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Home , Diocese of York, Double monastery, Ruswarp, Samantha Rushton, Sneaton, Whitby

The United Parish of with

Thank you for your interest in the post of Rector of Whitby with Ruswarp. Whitby is a place with a wonderful Christian history, and at first sight it can seem quaint with its Abbey ruins, quaysides and alleyways. There are reminders of Whitby’s heritage everywhere. If you are called to be the next Rector of Whitby with Ruswarp, you will need to appreciate the best of what former generations have handed to us: but your task will not be to let the church live in the past, or trade on it. It will be your responsibility to help your parishioners see that the Good News of Jesus Christ can constantly re-shape their lives, and the love of Christ can reach them in times of joy and sorrow. You will need to be able to recognise the parish’s opportunities and challenges, devote time and energy into knowing its folk and being known by them, discern appropriate ways of ministering to visitors, be ready to take a key part in inspiring young people to reach their potential, and lead people creatively into the future. It will be important to take account of the changing economic and social context that Whitby shares with other northern coastal towns that are situated some distance from any big city. In order to do this, you must be a person for whom prayer and worship are central to your whole being: a priest who is excited by our shared aspiration in the Diocese of to see growth in Christlikeness, commitment, partnership, influence and numbers. If you come to serve in Whitby with Ruswarp, you will have the privilege of ministering in a wonderful community, with areas of stunning natural beauty all around. The following pages have been compiled by the Parochial Church Council. If you would like to have an informal conversation about the post, please feel welcome to contact me or either of my colleagues, the of (the Venerable ) on 01642 706095 / [email protected], or the Rural Dean (the Revd Barry Pyke, Rector of ) 01947 840249. The closing date for applications is 7th January 2016 and interviews will be held on 1st February 2016. The is patron and I represent him in this process. Appointment is subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS disclosure.

Paul Whitby

The Rt Revd , of Whitby PA: Mrs Julie Elphee [email protected] 01642 593273

Parish

Profile This document gives a true account of the United Parish of Whitby with Ruswarp as agreed by the PCC representatives who produced it.

WHITBY WITH RUSWARP

A brief history of and the town

Whitby Abbey was founded in 657 AD by the King of , Oswy and dedicated to St Peter. It was a double monastery of Benedictine and run in the Celtic or Ionan tradition and Lady Hild (later known as St Hilda) was appointed as . In 664 AD, the abbey hosted the at which it was decided to adopt the Roman calendar. Whitby Abbey was home to the great Saxon poet and father of English sacred song Caedmon, whose 7th century poem, The Song of Creation is the earliest known poem in English. In 867 AD Whitby fell to Viking attack and the Saxon monastery was abandoned and destroyed. When the Normans arrived in 1078 the Benedictine monastery was re-founded and the current ruins are the remains of the Abbey which was begun around 1220. In December 1539 the monastery was dissolved and destroyed following the Second Suppression Act of Henry VIII. Whitby Abbey was further damaged in 1914 when the west front was hit by shells from a German warship.

In the reign of , Whitby was a small fishing port. At the end of the 16th century Whitby grew significantly as a port as a result of the alum trade and by importing coal from the Durham coalfield to process it. Whitby grew in size and wealth, extending its activities to include shipbuilding using local timber. In 1753 the first ship set sail to and by 1795 Whitby had become a major whaling port. In his youth the explorer learned his trade on colliers, shipping coal from the port. HMS Endeavour, the ship commanded by Cook on his voyage to Australia and New Zealand, was built in Whitby in 1764. Whitby developed as a spa town in Georgian times. In 1839, the Whitby and Pickering Railway connecting Whitby to Pickering and eventually to York was built, and played a part in the town's development as a tourism destination. During the early 20th century the fishing fleet kept the harbour busy and a few cargo boats used the port. A marina was started in 1979. Today, there is limited fishing and tourism is the main industry in the town.

Demography

Current data indicates that Whitby has a resident population of 13,110 and there is a mix of owner occupied and rented homes in the town. The majority of people in employment work in the service industries. Unemployment in the town is approximately 8%. The average age of the population is 41.8 years and hence there is a significant number of older age residents. Transport in the Whitby area can be an issue and although there are bus and train services to other towns and villages, the services can be infrequent. In the three wards that make up the Whitby district of North , out of a population of 13,110 there are 10,286 who stated that their religion was Christian in the 2001 UK census. There were 19 Muslims, 17 Buddhists, 12 Jews, 3 Sikhs and 499 people had no religious affiliations.

Tourism

Whitby is an important tourist destination in the region. It is described by Scarborough Council as having national and international acclaim for its maritime, literary and geological heritage as well as providing cultural opportunities, excellent dining experiences and interesting and unique shopping. Tourism is of vital importance to the local economy and employs 32% of the total workforce. Whitby has ‘bucked the trend’ of declining seaside tourism which has contracted in recent years: in the 10 years from 2001 to 2011, employment in tourism increased by 40%, a much greater increase than in the rest of . During the summer season, the population of the town grows from approximately 13,000 to 40,000+ on busy days.

Activities in the town

Twice a year Goths and steampunks gather in the port in the spring and around Hallowe’en for the Goth Festival which attracts a vast number of visitors. Just before the autumn event, the International Film Festival, paying tribute to the creator of , takes place. Whitby also offers music – Whitby Folk Week in August and Musicport have loyal followings, and are growing ever year. There are regular music weekends covering everything from rock and soul to jazz and 60s music at the Whitby Pavilion. The annual Whitby Regatta takes place in August and is the oldest sea regatta on the North East Coast. There are sea-angling festivals throughout the year. Whitby offers a diverse range of attractions and activities including the Captain Cook Memorial Museum and Pannett Park Museum and Art Gallery. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway serves the town and has steam engines running through spectacular National Park countryside.

Whitby Deanery

The Deanery of Whitby is geographically large and with challenging terrain. It covers the North Yorkshire Jurassic Coast from Robin Hood’s Bay to and a large part of the . The largest centre of population is Whitby with the rest of the Deanery being composed of coastal and moorland communities.

Currently the deanery is composed of six groups of parishes, which at full strength have 6.5 full time equivalent stipendiary posts, plus a number of retired clergy and readers who actively support ministry and mission. Chapter is an important source of mutual support and encouragement and aims to meet monthly. Once a year we have a Chapter retreat overnight, (usually at Wydale Hall, the Diocese’s retreat and conference centre on the southern edge of the North York Moors), which has proved both popular and valuable in terms of support and encouragement. The clergy of the deanery recognise the need to work collaboratively and there is an expectation that the successful applicant will be a ‘team player’ in the deanery. Anyone who comes to Whitby Deanery will find welcoming and supportive colleagues.

Collaborative ministry working across parish boundaries is key to the development of a mission focussed deanery. The united parish of Whitby with Ruswarp has a significant part to play in the development and outworking of our deanery vision because of its size and potential. The first priority is to build a strong and vibrant Christian presence in Whitby which has mission and outreach as a priority and which will inspire and encourage the other parishes of the Deanery to participate. The parish of Whitby with Ruswarp has great potential to be the beating heart of the Deanery.

11 + education in the Whitby area

There are 2 secondary schools which serve Whitby and its surrounding villages. is an 11-18 school on 2 sites close to the town centre. The school delivers pre- and post-16 qualifications. Eskdale School is currently an 11-14 (Key Stage 3) school but plans to become an 11- 16 secondary in September 2016. Eskdale School is on the eastern side of Whitby. Alternative sixth form provision can be found at Pursglove College in , which provides a daily- subsidised bus service to Whitby and at Scarborough Sixth Form College. Fylinghall School is a co- educational Independent boarding and day school based near Robin Hood’s Bay which provides education up to and including sixth form.

The United Parish of Whitby with Ruswarp

(A map of Whitby and Ruswarp roughly covering the parish boundary)

The United Parish of Whitby with Ruswarp has a significant role as the most populous parish within the Whitby Deanery. The churches play a crucial role in the life of the town and its surrounding villages. In 2014 there were 177 people on the Electoral Roll. There are annual services for the town such as the Remembrance Service; Captain Cook Memorial Service and Armed Forces Day. In the summer each year, the conducts the Blessing of the Boats service.

There is a Voluntary Controlled primary school in Ruswarp which has strong attachments to St Bartholomew’s Church and the ministers of the parish. The current Chair of Governors is both a Church warden and regular worshipper in the parish. We also have strong links with the secondary schools in the parish as identified above.

The Rector of Whitby has a number of responsibilities in the life of the town. The Rector sits as a Trustee of the Mission to Seafarers; Trustee of the Seamen’s Hospital; the Rector is also on the board of trustees of the Port of Whitby. Traditionally, the Rector has had an involvement with the RNLI. The Parish also provides the Honorary Chaplain to Whitby Hospital. We have pastoral responsibility for residents of the various residential and nursing homes in the benefice. The Anglican Order of the Holy Paraclete is based at Castle on the outskirts of the town. The Rector and the Parish have strong links with the Order and 2 members of the congregation of the Priory Chapel sit on the PCC.

The benefice could be described as having a variety of liturgical traditions in its worship; we are probably best recognised as being of a Liberal Catholic tradition. We have one PCC for the United Parish, and joint churchwardens’ meetings. We share a prayer chain across the benefice and have one monthly Magazine to share all our news, events, and interesting insights.

Churches Together

We have representation on Whitby Churches Together Executive Committee; our Associate Minister is currently Vice-Chair. The Churches Together in Whitby organise a Walk of Witness on Good Friday, shared worship during the week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and share the Town Carol Service at Christmas which takes place in St Mary’s Church. There are also various events such as Kidzfest, planning days and retreats that we share. There are plans to have an open air Christian Music and Drama Celebration around May Day 2016, a Rock Gospel at All Saintstide, and a shared Messy Church for young people. Plans are progressing for St John’s Anglican Church to be opened as a shared Mission Venue during daylight hours.

Other Denomination Churches

The Roman dedicated to St Hilda was built in 1867 on Baxtergate. There are places of worship for Christians of other traditions including a United Reformed Church, Whitby Christian Fellowship, Whitby Evangelical Church, St. Ninian’s Independent Catholic Church, and a new Missional Community of Hope Whitby. The Mission to Seafarers maintains a Christian ministry where our Parish Office is situated, and it has a chapel which whilst being an Anglican foundation currently hosts the Methodist Church for Sunday worship.

Staffing

The new Rector will work alongside the following:

Stipendiary ordained Church Army Captain who is also Missioner to the Deanery

A Sister of the Order of the Holy Paraclete (see below) who was Priested in 2015

3 Readers, one of whom is salaried and acts as ‘Church Maid’ at St Mary’s, and a Reader with Permission to Officiate

3 retired Clergy with Permission to Officiate

12 Eucharistic assistants/4 Vergers In the Parish office there is an Office Manager (part-time) and an Office Assistant (also part-time). The parish office is the first point of contact with people seeking the services and assistance of the church. It provides administrative support for the parish and has modern facilities for producing publications which are also used by parishes of the Deanery. The office staff would welcome further training in order to better support the work of the Parish.

In addition to the above listed team, there is a team of up to eight Church wardens (of which seven posts are currently filled) and there is a Treasurer and a PCC Secretary.

Finance

All the churches in Whitby have had recent extensive work carried out on their buildings. This work included the expenses necessary to ‘make safe’ the cliff edge around St Mary’s Church; although the churchyard is closed and maintenance is the responsibility of Scarborough Borough Council, works of this kind have been the responsibility of the PCC. . We have been fortunate to receive bequests which have largely offset the costs of our outgoing expenses. The work on St John’s roof was largely funded from grants by .

Whitby PCC General Income over expenditure has been maintained in recent years as a result of significant legacies and we have been able, therefore, to maintain our Parish Share (now the Freewill Offering) but not to increase it. Charitable giving by the PCC is approximately 6% of income with an ambition to increase that in future. We operate a Gift Aid/tax reclaiming system with a large number of givers. Weddings, funerals and baptisms are all good indicators of a church well-used by the community and also make an income contribution.

The Churches of the Parish

St Mary’s Parish Church has been holding services since 1110, we celebrated our nine hundredth anniversary recently. It is of course, universally linked in popular culture with St Hilda and the Synod of Whitby. Also, the link with the fictional Dracula makes the church a focus for the Goth interest. We have a small regular congregation (approximately 30) but this is increased greatly by summer visitors and attendance at the special services held: such as Captain Cook, Remembrance Sunday, the Town Carol Concert, plus other commemorative services. We are always busy with Funerals, baptisms, and weddings.

We are committed to using the Book of Common Prayer, either at Matins or Holy Communion and these are supported by a regular organist.

St Mary’s has an extremely efficient Church Maid. This is an historical position which carries responsibility for the day to day cleaning of the church and caring for the building in general. At present, the Church Maid also manages the Parish Shop. This provides a useful source of income and is manned by a supportive team of volunteers. We also have a steady number of School Visits: these are being served by knowledgeable volunteer guides. This Church is considered by the townspeople as part of their heritage, for example, funds for the repair of the 199 Steps which are part of the church curtilage were raised almost overnight. St Mary’s also has a Parish Clerk.

St. Mary’s attracts large numbers of visitors who are drawn to it for a variety of reasons. The main focus of outreach and mission is therefore to visitors. St. Mary’s is the ending place of the new long distance pilgrimage route ‘St. Hilda’s Way’ and so is important for those who see this ancient site as an important centre of pilgrimage. The pilgrimage aspect of St. Mary’s could be developed and as such could be a place where the importance of Whitby and Hilda in the story of Christian England could be told to pilgrim and visitor alike in an imaginative way using modern media and art. The development of good working links between St. Mary’s and the Abbey could provide potentially interesting and imaginative opportunities for telling the Christian story.

St Hilda’s stands exactly opposite the 12th Century St Mary’s Church across the harbour. It was built between 1884 and 1886. The tower was added in 1939. The present church was preceded by a building erected in 1868 near the present site and made of iron. It was known as a ‘tin tabernacle’. As the current church was envisaged as a future Cathedral, R J Johnson was commissioned to design a building of great dignity. The organ was built by Harrison and Harrison in 1926 and was a gift from Mr & Mrs Headlam in memory of their son who was killed on active service in the First World War. It is a listed organ and organists come from across the country to give recitals. St Hilda’s has a very strong tradition of music and the choir master/organist and choir play an important role in the life of the St Hilda’s and the rest of the Parish.

There is a regular Sunday congregation of 50 – 60 people including children and a Sunday School operates during the Sung Eucharists. Twice a month on a Monday afternoon, there is a Toddler + service for parents, carers and small children. St Hilda’s is a busy church as the following figures attest. In 2014 there were 45 baptisms, 11 weddings and 42 funerals. The church is host to the Festival Chorus and is the venue for many concerts both for the Festival Chorus and other local and national music groups. St Hilda’s also provides the venue for some special services such as the welcome service for the new Bishop of Whitby in 2014.

St. Hilda’s is a majestic liturgical setting and benefits from a good musical tradition. The style of the services could be described as modern catholic. It is an important focus for the people of Whitby for occasional offices. One of the great opportunities for St. Hilda’s would be to build upon the good will of those who come to the church for occasional offices and keep in active contact with them. The Associate Priest is beginning work on developing a team of visitors who can build good relationships with those who attend church for baptisms, weddings and funerals to encourage them to become part of the worshipping community.

Whilst St. Hilda’s is a magnificent building it is in need of some significant restoration in the coming years. It does not currently have a parish hall and so there might be scope for some re-ordering to provide a toilet, kitchen and social space. It would be good to be able to keep the church open especially in the summer months.

St John’s Church was built in 1850 and is a well preserved building in the centre of Whitby, accommodating around 250 people. The East End contains a fine wall painting and mosaic which was added to the church along with the choir area around 1910. The church was completely re-roofed in 2013 and the interior has been repaired and re-plastered. Some side pews have recently been removed to enable greater use of the church for social functions. There is a fine organ which was installed in 1850. The average Sunday attendance is about 15-20 worshippers. A midweek Holy Communion is very popular. Occasional baptisms are held and some funerals, but the church is not licensed for weddings. The church is suitable for smaller concerts. Coffee mornings have been held monthly which have raised a considerable amount but kitchen facilities need to be improved.

St. John’s sits in the very heart of Whitby in Baxtergate. Baxtergate is a major pedestrian thoroughfare and has a large footfall especially in the summer months when tourists throng the streets. With such a footfall, St. John’s has enormous potential to be a real focus for outreach and a place to offer Christian hospitality. At the time of writing our ordained Church Army Captain, in discussion with The Bishop of Whitby and ecumenical partners in Whitby are seeking to open St. John’s as an ecumenical mission centre and place of prayer. The new Rector would play an important part in shaping the future direction of St. John’s.

St Bartholomew’s Church in Ruswarp was consecrated in 1869, costing a total of £3,052 (site, building and furnishing!) and was built in a Victorian interpretation of ‘Early Decorated’ style. It consists of a nave, a chancel and a lady chapel. In 1873 a National School was built opposite and we are proud of our links with the village school which is now a C o f E primary school. A parish room was developed in 1990, by screening off the West end of the church, also providing a kitchen and toilet. The room is used for meetings, parish meals, and by the school. There is disabled access via a concrete ramp outside.

In 2000 the Lady Chapel was redeveloped and chairs were donated in memory of departed loved ones. In 2013 the pews were removed and chairs were installed making a much more usable space for both parish and school activities. The vestry was also refurbished in 2013.

St Bartholomew’s has, a congregation averaging 10 worshippers. During 2014 we had 6 funerals, 5 baptisms, and one wedding. The church school has several services throughout term times and also uses the church for concerts, harvest festivals etc.

Although our congregation is small, we have a core group of 5 or 6 who are always willing to help in both church and parish activities.

Ruswarp as a village has a large proportion of second homes. One of the challenges here is developing connections and outreach to resident and visitor alike. The church building, as well as providing a good liturgical space, also benefits from a dedicated and flexible social space within the building. Links with Ruswarp C of E School are important and so the building of good relationships with the school is important and could be the focus to encourage a greater engagement with families who attend the school in the worshipping life of the church.

Pattern of services in the United Parish

Sunday in the St Mary’s St Bartholomew’s St John’s St Hilda’s month 1st 11.15am Matins * No service 11.15am Matins 8am Holy communion 9.30am Family Eucharist 6.00pm Choral Evensong 2nd 11.15 Eucharist No service 11.15am Matins 9.30am Sung Eucharist 3rd 11.15am Matins 11.00am No service 9.30am Sung Eucharist Eucharist 4th 11.15am Matins No service 11.15am 9.30am Sung Eucharist Eucharist *Temporarily suspended during the vacancy The united Parish service on the 5th Sunday is hosted by each church in turn. There is a 10.00am Eucharist in St Hilda’s each Tuesday and in St John’s each Thursday. Mission to Seafarers

The office of The Rector of Whitby carries an ex-officio place on the board of trustees of the Mission to Seafarers in Haggersgate. The is ex-officio Chairperson and The Rural Dean of Whitby is a trustee. The charity owns the large Georgian house in Haggersgate, which is the home of the mission. At present the building houses the parish office, the Whitby fishing school and a café. The mission employs several staff to run the café. The mission also owns an adjoining shop and flat. The Mission is financially sound but as the number of seafarers in Whitby has declined one of the issues facing the mission is how best it can fulfil the purpose of its foundation. There is real potential in the Mission for it to be an asset for mission and outreach but serious work needs to be done by the trustees in finding an imaginative way forward.

The Order of The Holy Paraclete

The Order of The Holy Paraclete (OHP) has its Mother House in Whitby parish being based in Sneaton Castle. OHP have enjoyed good relations with the parish of Whitby with Ruswarp and it is an important resource for the parish and the Diocese (The Archbishop is the Order’s visitor). The Rev’d. Sr. Karan works within the parish under the direction of the Rector. The site at Sneaton Castle also has a Christian Resource Centre selling books and church requisites.

Whilst there is no constitutional link with the OHP it is a unique asset for the parish and the clergy to use if they so wish. http://www.ohpwhitby.org.uk/

The new incumbent

We are seeking an Incumbent who has a presence and confidence in themselves. The new Rector should be able to listen to the congregations and enable our vision to flourish. We hope for someone with visionary insight both for pastoral care of our regular members and for a ministry to the wider community including the many tourists who visit Whitby. We hope the person appointed would work with us imaginatively to help us shape and develop our vision for the parish and enable us take our place as co-workers with our clergy team.

We want someone who will lead us in worship and work with us to grow.

A good manager of people, both volunteer and paid staff, is essential and we need a Rector who is a good Steward of our assets. They will need to be comfortable working with male and female ordained colleagues.

They must possess good communication skills, and the ability to work with Town Authorities and other Civic Dignitaries together with all the people in the Parish. The new Rector will need to be comfortable in this role. We would like a person who is comfortable with different styles of worship so that our churches in Whitby can offer a wider range of services to the people who come or may be drawn to our churches. We hope that the person appointed would have an interest in the music in the churches and would also have an interest in further developing our work with children.

We are looking for someone with energy and drive for this busy parish. However, the new incumbent should have a clear understanding of the necessity to balance the demands of the Parish and their home life. They must be robust and firm in maintaining that important balance and have a good sense of humour!

The Rectory

The Rectory, built in the 1970’s, is a modern, purpose built detached home. It has 4 bedrooms and a box room, a large lounge, dining room and study. The large kitchen was updated in 2012. The house has gas central heating and upvc double glazing. The combi-boiler was installed in 2010. There is a bathroom, a shower room and a toilet upstairs and 2 toilets downstairs. The house is centrally situated and has a large garden to the side and rear of the property. The side drive has parking for 3 to 4 cars. There are 2 separate entrances to the house.