Plwyf Rheithorol Aberafan Rectorial Benefice of

The Churches of St Agnes, St Mary, St Theodore, Holy Trinity and the St Paul’s Centre

Working together, praying together, serving together

Contents

Our Parish Vision 3 The Post 4 The Role 4 The Person 4 We can offer: 5 Parish Profile 6 The Town 7 Churches within the Benefice 9 St Agnes’ 9 St Theodore’s 9 Holy Trinity 11 St Mary’s 11 St Paul’s Centre (SPC) 13 Church Organisations 13 Ecumenical and Collaborative Working 14 Parish Finances & Charity Giving 14 Staffing 14 Accommodation 15 Further Information 15

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The Diocese of Llandaff : Esgobaeth Llandaf

We believe faith matters.

Our vision is that all may encounter and know the love of God through truth, beauty and service, living full and rich lives through faith. Transforming lives through living and bearing witness to Jesus Christ is our calling. We seek to do this in a Diocese that is strong, confident, alive and living in faith, engaged with the realities of life and serving others in His name.

Our profound belief in the sovereignty of God means that we will look to continue Christ’s church and mission by telling the joyful story of Jesus, growing the Kingdom of God by empowering all to participate and building the future in hope and love.

Our Parish Vision

Applying these aims to our local context we wish to: Tell the joyful story of Jesus Christ through the Gospel - spreading it through the wider community by sharing our faith with others Grow the Kingdom of God by building our own spiritual strength - providing opportunities for nurturing and exploring faith Build our capacity for good through our outreach into the wider community.

3 The Post

The Benefice of Aberavon consists of four Churches, four halls, and a prominent community centre with excellent facilities, all within the area. It has recently been announced that neighbouring parishes of Baglan and Cwmavon, to the west and to the north, will join the existing Benefice to form a new Ministry Area by January 2022. We are prayerfully seeking an engaging priest, with excellent people skills, to lead us into the next stage of our mission and ministry in the local area.

The Role

We are looking for a priest who will:  with others, lead us into the next stage of our mission and ministry in the local area  by their leadership help us to grow both in depth and number  be robust, show resilience and have experience of healing division  show ambition and excitement about the opportunities provided by the recent pastoral reorganisation, enabling us to reach the whole town  inspire us with their preaching and teaching, so that we may prayerfully meet the needs of the local area in the 21st century  as someone based in the community, enable us to build new relationships and assist us in maintaining the relationships and mission to schools, care homes and the housebound It is essential that our priest will be committed to working collaboratively with the wider ministry team that will be established amongst lay and clerical members of the united Benefice (Ministry Area).

The Person

We wish to appoint someone who:  enjoys ministry in a collaborative environment, and can help others to grow in this context  is mission-orientated and committed to finding new ways of reaching out to people within our local communities  is a sensitive pastor, able to relate to and inspire people of all ages and different backgrounds  is prayerful and committed to growing in discipleship and nurturing others  has knowledge, or an appreciative understanding, of the Church in Wales and the Welsh language

4 We can offer:

 significant prospects for the development of ministerial skills and the exercise of local leadership  a very wide range of opportunities for ministry within a highly organised and structured Benefice, with a focus on St Mary’s and Holy Trinity, Sandfields, and the communities in which they are set  committed and knowledgeable congregations, with a high degree of lay leadership  well-sited buildings – the churches, halls and Saint Paul’s Centre – with their potential for further community outreach and mission  the opportunity to help shape the future of this part of the diocese, working closely with the wider team to reach more people within the area  excellent accommodation in a modern four-bedroom house with direct access to Aberavon beach  expenses according to the CinW scale, and leave that follows diocesan guidelines  funding for an annual retreat and provision of technological equipment to enable efficient working

5 Parish Profile

The present Benefice of Aberavon serves the communities that make up the area of Port Talbot shown in green on the map. The churches of the Benefice are highlighted in red. The parishes of Baglan and Cwmavon that are scheduled to merge with the Benefice can also be seen. Cardiff is thirty miles east, Swansea ten miles to the west.

6 The Town

Port Talbot is a coastal town with an industrial heritage and a population approaching 40,000. Whilst benefiting from a well-known and popular beach (Aberavon), it is surrounded by mountains, making it a wonderful location for anyone interested in nature.

Port Talbot is also just a short drive from areas of outstanding natural beauty such as Gower and the Brecon Beacons.

Neath Port Talbot Civic Centre Photo credit: Jaggery, CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Geograph)

7 The town has excellent transport links, being on the M4 corridor and the main train-line from Swansea to London Paddington. The new Integrated Transport hub (bus and railway station) and M4 access are all within easy reach of the town centre. As well as inspirational walking and internationally famous mountain biking trails in the nearby Afan Forest Park, Port Talbot is well-known for its contribution to arts and culture Image: South Wales Evening Post (particularly as the birthplace of Sir Anthony Hopkins, Richard Burton and Michael Sheen). Recently a Banksy painting appeared on the wall of a private garage, and is now housed in a museum of street art in the town. Port Talbot has several protected sites, including Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Special Areas of Conservation and a Ramsar wetland site. Country Park is a well- known and well- utilised estate, set in over 850 acres which includes , a Cistercian monastery and Margam Castle. It is very popular amongst families and visitors to the area.

Image: Tripadvisor

Tata Steel is a major employer within the local area (and M4 corridor), and is one of the largest steelworks of its kind in Europe. Whilst employment within the steelworks has declined over recent decades, it still indirectly supports many smaller local businesses. But the town also has its hurting points, with areas of deprivation, unemployment and high levels of child poverty. Through its worship and outreach programmes the Benefice works to bring God’s healing and hope to the communities it serves.

8 The Benefice is actively involved in several of schools that are within its boundaries. There are also several Care homes situated in the local area, and a hospital within the town.

Churches within the Benefice

St Agnes’

Saint Agnes’ was consecrated in 1910, having begun as an outreach from the then parish of Margam. It has always rested firmly within the Tractarian tradition. Worship here, as in all our churches, is centred around the Holy Eucharist, and there is an annual parish pilgrimage to Walsingham. Services are livestreamed on Sundays and major feasts.

St Theodore’s

Built in 1897, it is Grade 1 listed. The church underwent a major restoration to mark its centenary and further works are currently underway. It serves the eastern part of the benefice and is in the care of the other Vicar in the team, Ben Andrews. Next to the church stand two halls. The original Mission Room has a professional kitchen, hall, meeting room, café and shop. Alongside is the modern Youth Hall which houses the uniformed organisations and many other activities.

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10 Holy Trinity

Holy Trinity was built in 2008, replacing a 1960s building. At the heart of the Sandfields estate it is designed so that passers- by have a direct view of the altar through the main door. The aim as for the church to be seen as open and accessible as possible, something we expect the new Vicar to foster.

St Mary’s

Saint Mary’s is by far the oldest foundation, dating back to 1199. The present church was built in 1859, with later additions. The interior is classically Victorian but it has been re-ordered to allow for worship focussed on the nave altar. Next to St Mary’s Church is St Mary’s Centre. Situated near to the bus station and the town’s shopping centre it is currently being refurbished. There is a large central hall, meeting rooms and a kitchen.

11 Current weekly services are as follows: (the Sunday pattern is under revision) Worship follows current Welsh Government and CinW guidelines. All are said, normally there is a sung service in each Church on a Sunday. Sunday 08:15 Eucharist St Theodore’s 09.15 Eucharist St Agnes 11.00 Eucharist St Mary’s 11.00 Eucharist St Theodore’s 11.00 Eucharist Holy Trinity Monday 18.30 Eucharist St Agnes Tuesday 10.00 Eucharist St Mary’s Wednesday 10.00 Eucharist St Theodore’s 10.00 Eucharist Holy Trinity 11.00 Eucharist St Mary’s Thursday 10.00 Eucharist St Agnes

The Benefice has an active engagement with the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham and the Cell group and a Rosary group meets regularly. There are currently 245 people on the Benefice Electoral roll. Average weekly adult attendance (2019) 173 2019 Christmas service attendance 194 2019 Easter communicants 203 2019 Baptisms 32 2019 Weddings 5

12 St Paul’s Centre (SPC)

St Paul’s is a flagship project in the diocese. It is a modern purpose-built facility used by a wide range of the local community. It houses a fully licensed café and several meeting rooms and conference spaces which are utilised by the local authority, Welsh Government, private businesses and community groups. Saint Paul’s is at the heart of our engagement with the local community. The café has recently been chosen as the best informal eating place in Port Talbot and even under lockdown is much used. Preparations are being finalised to have a Macmillan-funded community bereavement project starting here shortly, and the SPC has its own administrative staff.

Church Organisations

There are many active groups within our Benefice. St Mary’s, Holy Trinity and St Agnes all have a ‘Circle’ who meet for fellowship and prayer. There are two branches of the Mothers’ Union – St Theodore’s and Aberavon, as well as ‘Friends’ groups at St Agnes and St Mary’s. There are also more informal friendship groups like Nosh and Natter (Holy Trinity). There have previously been youth clubs within St Agnes which have come to an end. We are keen to operate these again at a Benefice level. There is also a monthly Parish magazine, weekly newsletter, as well as updates provided through the website and social media.

13 Ecumenical and Collaborative Working

There are good ecumenical links with other denominations within the town, particularly in the Sandfields area. The Benefice proudly supports events within the local area, including Remembrance Day parades, and many local community groups make regular use of the facilities within the Benefice halls.

Parish Finances & Charity Giving

We support a wide range of missionary societies and aid agencies. We took part in the Christian Aid Big Breakfast, held at Holy Trinity Church. Our on-going support for USPG and WATER AID enable us to help the poorest in the world with medical care and clean water, whilst continued support of Embrace and Let the Children Live gives protection, encouragement and hope to children in parts of the world where thy may otherwise be abandoned to their own resources. We also support Christians Against Poverty, Sunflower Children’s Hospice in Bloemfontein South Africa, and our local foodbank. The Parish Report and the Accounts for 2019 for the (former) parish of Aberavon can be found on the Charity Commission website, Charity Number 1130785. The Report and Accounts for St Theodore’s are still in preparation. The intent is to merge both sets of accounts.

Staffing

The normal staffing of the benefice is a Rector (Canon Philip Masson is currently serving as the lead priest) and two Vicars. The new Vicar will have pastoral responsibility for St Mary’s and Holy Trinity, but must be able and willing to work in close collaboration with clerical and lay colleagues. The congregations are pro-active rather than passive and are looking for someone to work with them in living and sharing our faith.

For more information or an informal chat, call: The Ven Michael Komor, Archdeacon of Llandaff, Tel: 01656 725921 Email: [email protected]

14 Accommodation

The modern house is situated at 62 Mariner’s Point SA12 6DN. It has all the expected facilities, and is in very good order. Layout: Ground floor: Hall, cloakroom, store, study formed from the double garage, living room, dining room, kitchen and utility room. First floor: 4n bedrooms, one with ensuite shower room and family bathroom. Exterior: large timber shed and store room. Driveway parking for two vehicles.

Further Information

Website: http://www.parishofaberavon.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StPCentre Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BenofAberavon

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