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COLWYN BENEFICE PROFILE

St Bridget’s Church, -in-Elwel St David’s Church, Cregrina St David’s Church, Glascwm St David’s Church, Rhulen St Mary’s Church, Bettws Disserth St Mary’s Church, Llanfaredd St Matthew’s Church,

Bettws

Rhulen Cregrina

Llanelwedd

Llansantffraed Glascwm

Llanfaredd

Our Vision for Colwyn Benefice …. Seven individual parishes with Jesus and His Gospel at the centre working harmoniously for growth by welcoming and serving our 2 CONTENTS

page Colwyn Benefice Profile 1 Contents 2 Map of Parish Boundaries 3 An Introduction to Colwyn Benefice 4 Future Leadership 6 Working Together - Benefice Activities 7 (a) Messy Church 7 (b) Joint Benefice Services 7 (c) Benefice Prayer Meetings 7 (d) Sewing Group 8 (e) Fundraising Activities 8 (f) Writing this Benefice Profile 8 Colwyn Benefice Accounts 9 Llanelwedd Church in Primary School 9 The Rectory 9 The History of the Benefice’s Seven Churches 10 St Bridget’s Church, Llansantffraed-in-Elwel 12 St David’s Church, Cregrina 13 St David’s Church, Glascwm 14 St David’s Church, Rhulen 15 St Mary’s Church, Bettws Disserth 16 St Mary’s Church, Llanfaredd 17 St Matthew’s Church, Llanelwedd 18

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COLWYN BENEFICE - PARISH BOUNDARIES 4 INTRODUCTION

The Colwyn Benefice is in the historic county of , now part of , a rural county with a stunning landscape of meandering rivers, valleys, mountains and expansive countryside. Radnorshire is said to be the most spectacular and unspoilt county in Europe where family farms continue the practices of traditional skills. The county offers peace, tranquility and relaxation for those needing spiritual renewal.

The area is a centre for active outdoor pursuits such as walking, cycling, horse- riding and fishing. Further afield but of note are the Black Mountains, the Beacons and the Elan Valley Reservoir.

Arts also feature strongly with Wyeside Arts Centre, a presenting venue for live and visual arts and cinema, and a varied selection of choirs, including the famous Builth Male Voice Choir. For those who enjoy books, Hay on Wye, with its international festivals, is a short distance away. Brecon’s Jazz Festival is a popular summer attraction.

The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society Show, held in Llanelwedd in July, draws thousands of visitors for four days of fun, excitement and trade. There is also an RWAS Show in the spring and in the winter.

The nearest towns are , which lies at the confluence of the beautiful rivers Wye and Irfon, and the historic spa town of . Hundred House, where we hold our joint services, is a small village on the A481, a former drover’s route. Hundred House Inn is the welcoming local public house.

Public transport is not frequent to towns or in the surrounding areas and those who live in the Benefice rely on their cars. Be prepared to travel through narrow lanes and along winding tracks to visit the communities. There is a train station in Llandrindod Wells with rail links to larger cities like Cardiff and large towns such as Shrewsbury.

The Benefice, with the exception of the parish of Llanelwedd, is very rural with a small and sparse population. Farming, almost exclusively sheep farming, is a very important part of life, but here, unlike many other deeply rural areas, the farmers are not prominent among our worshippers, and do not provide as many of the churchwardens as might be expected. It is important that the Incumbent is aware of the economics and politics of farming, the complexity of the support mechanisms available to farmers, and the realities of hill-farming in a remote area.

Farming offers significant employment and there is a broad mix of people involved in other work such as construction, retail, health or education. There is a growing number of self-employed people moving to the area who work at home, especially as internet access is improving. Fibre-optic will apparently be with us soon! Many of the church attendees are now retired but they have a youthful perspective and are actively involved in the church and the community. 5 INTRODUCTION cont

Here in The Colwyn Benefice there is a strong sense of community despite the remoteness of some farms and homes. People are friendly, welcoming and caring. Much of the population is over the age of 45 and lives in the scattered villages and hamlets across the area. There is in Powys, however, a rising primary school pupil population and a predicted rise in the number of under fives over the next five years.

In Powys, approximately a quarter of those aged 3 and over say they can speak Welsh. With proximity to the English border there are many who have moved into Wales.

For those with children of school age there are five primary schools and two secondary schools within a short driving distance of Llanelwedd Rectory. Education at junior and secondary level is offered in the medium of either English or Welsh. There are sixth-form colleges in Brecon, Hereford and Newtown. Currently Powys is consulting on secondary school re-organisation.

About two years ago, the number of services was reduced slightly and, at present, four churches (Cregrina, Glascwm, Llanelwedd and Llansantffraed) have two services a month, one eucharistic and one service of the Word, and three churches (Bettws, Llanfaredd and Rhulen) have only a monthly eucharist.

Most churches use the 2004 Order but Bettws and Llanfaredd have chosen to continue to use the 1984 Green Book. Two churches, Cregrina and Glascwm, use The Village Service, a simple liturgical form lasting about 30 minutes.

There is at present one Reader in the Benefice, and one retired Bishop, but neither is available every Sunday. Two lay people have recently been trained and licensed as Lay Leaders of Worship, and there is scope for more people to follow this course; both Bettws and Llanfaredd would welcome the re-introduction of their non- eucharistic service.

The present service pattern was introduced because the Incumbent’s dual role, as parish priest and Rural Officer, meant that the R.O. function required the ability on some occasions, notably the Harvest Festival and Summer Show seasons, to respond to invitations to preach elsewhere in the Diocese; the present Sunday services can, with one exception, be taken by one person; when the Incumbent is absent on R.O. business, the Local Ministry Team can maintain the services.

All the churches use as a hymn book Ancient and Modern New Standard, occasionally supplemented by worship songs or modern hymns not included in the book.

The Colwyn Benefice is part of the Builth Ministry Area and has good links with the other churches.

Over the last five years, there have been 14 Weddings / Marriage Blessings, 28 Christenings / Baptisms, 42 Funerals / Ashes Interred and 7 Confirmations across the Benefice. 6 FUTURE LEADERSHIP

The age profile of regular worshippers is a concern. It has often proved difficult to attract new people although some will come to Church for special occasions, especially funerals when a congregation of several hundreds is not unusual. The next ten years will see a very ancient and dwindling congregation unless there is an influx of new churchgoers. Within our parishes, we continue to keep in touch with everyone, and we expect the Incumbent to get to know the families and encourage them to take part in parish life.

We need an Incumbent who is able to teach the faith clearly, attractively and accessibly. With a strong teaching ministry, church members will be better able to speak openly about their faith to others, and to engage in discussion about the problems and misunderstandings that so often prevent people from committing themselves to the Christian faith.

In view of the task ahead, the parishioners of Colwyn Benefice would appreciate the Incumbent to be a person who:

♦ studies the Scriptures and is disciplined in prayer ♦ senses God’s calling to Colwyn Benefice ♦ is enthusiastic for the growth potential in Colwyn Benefice

♦ can engage and connect with teenagers and young families ♦ will create and take opportunities to meet non-churchgoers in our parishes

♦ has good communication skills ♦ has good planning & time management skills given the vast Benefice area and diverse duties (Benefice and Rural)

♦ is a good listener ♦ is able to keep confidences and handle sensitive information ♦ is slow to anger and able to handle conflict well ♦ is a team player

♦ is able to work well with a range of ages and a variety of personalities ♦ will make the time to get to know us at church and in pastoral visits ♦ will lead us with a gentle albeit firm hand ♦ is flexible with regard to styles of worship

♦ appreciates the challenges of living and working in a rural community ♦ understands small churches’ problems in meeting Parish Share targets

The 20:80 Rule. In any congregation, no matter how large, there is often a relatively small number of ‘church workers’ - the 20% who undertake 80% of all the work. In this Benefice, almost all the regular worshippers are ‘church workers’. Yes, many of us are retired but we work because we want our Benefice to grow. Future Incumbent, be assured, you will continue to receive from us all the help, encouragement and support you need. 7 WORKING TOGETHER - BENEFICE ACTIVITIES

(a) Messy Church

We hold about four sessions per year with a small but dedicated team of volunteers. High School students help occasionally when they need community experience. We are hoping Young Farmers will help too. During the interregnum, three lay people have led the epilogue and worship. Our average attendance is about 30. We are reliant on donations from volunteers and parents to pay for materials and refreshments. Sessions are held either at Jubilee Hall, Llanelwedd (and attended primarily by pupils at the adjacent Primary School) or at Hundred House Village Hall (when Franksbridge Primary School pupils predominate). It is our intention this year to alternate sessions, varying the Easter Gardens made by the children start time to incorporate both schools so that we can extend our ministry.

(b) Joint Benefice Services

‘Fifth Sunday’ services for the whole Benefice are now held in Hundred House village hall and have proved a great success with an average attendance of 23. A greater sense of fellowship and shared worship is experienced and on most occasions we have musical accompaniment for our hymn singing. Each service is hosted by one of the churches who supply refreshments after the service. The collections which average £60 are added to the Benefice account.

A Rogation Service is held each year at one of the local farms.

(c) Benefice Prayer Meetings

The Benefice Prayer Meeting was established towards the end of 2014. It is attended by a small number of parishioners from across the Benefice. 8 WORKING TOGETHER - BENEFICE ACTIVITIES cont

(d) Sewing Group

Started over 20 years ago, a sewing group of our parishioners meets weekly. Their main aim is to provide the Benefice with kneelers, pew cushions and altar cushions. This group has about 8 regular members and over the years have produced special themed items to commemorate events such as the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and are currently working on items commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 1 st World War. Special projects are undertaken on request.

(e) Fundraising Activities

In recent years, Benefice fundraising events have included a Benefice Flower Festival, a Wine Tasting Evening and Summer Fetes.

In 2014, attendance at the annual Summer Fete was poor and it was agreed to look at alternative activities. A raffle and concert held in 2014 provided a good return, as did the hire of a community charity shop for a week in Llandrindod Wells. The charity shop has been hired for 2 separate weeks in 2015.

(f) Writing this Benefice Profile

This Benefice Profile has been compiled by a team of seven people from across the Benefice, and we have all enjoyed the experience of working together. The team has drawn on descriptions, comments and views expressed or written by various parishioners in the seven churches. 9 Colwyn Benefice Accounts: Total for 7 Churches in 2014

Incoming Resources Resources Expended Voluntary Income £24,574 Support for Ministry £18,078 Generated Income £12,981 Church Property £12,605 Other £ 588 Other £ 3,998 Total £38,144 Total £34,680

Llanelwedd Church in Wales Primary School

The Incumbent is an important part of life at Llanelwedd School.

We would like the Incumbent to lead weekly collective worship at the school and play an active part in the life of the school including a role on our Governing Body. The Incumbent will work closely with the Headteacher to ensure the children continue to develop spiritually in our school that has been judged to be Outstanding in many areas of our most recent GWELLA Church inspection.

The children of Llanelwedd School would like an Incumbent that:

> Has a good sense of humour

> Listens to us and will talk to us when we need them

> Is kind > Is interactive with people of all ages

> Will make us laugh > Is not shy > Can hula !

The Rectory

The Rectory was newly built in 2007 to a high specification to give 4 good bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, study, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, utility room and garage.

It is adjacent to St Matthew’s Church, Llanelwedd and a few minutes’ walk from Llanelwedd Church in Wales Primary School and the Royal Welsh Showground. 10 THE HISTORY OF THE BENEFICE’S SEVEN CHURCHES

The Benefice is made up of seven very different churches all set in the beautiful Mid-Wales countryside. All seven churches have had recent Quinquennial inspections and all are in good order.

St Bridget’s, Llansantffraed in Elvel is in a beautiful position surround by ancient yews in an almost circular churchyard. Pre-Christian burial mounds are to be found here and also at St David’s, Rhulen. St Bridget’s is a 14 th century church that fell into decay in the 19 th century. It was rebuilt in 1895. Howse described it in his book ‘Radnorshire’ as, “ A good rebuilding of a sadly decayed Church ”. The Font was retained and old timbers used in roofing the porch and making pews.Not all churches were treated as kindly during renovation and rebuilding in the Victorian Era. In 1992, Lord Williams of Elvel commissioned Welsh embroiderer, Jacqueline Jones, to design and work embroidered wall panels for presentation to St Bridget’s. One such panel is illustrated here.

St David’s, Cregrina is set above the River Edw and probably dates from 1220. It is largely 13 th century with a Norman font. The nave and chancel, which are not in direct alignment, are divided by a fine 15 th century screen. It was well restored in 1903. The churchyard surrounds the Church and includes several yew trees. Cregrina village also has a chapel, The Mission, which was established in 1908 by two local gentlemen.

St David’s, Glascwm was founded by St David in 6 th century. It is a Grade I listed building that dates back to the 11 th century with 13 th century and 15 th century additions. There was a partial restoration in the 19th century. In 2007 it received a National Lottery grant for a major refurbishment which now sees the church in a very good state of repair. The next Quinquennial Inspection is due in 2015.

St David’s, Rhulen is the oldest church in the group. It is possible that it was established before Christian worship arrived here - perhaps by Bronze Age people -hence the circular churchyard. It is quite remote and a very simple but beautiful example of a 13 th century building. Our church is thought to be connected to Saint David and to the neighbouring churches in Cregrina and Glascwm. Churches like this must be preserved.

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St Mary’s, Bettws Disserth was rebuilt in 1872 on an older site. Indeed, a map of 1500 shows a chapel of ease on this site. The bell and font appear to be medieval. This church is built in the traditional design of Radnorshire churches. Some of the graves date back to before the present church was built. At about the same time as St Mary’s was built, a chapel was built in the next village, Franksbridge. Thus the school, built for children of the Church, was never used as they went to the chapel school in Franksbridge. In the last 10 years or so, we have spent much money on refurbishing the building; replacing heating systems, repairing the roof, guttering, flattening the sinking floor and attempting to solve the very damp back wall. We have had many fundraising efforts and made grant applications and now have a restoration fund of £8000. The Bishop of Swansea and Brecon came to rededicate our church last year at the end of our restoration activities.

St Mary’s, Llanfaredd with its round churchyard is on a site that has been a place of worship since unrecorded times. The present building largely dates from the restorations carried out in the mid nineteenth century. Within the restored church are a 15 th century font, 17 th century communion rail and balusters and a bell c1280. The church commands a beautiful view of the . It is a small single-cell stone and slate building and is in good order following our last Quinquennial inspection in 2012. There is a large yew tree measuring in excess of 36 feet in the churchyard.

St Matthew’s, Llanelwedd is situated on the bank of the river Wye. It is the Mother Church of the Colwyn Benefice. It is a Grade II listed building. A few architectural details and rather more masonry survive from the medieval structure that underwent substantial restoration in 1877. The 13 th century features include the font base and some old bench ends. The churchyard is rectilinear. The itinerant Methodist Charles Wesley married Sarah Gwynne of this parish. 12 ST BRIDGET’S CHURCH, LLANSANTFFRAED-IN-ELWEL

Our Parish

The parish encompasses approximately 85 properties, with 200 plus residents (adults & children).

Local families are very supportive of the church wanting wedding, baptism and funeral services.

Our Church Community

Services are held twice monthly. Our congregation has always been open to changes in pattern of worship. Following the success of the Benefice’s 5 th Sunday hall service, it was agreed to hold our first Sunday Eucharist Service in Hundred House Hall. For more than 18 months attendance increased. Recently, this number has reduced but stabilised and the congregation has chosen to return to the Church for the summer/autumn months. On the third Sunday, Morning Prayer is said in Church. This service is usually led by a lay member of the worship team. We use the new Service formats for our Services.

A prayer tree has recently been added to the church in a quiet area at the back of the church.

Monthly cleaning and flowers are carried out by a group of dedicated ladies, some of whom are regular attendees, but all are firm, committed supporters of the church with generations of connections to the church and churchyard.

In 2013, our Flower Festival with the theme of ‘Creation’ was very well attended. 13 ST DAVID’S CHURCH, CREGRINA

Cregrina Parish

Cregrina is a rural parish through which the peaceful River Edw flows. The village, which lies on a significant Drovers Road to England, is the site of Radnorshire’s first Eisteddfod and is also where Radnorshire’s last wolf was reportedly killed. The village’s 14 houses are surrounded by a broadly similar number of outlying farms and residences. Only a few houses are holiday homes. The community is close-knit and very welcoming to incomers. Residents provide an extremely supportive framework to each other and especially to the elderly. There are 17 children in the village.

Our Church Community

A Eucharist Service and Village Service are held each month. Our congregation consists primarily of young-at-heart, enthusiastic and fit retirees. There are 10 regular worshippers and about five members of other parishes sometimes join us for the Eucharist Service. Members of the congregation give the readings and, at the Village Service (usually led by a Lay Worship Leader), undertake the prayers too.

Our community area was completed in 2014 and includes a garden, car park and a mosaic created by our local artist and the village children.

In addition to an annual Coffee Evening (which raises about £1000), we support and organise Benefice fund-raising events. 14 ST DAVID’S CHURCH, GLASCWM

Civil Parish of Glascwm

Glascwm, a Civil Parish in the upper Edw Valley, has a population of about 500, though the Parish of St David’s serves a population of 60. The main settlement is concentrated in the two small villages of Franksbridge, which is on the eastern slope of the valley, and Hundred House, which is on the river terrace on the western side of the Edw. The remainder of the population lives in scattered farms and dwellings and in the three rural settlements of Cregrina, Glascwm and Llansantffraed-in-Elwel. The surrounding area, with extensive uninhabited uplands of moorland at Carneddau, Gilwern Hill, Gwaunceste Hill, Little Hill and Glascwm Hill, proves extremely popular with ramblers and cyclists.

Our Church Community

There is a morning Eucharist Service and an evening Village Service each month. The Village Service, followed by a simple supper, is an enjoyable time of fellowship and is usually well attended. An unlocked Church enables parishioners and visitors to enter the Church at will and we have had some beautiful comments in our Visitors Book. The church has many strong connections with families of past generations who visit the church and graveyard regularly.

Parishioners have enjoyed organising and attending Flower Festivals and concerts. The Church can seat 60 people comfortably and, on occasions, has held just over 100 people. The villagers of Glascwm, not just parishioners, care about their Church and want to see it loved and looked after. The Church’s Hall, in the centre of the village, is used for Whist Drives, Village Fetes and the occasional Funeral Tea. The Village Improvement Society has raised £14,000 which they hope to use towards refurbishing the Hall. 15 ST DAVID’S CHURCH, RHULEN

Our Village

Rhulen village is small with only a few inhabitants. There are holiday cottages and some farms.

In its passage through Rhulen, the River Edw incorporates ‘The Edw Falls’ and ‘The Salmon Leap’.

Our Church

St David’s Church is one of Radnorshire’s most beautiful and remote places of worship. It is a place of peace and tranquillity. Set among rolling hills and very old trees, there is always a feeling of welcome and serenity inside the building.

Our Church Community

We have one service a month with sometimes only one or two in the congregation.

At no cost to the church, volunteers from the village maintain the inner fabric, undertake cleaning and provide fresh flowers.

In 2010, we had an open meeting to discuss the future of the church. As a result, the ’Friends of Rhulen Church’ was formed with the purpose of making the church’s finances secure and sustainable. Two fundraising events at that time were very successful. Our income relies on monthly direct debits from our friends from outside the parish who used to live here years ago and those who have holiday cottages here. The future is uncertain in this financial climate. We try to raise money with fundraising events. Paperback books have been put in the church for anyone to enjoy with just a voluntary contribution. We also sell cards with a painting of the church. 16 ST MARY’S CHURCH, BETTWS DISSERTH

Geographical Description of the Parish

Bettws Disserth means house of prayer in the wilderness. It started life as a chapel of ease, linked with the adjoining parish of Disserth. Its name suggests remoteness and isolation. Bettws is remote and isolated. It was described in the 1870s as a parish of 19 farms. It hasn’t changed much. Bettws was served with electricity, telephone and mains water in the 1960s. But much of Bettws is still without mains water and there is no mains drainage. There was no proper television signal until the late 1990s and even this is by satellite. Bettws is a quiet, picturesque, rural outpost of Radnorshire where buzzards, herons and kites abound. There are orchids in the churchyard. Salmon and otter are in the river below the Church – the river having an SSSI label.

The Church Community

Our parishioners form a small, very loyal bunch of people. Most are retired and come from a farming background. Land and farming are in their soul. Most have come to the Church for the past 40 years or more. Their husbands and relations are buried in the churchyard. Thus the upkeep of the Church is important to them. We have a list of (not necessarily churchgoers) who clean, arrange flowers and mow the churchyard. We often have ‘get together’ events, an Easter breakfast after the service, coffee after each of the services, and maybe a tea or a lunch sometime in the year. On V.E. Day 2015, we rang the church bells, had coffee and sang 2 nd world war songs. We join with our neighbouring church at Llansantffraed for Harvest services, and fundraising activities in the village hall at Hundred House.

We are a traditional community, preferring to use the green books, avoiding contact at the peace. We enjoy the Eucharist service, we have an organist and give hymns some volume! We prefer our monthly Eucharist Service to take place in our church. Some would like to have the occasional additional other service e.g. an Evensong but that hasn’t happened for some time. We have 8 regular communicants but with the help of visitors and occasional attendees we can usually muster a 12+ congregation - which for an isolated community shows the extent of local support. Some very welcome, helpful incomers to the parish have become a very integral part of St Mary’s. 17 ST MARY’S CHURCH, LLANFAREDD

Geography

St Mary’s Church is 1.6 miles from the Rectory at Llanelwedd on the B4567 road just behind the Church House farmstead. The Parish is bounded by the River Wye and Radnor Forest and is comprised of cattle and sheep farms with their hill land and a scattering of houses. There is no village centre.

Congregation

There are about 90 people registered to vote in the Parish but only 5 of these are on the Parish Electoral Roll and these are our Regular Worshipers. We are all over the age of eighty. We would normally have a congregation of five or six at our monthly Eucharist with up to thirty at Christmas, Easter and Harvest Thanksgiving. A funeral of a local family member will attract an attendance of some hundreds.

Our Services

At present a Eucharist service is held at 9.30 am on the third Sunday in the month with occasional Benefice services and a Harvest Thanksgiving in place of the Eucharist in September. We use the 1984 Green Book and Hymns Ancient and Modern. The occasional Baptism, Marriage and Funeral services are held, as required.

Our Finances and Recourses

We meet our commitment to keep the Church building and graveyard repaired and serviced; pay our part of the Benefice’s Parish Share and Rector’s expenses and a small amount of charitable giving by our Church Offerings and donations by parishioners and friends of the Church. We have no reserves and would rely on a ‘Gift Day’ to meet any major expense in the future, as in the past. The Church is cleaned and the flowers provided and arranged by the ladies of the congregation. The Churchyard is mown in season by contract. We send one person (out of a possible two) to the Benefice Council.

The Benefice’s ‘Frocks & Flowers Festival’ held at Llanfaredd in 2010 18 ST MATTHEW’S CHURCH, LLANELWEDD

Our Location

St Matthew’s Church is set next to the River Wye on the A483 Trunk Road. The Rectory, the C in W Primary School and the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society Showground are all within a very short walking distance. The Church is opposite ‘The Crescent’, a small residential estate, and less than one mile from the market town of Builth Wells.

Our Church Community

We have two services per month.

On the second Sunday of the month, we have the Holy Eucharist service. There is an average of about eight in this congregation.

On the fourth Sunday, we have the ‘Worship4All’ family service. This was introduced about 2 years ago. It is led by the Clergy, Lay Readers or Lay Worship Leaders. ‘Worship4All’ is a less formal form of service in which everything is projected on screen. The ‘Worship4All’ congregation is slightly larger than that at the Holy Eucharist and includes about four children.

We have a volunteer workforce that cuts the grass in the Church graveyards.

Currently, the congregation is organising a Flower Festival and Songs of Praise. This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF.