The Church in Wales Diocese of St Asaph Mold Mission Area
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THE CHURCH IN WALES DIOCESE OF ST ASAPH MOLD MISSION AREA Part time (0.5) Priest to work across Mold Mission Area whilst being rooted in Northop, Northop Hall and Sychdyn For further information contact: John Lomas Archdeacon of Wrexham Tel: 07810 357895 Email: [email protected] Page 1 of 14 We are looking for someone who would like to work in a friendly “Shared Ministry Team”. The individual would be willing to work across the whole Mission Area, as we seek to find ways of bringing the gospel into our communities, whilst being rooted within an area comprised of 3 separate communities, Northop, Northop Hall and Sychdyn. There is one church in Northop and another building in Northop Hall which, having recently relinquished its role as a church, is now exploring a new role as a Community Building. The Shared Ministry Team We are looking for a part time cleric (.5) to join our team which is currently made up of 2 Readers, 1 licensed Pastoral Chaplain (based in Northop) and 4 clergy, The Vicar of Pontblyddyn, Treuddyn & Nercwys and Mission Area Leader is part time (.75) The Vicar of Mold and New Brighton is full time. The Rector of the Bro Famau Group of 5 churches is full time The Curate of the Bro Famau Group is an NSML The Shared Ministry Team consults and decides on matters relating to worship and training for lay ministry. Pulpit swaps have been happening whenever possible and we now have a Mission Area Rota which helps us to understand what kind of cover is needed in all 11 churches. The Mission Area The Mission Area came into being at the beginning of 2017 when the 10 parishes (12 churches) of our former Deanery were merged into one legal Parish entity. Mold Mission Area is a Charity in its own right, within the Archdeaconry of Wrexham and the Diocese of St Asaph. Members of the Mission Area Conference have replaced the “Parochial Church Councils” as the Charities Trustees. Each church appoints 2 members to the Mission Area Page 2 of 14 Conference and all the members of the Shared Ministry Team are on it. The Conference meets approximately 4 times a year. The Conference delegates the care of buildings and finance to the individual churches which all have their own “Church Committees”. Mission Area Finance Each church appoints a Treasurer who liaises with our Mission Area Treasurer. The Mission Area Share, Insurance, etc are paid centrally with each church paying their contribution regularly. Treasurers meet about 5 times a year to discuss finance, at one of those meetings they are joined by the Diocesan Secretary and one of the Diocesan Finance Officers to discuss the Mission Area Share for the following year. Buildings Committee The Buildings Committee is made up of a member from each church. These individuals take an interest in all the churches, sharing good practice, ideas, and recommending (or otherwise) workmen for specific jobs. They meet midway between the Mission Area Conference dates so that any Faculties can be dealt with quickly. Faculties are brought to the Building Group or the Conference before a formal application can be made to the Diocese. Sub-Committee Meetings All the members of our subgroups tend to discuss things good naturedly, sharing the joys and problems of roles once undertaken in isolation. Social Justice The MA is an outward looking organisation being actively involved in various charities. Wellfield Farm Charitable Trust was set up by the MA recently to house 4 homeless men, thereby helping them to get back on their feet. The Charity is now a separate entity, although several of the Trustees are also on the MAC, and members of our churches support the charity in various ways. Page 3 of 14 Another Church will be used in 2020 by Housing Justice Cymru as part of their “Winter Night Shelter” project. Funds are being raised across the MA to help with this. The churches are all signed up to “Synergy” which is a support group helping to make the town of Mold a sanctuary for refugees. Individual churches are also involved in other charities. Churches & Communities in the Mission Area BRO FAMAU GROUP OF CHURCHES The Bro Famau Group of Churches is a group of five churches, three of medieval establishment and two of 19th century, in the hills north and west of Mold. Covering Gwernaffield, Rhydymwyn, Nannerch, Cilcain and Llanferres, services in the group include family worship, morning prayer, 1984 and 2004 communion services, and evensong. The group is engaged in the life of the villages in many ways, particularly with the local schools, occasional services, and the Cilcain Show (a large, well-attended village show put on as a fundraiser for the church and other charities.) PONTBLYDDYN, TREUDDYN, NERCWYS GROUP These three Churches began working as a group in 2015. CHRIST CHURCH, PONTBLYDDYN: serves the villages of Pontblyddyn, Leeswood, Pontybodkin, Padeswood and part of Coed Talon. The Church has recently been re-ordered, is open daily and provides Coffee and cakes free of charge on the last Saturday of every month. There is a strong Ecumenical relationship in these villages between the Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians who worship together regularly. The church is preparing to be used as part of the Winter Shelter for the Homeless program in 2020. ST MARY’S CHURCH, TREUDDYN: serves the villages of Treuddyn and part of Coed Talon. St Mary’s Church members hold regular fund-raising activities which also aim to bring members of the community together. This year they have joined with Community members to hold a Garden Party in the grounds of the old Vicarage. Page 4 of 14 ST MARY’S CHURCH, NERCWYS: serves the villages of Nercwys and some of Gwernymynydd. One of the MA Church Schools is situated in Nercwys. The School and Church work closely together, various members of the Church (including the priest rooted in the village) being foundation governors at the school. By popular request from parents attached to the school a Family Service began in 2016 which draws families from all three churches in the group and is proving successful. MOLD AND NEW BRIGHTON ST MARY THE VIRGIN, MOLD: A large, medieval church associated with Margaret Beaufort, standing at the top of the High Street in Mold and overlooking the town. We are a welcoming church with a focus on traditional, choral worship, including music of a high standard, and are deeply involved in the civic and educational life of the community we serve. St James, New Brighton: This is a small, village church close to Mold whose congregation share fun, food and fellowship with the local community around them. Church Schools The Nantlwys Federation There are two church primary schools in the Mission Area, in Nannerch and Nercwys. The schools federated in 2019 - they now share an Executive Head Teacher, and are working very well together. The clergy rooted in Nannerch and Nercwys serve on the Governing Body. Page 5 of 14 Northop, Northop Hall and Sychdyn Northop church, which is about 10 miles from Chester, cares for the villages of Northop, Sychdyn and Northop Hall. It is essentially a rural area, with little or no industry; farming predominates, with leisure industry facilities such as hotels and restaurants and a major golf course. There are about 1,850 households with a population of around four thousand people. The English language predominates overwhelmingly and it is difficult to estimate the percentage of Welsh language speakers but this, whilst probably small, is significant. Page 6 of 14 The three main villages are surrounded by farm fields and woods and have grown gradually by fringe attachments of new housing developments. Northop has modern executive style houses at the upper end of the price range and this has tended to inflate house prices generally, making it difficult for young first-time buyers. The North Wales expressway is close by offering ease of access for daily commuters to Chester, Liverpool and Manchester to the East or into North Wales to the West. The Churches There are two church buildings, a mile and a half apart, one of which, St Mary’s, Northop Hall, is now mainly used as a church hall for functions and events, whilst continuing to be used for some special services. St. Eurgain & St. Peter, Northop This is a Grade 1 listed church, stone-built in 1570, with the original tower retained, but the nave was remodelled in 1839 due to collapsing foundations, while retaining the original 16th century roof. Oak furnishings from 1876 provide pew seating for about 350, with notable stained glass from mid to late 19th century and four stone effigies of 14-15th century knights and a lady situated in niches in the internal walls and memorials from two world wars. The tower contains eight bells and is a predominant landmark in the centre of the village. A very extensive leaded roof is protected by a sophisticated E-Bound roof alarm, with auto-dial to an alarm call centre. The Church has oil-fired central heating. Removal of some pews at the rear of the church has created an area for children, provides a useful facility for families and also space for refreshments after services. Whilst the church does not have a kitchen or a toilet inside there is a portable toilet outside with wheelchair access. For the past 14 years the church has been open unsupervised every day; the visitors’ book shows how much this is appreciated. Page 7 of 14 There is an extensive burial ground adjacent to the church, partially bounded by a Grade 2 listed stone wall.