeacon of Winchester

“As the Father sent me so I send you … Receive the Spirit” (John 20:21)

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Index of Contents

Section title Page number(s)

Role description p. 5

What kind of priest are we seeking? pp. 5 - 8

Benefice profile pp. 8-18

Our vision p. 8

Where are we now? pp. 9 - 12

The Benefice and our churches pp. 13 - 18

The Ministry team pp. 19 - 22

Monthly services and occasional offices pp. 23-24

The Rectory pp. 24 - 26

Interview process and timetable p. 27

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Role description

The leadership team and the congregations of our Benefice are seeking to appoint a mature and experienced Priest in Charge who will share our vision of ‘BUILDING LOVING CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY’ in a way that is lively, visible and effective in living out the Mission of Jesus. We are looking for a Priest who will: • teach and inspire our congregations to grow as Christians; • lead, motivate and encourage the ministry team working throughout the Benefice; • get actively and visibly involved in our communities; and • encourage generosity of hearts and minds in order to achieve the maximum impact of our giving of time and resources locally, nationally and internationally. The population in the Benefice has expanded significantly in the past five years as a result of extensive housing developments and this growth is expected to continue. This trend presents challenges and great opportunities for mission and for the Church to be seen at the heart of the local community. The appointed Priest in Charge of this United Benefice will be enthusiastically and actively supported by the existing leadership team and congregations. They will be welcomed into the Benefice’s Christian family with love and commitment and we will use all of our efforts to ensure that they enjoy their role and are encouraged to develop their own ministry. What kind of Priest are we seeking?

There has been much prayer and wide consultation regarding the appointment of our new priest. An important part of this exercise was a half-day meeting in December to listen to the views of all the congregations in the United Benefice. This Role Description has evolved from the wide consultation process and continuing prayer. As a united Benefice we are looking to appoint a Priest who has some, or all, of the characteristics which follow. We recognize that no one person will meet every qualification! But above all we are seeking someone who will lead us in the way of Christ, working with our existing team and who shares our vision to BUILD LOVING CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY on the existing foundation. Personal Spirituality We seek a Priest whose personal faith is rooted in prayer and Bible study, and who will draw on those resources to discern the will of God for the Benefice. We would want them to be a spiritual guide who will point the Church community to Christ and encourage us to grow in faith.

Leadership

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Our new Priest needs to be a leader who is willing and able to grasp the vision for the Benefice, to make it their own and then to communicate and advance it within our various different congregations. They will need to be a good listener, open to new ideas and willing to take risks in initiating and encouraging change, while respecting tradition and moving at a pace that all, or most, can accept. We want them to be open to ‘doing Church’ in new and imaginative ways in order to communicate the Gospel of Jesus to all who live within the Benefice, while also ensuring that valued traditional services are also upheld. We would want a leader who is able to delegate effectively and to encourage and develop the skills of others, in particular to build up the existing Ministry team, lay workers and PCCs. Given all these demands, they need to be able to recognize their own need for rest and recreation and to maintain an appropriate work/life balance.

Worship and Preaching We believe that it is essential for our new priest to be an effective, articulate preacher and teacher of the Bible, able to apply its teaching to the lives of those listening and who is experienced in, and committed to, communicating the Good News of Jesus Christ in a way that can reach those who have little or no experience of church, as well as those who have been churchgoers all their lives. We seek a priest who would be comfortable leading all age worship, to be unembarrassed speaking at a Messy Church service, yet also able to conduct with affection and reverence a service of Holy Communion or Matins according to the Book of Common Prayer. Inevitably, we see our greatest number of fringe members and occasional churchgoers at the major festival such as Christmas and Easter and Remembrance, as well as Open-Air Services in the summer on the village green (Sherfield) or Clift Meadow (Bramley), so our incumbent would need to view these occasions as welcome opportunities for renewed mission and outreach. Most of our congregations enjoy singing various different types of music in our services, so our new Priest needs to be willing to accept and encourage a range of formats, with musical tastes ranging from modern worship songs to Mission Praise to Hymns Ancient and Modern.

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Pastoral Care We are seeking a priest with a heart for people, who will be able to be a caring and approachable minister for all who live in the Benefice and sees such activity as a real way to be the person of Christ in the community. We would like our priest to view ‘Occasional Offices’ such as baptisms, weddings and funerals as genuine opportunities to reach out to people in the community, and who will willingly grasp these opportunities to communicate the Gospel of Christ to those involved by means of gentle and effective instruction in what these services mean. In seeking to meet the needs of the old, the sick, the bereaved and those in difficulty, ideally our priest will lead and encourage existing pastoral initiatives, such as the ‘In Touch’ scheme and the Prayer Chain, as well as opening up new possibilities drawing on their own experience.

Parish Organisation Our priest needs to be able to work collaboratively with the established Ministry team and the parish administrator and volunteer helpers to plan and provide services and activities throughout the week to an agreed pattern and to support, guide and encourage their efforts. We want a Priest who is able and willing to work prayerfully and closely with the Church Wardens and who will be effective in organising, chairing and motivating the PCCs. It is essential that the Priest is comfortable with the use of technology for everyday purposes, drawing where necessary on the help of experienced members of our congregations, and to be open to the use of IT resources in administration and mission.

Diocesan and Deanery Our Priest in charge should be willing to play their part at Deanery level and at Diocesan Synod. As a Benefice, we are committed to supporting the Bishop of Winchester’s plan for mission and in ‘promoting passionate personal spirituality, pioneering faith communities and prophetic global citizenship’ and so are already actively involved in the preparation of the Odiham Deanery Mission Action Plan. It will be particularly important in the near term to be involved in the process of determining the future structure of the Benefice. This will mean active commitment to the planning process and ultimately to the implementation of the agreed plan.

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Community Involvement In our villages, it is important for our Priest to be present and visible at local events, whether or not the church is directly engaged in them. Similarly, it would be helpful if the new Priest gets to know and engage with local politicians, the Parish Councils, & Deane Borough Council and local interest groups, as appropriate. Becoming known by the village communities will be helped greatly if our Priest will contribute to the Loddon Valley Link and Bramley Magazines with a “light-touch” Gospel message and a willingness to comment on local, national and international issues.

Benefice Profile

Our vision for the future of the United Benefice

Our vision is to ‘BUILD LOVING CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY’ in all of our villages: in other words, to be active and effective in living the Mission of Jesus as a visible part of our communities and in the wider context of the Deanery and Diocese. We believe that the impact that we, as Christians, can make will be measured not by the volume of our words but through the demonstration of our actions. In our diverse communities… We want to be seen as congregations that welcome newcomers, offering worship, teaching and care for all ages in a wide range of Christian activities. We want to reach out into the community to touch those who are not churchgoers, as well as supporting and growing our existing Christian communities. We want to contribute visibly as Christians to all aspects of village life, bringing energy and enthusiasm to all we do and voicing a Christian perspective on local and national issues. It is this vision which we want to share with our new priest.

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Where are we now?

Our Benefice consists of five churches, which are divided up under three PCCs: Sherfield-on- Loddon (St Leonard’s Church) http://www.stleonardschurch.co.uk, Stratfield Saye with Hartley Wespall (both churches named St Mary, the Virgin), and Bramley with Little London (St James and St Stephen respectively) http://stjamesbramley.com Each church congregation, of course, has its own particular characteristics, and individuals and families tend to be loyal to their particular church. Historically, the Priest in Charge / Rector of Sherfield has also overseen Stratfield Saye and Hartley Wespall, both of which have quite small congregations (often fewer than twenty (20) people). Bramley and Little London have been in the process of joining the Benefice over the last three years and this merger has recently been formalised. Sherfield and Bramley are the biggest of the five (5) churches and hold morning services every Sunday: the smaller churches meet between one (1) and three (3) times a month. For the past fifteen (15) years the Ministry Team in Sherfield has worked hard to establish a firm foundation for these Christian communities, based on strong, methodical Biblical teaching in the churches, prayer and regular nurture through Home Groups, Christian teaching courses (Alpha, Christianity Explored) and active discipleship. In Bramley and Little London, there is a steadily growing commitment to these same values and activities. The rural nature of our villages is changing, particularly in Sherfield and Bramley, as new housing developments bring new people and new needs. In response to these needs, a monthly ‘Messy Church’ has been started in the Community Centre at , one of the biggest housing developments, and this has grown rapidly. Similarly, Bramley is planning to start a ‘Café Church’ in the local School Hall after Easter this year. It is evident that the Benefice is committed to and ready for growth both spiritually and numerically. The Odiham Deanery Plan 2013 is still in draft form. The livings within our Benefice and the adjoining Benefice of Whitewater have been suspended, so as to enable the possibility of the reorganisation of rural ministry within the Deanery. Up until now, our parishes have been organized according to the “Minster” model, i.e., smaller rural churches clustered around a larger church. Discussions are taking place at Deanery level to determine if there could be a better and more effective structure – for instance, clustering a number of small rural churches together under a full time priest, self-supporting priest or lay worker. Any reorganization will only be implemented by agreement with the PCCs of our united Benefice, and would take place over the next two to three (2-3) years. It is envisaged that, if this reorganisation is implemented as currently envisaged, it would enable the larger churches of Sherfield and Bramley to concentrate on developing and growing the work of mission locally.

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The Ministry Team across the Benefice is strong, mature and energetic. It consists of:

 A House for Duty Minister specifically responsible for Bramley and Little London (nominally 2 days a week plus Sundays, but in practice much more);  An SSM (currently responsible for Sherfield on Loddon during the interregnum);  Three (3) Readers and four (4) lay worship leaders.

Sunday Services: There are morning services every week at Sherfield and at Bramley, including at least one (1) service of Holy Communion for the Benefice. Liturgy ranges from the Book of Common Prayer (Matins and Holy Communion) and Common Worship to a more informal format for Family Services. Baptisms are a regular part of the morning service, usually but not always, at a Family Service. Normal attendance in Sherfield is eighty to ninety (80-90), at Bramley about sixty- seventy (60-70), and at the smaller churches usually fewer than twenty (20). ‘Messy church’ is held at the Community Centre in Sherfield Park on a Friday afternoon once a month and caters for up to forty (40) young children each month with an outreach to young parents. A number of the mothers are actively involved in organizing and running it. A similar initiative, ‘Café Church’, is in planning in Bramley, using the School Hall.

The Buildings: The four traditional church buildings (St Leonard’s, St James’s, the two St Mary’s) are in good repair and are maintained in accordance with their Quinquennial inspection requirements. The fifth, St Stephen’s in Little London, is a nineteenth century ‘Mission Church’, and has some problems with damp. However, it is only used once or twice a month at present. At Sherfield Phase 1 of an extension, equipping the Church with lavatories, kitchen and meeting room will be completed in July 2014. At Bramley, Cross House was completed in 1992 and provides a large hall, kitchen, meeting rooms and community facilities.

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The Workers: There are high levels of congregational participation at all the churches. There is a part-time, paid church administrator at St Leonard’s Sherfield who deals with administrative issues, service lists and rotas and also a paid verger who looks after the administration of funerals. At Bramley, a volunteer produces the weekly news sheet and another maintains the church website. At both Sherfield and Bramley and the smaller churches there are teams which, on a rota basis, take care of cleaning, flowers, intercessions and Bible reading, sides-people and vergers for funerals and weddings. In addition, there are keen bell ringers and musicians, particularly organists. Each parish has at least two (2) church wardens, and in some cases a deputy warden. The PCCs meet on a regular basis and are actively involved in the running of the churches. A number of members of the congregations within the Benefice are involved in General, Diocesan and Deanery Synods.

Children’s Work: At Sherfield, there is a monthly service for mothers and toddlers, and a Sunday Club for children meets twice a month. This work will be greatly assisted when the new hall with its modern facilities, attached to St Leonard’s, is completed in July 2014. At Bramley, the children’s group (Shell Club, for children aged three to ten years (3-10) meets every week except during the monthly Family Service. Numbers vary from three to four (3-) to a dozen (12) children, mostly at the younger end of the age range. Four (4) mothers take it in turns to lead. Bramley Primary School, which also serves Sherfield and other parishes, is a Church of foundation (Voluntary Controlled). Thanks to a supportive Head Teacher, the clergy of both Sherfield and Bramley regularly conduct assemblies there, as well as having some involvement with two other local schools. Plans are in preparation to introduce “Open the Book”, a weekly Bible story read and acted by adults for the school children at assembly. Services at St James’s Church, Bramley, are held for the whole school at Christmas and Easter, as well as a Leavers’ Service for children and parents at the end of the summer term.

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Prayer: Sherfield has a prayer chain which is active in identifying and praying for those in need. In Bramley there is a monthly prayer supper at the Vicarage, with up to a dozen people meeting to pray for the needs of the parish. A list of people needing prayer is maintained on the weekly bulletin distributed at services. An ‘In Touch’ care programme has been set up for the congregation at Sherfield on Loddon. Home communions and sick visiting are conducted on a regular basis around the Benefice.

Home Groups: There are three (3) Home Groups in Sherfield and two (2) in Bramley - one (1) of which is for young mothers - each group using various Bible study materials. The Diocesan Lent Course has been adopted in 2014 within the United Benefice as the course material for Home Group study.

Local Mission: Alpha Courses have been run a number of times in Sherfield and Christianity Explored has been used in Bramley three times in the last three years, followed on the last occasion by Discipleship Explored. In all cases, the courses have been very well received by those attending and have led most of the attendees to a new or deeper level of faith in Christ. Both of the big churches contribute to the whole community by publishing a village magazine: the Loddon Link and the Bramley Magazine. The magazines are distributed free of charge to every home in their respective villages and in Little London and contain items of general interest as well as specifically church-related and Christian content.

Finances: Throughout the Benefice, Parish Share is being met. The Parish Giving Scheme, which encourages regular giving using Gift Aid wherever possible, has been launched in 2013 in Bramley and Sherfield, and the financial position of both churches is regarded as reasonably secure as a result of planned giving and fund raising. In Bramley both the church and Cross House have strong reserves which should enable us to meet most foreseeable fabric needs. Global Mission: St Leonard’s, Sherfield, supports Helen Burmingham, a CMS mission worker in the Sudan and Bramley supports David and Lisa Cooke (CMS, Kenya), both with monthly givingand receiving their newsletters on a regular basis. Other Christian charities are regularly supported on an ‘ad hoc basis’. 13

The Benefice

Sherfield on Loddon. The village of Sherfield on Loddon is situated on the A33 and in the northern most part of , approximately ten (10) miles south of Reading and five (5) miles north of Basingstoke. The population of the village is 3,107 (2011 Census) and this is growing fast with further residential developments at Sherfield Park / Taylor’s Farm. Sherfield on Loddon is a friendly village with a great community spirit. It has grown over the centuries from a nucleus of older residential properties concentrated mainly around the large village green to include separate developments that have grown up over the years on infill sites or modern developments on former agricultural land. Most recently 850 houses have been built to the south of the village partly on the former Bramley army camp and on Taylor’s Farm where a thriving Community Centre has been constructed by the residential developers and which is now administered by local representatives. The village has a thriving village hall, a very popular shop and butchers, a post office with a tearoom and café, 3 public houses, a garage, a large Scat’s Country store and Sherfield Garden Centre. The village is a hive of activity during the week with many clubs and societies including the National Women’s Register, Evergreens, Carpet Bowls, Yoga and Pilates and regular barn dances, village quizzes and festivals. The village green is the venue for the cricket club and a number of football leagues and teams for both children and adults. Sherfield Village fete in early June is one of the largest and most successful in the county, attracting up to 4,000 visitors each year raising money for local charities. The Sherfield Show for flowers, produce and crafts in early September has been a popular village fixture for many years. Within the village and the adjoining area there is a broad selection of schools. is an independent day and boarding, co-educational school for around 400 pupils of 3 months to 18 years (http://www.sherfieldschool.co.uk/). Daneshill School is an independent co-educational preparatory school for around 270 children aged between 3 to 13 years old 9. (http://www.daneshillprepschool.com/). Pupils from the village also attend the schools at Whitewater Church of England Primary School in (http://www.whitewater.hants.sch.uk) and at Bramley Church of England Primary School (http://www.whitewater.hants.sch.uk). Secondary Schools in the area include the Hurst Community College (http://www.hurst.hants.sch.uk/) and the Everest Community Academy (http://www.everest.hants.sch.uk/).

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St Leonard’s Church, Sherfield on Loddon St Leonard’s Church celebrates nine hundred (900) years of Christian heritage and worship in 2017. It is situated a short distance to the south of the main Sherfield village centre. The church was extensively restored in the late nineteenth (19th) century and little remains of the original building. In recent years major refurbishment works have been completed including the re-shingling of the spire, an expansion of the car parking facilities and most recently, after considerable fund raising and sacrificial giving by the congregation - to be completed in July 2014 – the addition of a hall with kitchen and lavatory facilities. Websites to check out: http://www.sherfieldonloddon-pc.gov.uk/

The worship style tends to be traditional but modern, using Common Worship formats. The monthly Family Services are organised around a specific theme, often reflecting traditional Church festivals, and the maximum involvement from youngsters and their families. We are fortunate to have a rota of organists who are skilled and enthusiastic musicians. The church has a sophisticated sound system which was donated in memory of a former parishioner. St. Leonard’s is a Fairtrade church and enthusiastically supports the Fairtrade Foundation.

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Stratfield Saye and Hartley Wespall To the north of Sherfield on Loddon are the hamlets of Stratfield Saye with a population of 288 (2011 Census) and Hartley Wespall 241 (2011 Census). These are both very scattered rural communities with no real village centres, but are focused around the Stratfield Saye Estate, the ancestral home of the Dukes of Wellington.

St Mary’s, Stratfield Saye

The existing classical church in Greek Cross plan was constructed in 1758 as a replacement for the original medieval building and is located on the Stratfield Saye Estate. The exterior of the church has recently been restored and internal refurbishment is planned. Services are generally BCP, apart from an informal monthly Family Service.

St Mary’s, Hartley Wespall The half timber structure of the church dates back to the thirteenth (13th) Century and makes this church one of the oldest and most beautiful original structures in the south of England. Significant restoration has been carefully and lovingly undertaken so that the church is in good order. Services are generally BCP and include a monthly 8 am Communion and 4.00 pm (winter) and 6.00 pm (summer) Evensong.

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Bramley The village of Bramley is situated one (1) mile to the west of Sherfield on Loddon. Bramley was mentioned in the Domesday Book, and for centuries was a small farming community. The coming of the railway in the late nineteenth (19th) century encouraged some diversity of trades, further developed by the building of a very large munitions dump in the First World War. After the Second World War, the dump became an army camp and there is still a small training facility there. However, much of the land has been used to build new housing. The population today is around 4,233 (2011 Census) as a result of substantial residential developments over the past ten (10) years, mainly on the eastern side of the Reading/Basingstoke railway line. Many of the newer inhabitants commute to Basingstoke or Reading and to London. To the west of the railway line, the houses are older and larger and the population is generally more affluent, older and traditionally-minded, and it is on this side that the church is located, which does to some extent make outreach on the eastern side of the village more difficult. The village is a long and thin ribbon development, strung out over about three (3) miles of its principal road. It has a public house with Indian restaurant attached, convenience store, garage, bakery, village hall and sports ground. There are many local clubs and societies including a cricket XI, a football team, active WI, an Iron Mums running club, Flower Club, annual horticultural show and a Family Fun Day on Clift Meadow, the playing field. Every other year a three-day Music Festival is held in the church and is usually sold out. Bramley Church of England Primary School, which currently has 395 pupils, is located close to the railway station at the centre of the village. Ofsted placed the school in Special Measures in late 2012, but as a result of enormous efforts and commitment by an interim head-teacher and her staff and governors, an Ofsted inspection in December 2013 took the school out of Special Measures, an unusually fast recovery by a school, although it is still categorized as “requiring improvement”. A new head teacher has recently been appointed and will take up his position for the summer term.

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St James, Bramley This beautiful church dates back to 1160 and replaced an earlier Saxon building. It is included in Simon Jenkins’ ‘1,000 Best Churches’ guide and has stained glass and wall paintings dating back to medieval times with later additions by Sir John Soane and Sir Charles Gilbert Scott.

The worship style of the church is generally traditional: the regularly-used hymnbook is Hymns Ancient & Modern, although more modern hymns, accompanied by the organ, have been introduced recently and are popular. Liturgical services follow either Common Worship or the Book of Common Prayer, except for the Family Service which is more informal and generally has keyboard and guitar accompaniment with modern songs. This service is enjoyed and appreciated by many of our more traditional worshippers and few of them deliberately avoid it. The church has an efficient gas-fired heating system, a sound system that is just in the process of being upgraded and plans for a new lighting scheme which requires a faculty to be obtained.

St Stephen, Little London This is a small ‘mission church’ founded in the late nineteenth century by a local landowner because there was no parish church. The building itself is quite small and unremarkable, but it is loved by local inhabitants and the one or two services a month held there enable it to be kept alive. One couple in particular has worked very hard to restore and refurbish the church and to encourage greater attendance, and in many ways they have been successful. A Sunday morning Communion congregation is usually in the area of about 16, and most of these come to Bramley when there is no Little London service. There is no separate children’s work.

Websites to check out: Bramley Parish Council: http://www.bramleypc.co.uk/ Bramley Music Festival: http://www.bramleymusicfestival.org.uk/

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Demographics Benefice 2011 Census Population Statistics. Total population divided as follows - Stratfield Saye 288 Sherfield on Loddon 3,107 Hartley Wespall 241 Bramley 4,233

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The Ministry Team

John Lenton (House for duty, Bramley) John is currently in his third career as the house for duty priest in Bramley as a self-supporting minister and assistant curate in the United Benefice. John took a full time ministerial course at Oak Hill Theological College and was ordained deacon in July 2000 and priested in February 2002, while serving as a part-time NSM curate at St James’s Church, Muswell Hill in North London. John also served for two years, from 2008-2010, as a curate at St John’s, Downshire Hill, in Hampstead. Overlapping with his studies and subsequent ministry, John was instrumental in 1998 in helping to launch the Griffiths School of Business at Emanuel University of Oradea, Romania, a private Christian university, accredited by the Romanian Ministry of Education. Prior to moving to Romania in 1998, John was a Senior Vice President at American Express Europe, where he occupied a number of senior management positions over a period of 15 years with the company, taking early retirement at the end of 1996 in order to devote himself full-time to Christian service. John has an MA from Oxford and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He and Ann have two (2) children and seven (7) grandchildren. He serves as Chairman of Trustees of the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF).

Sammie Armstrong (Self Supporting Minister Sherfield on Loddon) Sammie was for many years involved in education as a head-teacher, education officer and consultant. He is an NSM and has acted as Assistant Priest within the United Benefice for five (5) years, serving mainly at St. Leonard’s Church in Sherfield. Now retired from full time employment, Sammie is actively involved in a variety of voluntary work, including working with a group to help make Winchester a Fairtrade diocese. Sammie is married to Carol and they have both been instrumental in setting up and growing the ‘Messy Church’ project at Sherfield Park. Carol organizes the Sherfield ‘In Touch’ care scheme.

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Richard Elphick (Reader)

Richard has lived in Sherfield on Loddon since 1989 and has been involved in the life of the church for many years. Richard is a member of the PCC, Churchwarden at Sherfield and an active member of the Ministry team as a Lay Reader. He is a member of the Odiham Deanery Synod, of which he is the Lay Chairman, and also of the Diocesan Synod. Richard is a Chartered Surveyor working in London and is married to Tessa who is a school nurse in Reading. They have 3 grown up children. Both are actively involved in a variety of village activities and are fund raisers for local and national charities.

John Williams (Reader Emeritus) John is a retired general practitioner and is a Reader Emeritus who will be 75 in 2014. He trained for readership after retirement, previously having completed the Moore College diploma course. John is chairman of the joint PCC at Stratfield Saye and Hartley Wespall and an active member of the Benefice Ministry Team and is responsible for family, morning and evening services at the smaller churches of Stratfield Saye and Hartley Wespall. He has led a Bible Study group at his home since 1985. He is married to Gill, also a retired general practitioner, who helps with catering for church functions and plays the organ when required. They have hosted Lent, Alpha and Christianity Explored courses, as well as Church barbecues at their home.

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Andrew Doggart (Reader) Andrew is married to Liz and both come originally from Belfast. They have been living in Sherfield for four (4) years. Andrew was licenced in October as a Reader after a two (2) year training programme and a previous Diploma in Biblical and Theological Studies from the University of Oxford. Andrew has worked at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading for ten (10) years as a Radiotherapy Physicist in the Berkshire Cancer Centre. Andrew is a keen organist and plays at the churches within the Benefice on a rota basis. Andrew’s is particularly interested in traditional Anglican liturgy, Christian apologetics and preaching and the dynamic between Christian thinking and today's understanding of Science. Andrew Doggart (left) with our accomplished organists, Mike Abrahams and Brian Archer.

Churchwardens Peter Gould St Leonard’s, Sherfield on Loddon Peter came to Christ, or as he puts it ‘rather the Holy Spirit came to me’ on the 20th June 2004. Peter has been a Churchwarden since 2006, prior to this, a member of the PCC for two (2) years, auditor of the Church Accounts for some ten (10) years and a Homegroup Leader for past eight (8). A member of the Congregation since 1972 when he moved to Sherfield on Loddon with his wife Joan and young family. He is a retired NatWest Bank Manager, now aged 71, and is looking forward to training a younger Churchwarden to take help take forward our Church.

Richard Elphick St Leonard’s, Sherfield on Loddon See above.

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Pip Iles St Mary’s, Hartley Wespall

Pip Iles has lived in Sherfield for 20 years with his wife Ilene. He has been an active member of both St Leonard’s and St Mary’s, Hartley Wespall for many years where he has been Church Warden for three (3) years. Pip regularly leads services of Evensong at Hartley Wespall where he enjoys the more traditional form of worship. Pip joined the Royal Air Force at fifteen (15) years of age and served for twenty eight (28) years before working in the electronics industry, finally running a sales office until his retirement in 2005. John Williams St Mary’s, Stratfield Saye See above.

Priscilla Hungerford St James, Bramley Priscilla has been on the PCC at St James, Bramley since 1991 and Church Warden since 2008. She is a member of the General Synod. She worked for thirty seven (37) years in the Clerk’s Department of the House of Lords finally running the Overseas Office. An Honorary Steward at Westminster Abbey since 1991, Priscilla has also been chairman of the Anthony Trollope Society for eight(8) years.

Geoff Twine St James, Bramley

Geoff has lived in Bramley with his wife Ann for twenty five (25) years and has been Church Warden at St James since 2007. He retired from the RAF in 1974, having served in the Middle East and Europe and then worked for Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council for twenty one (21) years. Geoff is very active in the local community and is a member of Rotary, Probus, the Royal British Legion, Basingstoke Golf Club, Loddon Bowls Club, and U3A.

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Monthly Service Pattern

1st Sunday St Leonard’s 10 am Holy Communion Stratfield Saye 10 am Family Service Hartley Wespall 4 pm Evensong and Holy Communion St Stephen 9 am Holy Communion St James 10.30 am Matins

2nd Sunday St Leonard’s 10 am Morning Worship St James 10.30 am Holy Communion

3rd Sunday St Leonard’s 10 am Holy Communion Stratfield Saye 10 am Matins Hartley Wespall 4 pm Evensong St James 8 am Holy Communion (BCP) St James 10.30 am Family Service

4th Sunday Hartley Wespall 8 am Holy Communion 1662 St Leonard’s 10 am Family Service St James 10.30 am Holy Communion

5th Sunday St Leonard’s 10 am Benefice Holy Communion St Stephen 8 am Holy Communion St James 10.30 am Morning Worship

The new Priest and the ministry team may wish to review the present service pattern in the light of changing needs and available staffing and to introduce new patterns of worship after consultation with the PCCs.

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Church Attendance and occasional offices during 2013

Sherfield Bramley Hartley Wespall Stratfield Saye

Baptisms 15 14 2 2

Weddings 2 7

Funerals 9 12 1 1

Easter 150 145 48 21

Christmas Eve 315 156 15

Midnight 125 97 Communion

Christmas 74 132 59 35 Morning

The Sherfield Rectory

The Rectory is situated in Northfield Road which is in the heart of Sherfield on Loddon. It was purchased by the Diocese and extended in the early 1990’s to include a parish office. The property was originally constructed about thirty (30) years ago and comprises a well maintained detached family house with a garden at the front and the rear with views over the Loddon water meadows. The house is brick built under a pitched tiled roof and has two (2) reception rooms, kitchen, parish office and utility room with (4) large bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor level. The Rectory has been well maintained and is in good decorative order.

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Interview Process and Timetable

Closing date for applications: May 22nd, 2014 Shortlisting: May 27th, 2014 Interviews: June 23rd/24th, 2014

Statement of Particulars

The Statement of Particulars document has been requested from Winchester Diocesan Offices at Old Alresford Place and will be issued in conjunction with this Role Description.

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