Whittington and West Felton with Haughton Benefice Profile Contents

Welcome from our Wardens

Our Challenges Our Rector

Our People Our Parishes

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a Our Churches beautiful inheritance. Psalm 16:6 Thank you for your interest in the role of Rector of the Benefice of Welcome from Whittington and West Felton with Haughton. This document has been written by our PCCs to give you an overview of our vision and our life together our Wardens as churches and parishes. Our benefice comprises two parishes: Whittington and West Felton. A small church at Haughton, which offers a monthly service, is also included. In each parish, the church has close links with the school, both of which are highly regarded and continue to achieve good Ofsted reports. We have excellent teams of committed people, including four retired clergy, to support you in all aspects of planning and delivering worship as well as the day-to-day operation of the churches. By reading this profile, we hope that you are able to gain some insight into both the exciting opportunities and varied challenges that our new rector will meet. More information can be found on facebook (Whittington and West Felton Church) and website www.whittingtonchurch.org.uk. When you have read the profile, we hope that you will want to contact us as we will be happy to answer any questions you may have. We welcome the opportunity to show you around our churches and A cheerful heart is a good medicine, villages, which sit in stunning north Shropshire, only a stone’s throw away but a downcast spirit dries up the from the Welsh border. bones. Gillian Roberts Michael Phipps Michael Davie Ken Gull Proverbs 17:22 [email protected] [email protected] • Have a real heart for the Gospel and a desire to see people come to faith. Our Rector • Be eager to deepen our discipleship / relationship with Christ. • Be a knowledgeable preacher who can reflect, interpret and present the Gospel to nurture and encourage the development of faith, adapting content and style for different audiences and occasions. We would like our • Build on our contacts with young families, and encourage them into full rector to... membership of the Church. • Lead, manage and inspire a committed team of volunteers. Although the PCCs will offer every help and support, they will regard the rector as the leader: someone who enables, facilitates and encourages. • Work with our Schools and the Deanery Rural Youth Workers, to encourage and develop this work as an important aspect of our church community and outreach. • Be a good communicator, able to converse with the diverse community within the churches and villages. • Be a good listener who respects confidences and has a warm concern for all the people of the benefice. • See pastoral care as an extremely important element of their work. • Be seen to be active and visible within the community, who supports and is present at village events. • As if the unspoilt Shropshire landscape is not enough, located close to the Our Benefice Welsh border, Llangollen and Snowdonia make the area a walker’s paradise. Perhaps this is why both parishes have their own walking groups. • Surrounded by beautiful and historic locations, including Ironbridge Gorge, Bridgnorth, Ludlow, the Wrekin, Wenlock Edge , Long Mynd and Carding Mill Valley. • Our two adjacent parishes are situated in stunning north Shropshire close to the historic market town of Oswestry and nearby picturesque Shrewsbury with its 660 listed buildings. The area is well served by a good road network radiating in all directions. Main routes: Midlands: A5/M54 (and then connections with M6 & M5) North & mid Wales: A5/A483 • There is an excellent train service from Gobowen to Chester, Shrewsbury, Birmingham, South Wales and connections to the rail network (London: 3hrs). • Although considered agricultural, new and younger families working in local Picture of OS Map towns or further afield are very much increasing in the parishes. • The nearby Orthopaedic Hospital at Gobowen is a renowned specialist hospital with a reputation for innovation. Performing over 2,600 hip and knee replacements every year, it is a leading centre for enhanced recovery. Oh what a parish, oh what a show. Our new rector is coming to town… • With a population of around 2,500, Whittington is a popular village within a parish that also includes five hamlets. Our Parishes • The rectory is located in the village centre, along with the church, a castle, a village shop with post office and two pubs. Situated in a quiet cul-de-sac, it is only a three- minute walk past the picturesque castle to the church. Built in the 1960’s, the detached house comprises four spacious bedrooms, bathroom, two toilets, living Whittington room, dining room, study, kitchen and a utility room. Outside there is a double garage and ample easy to maintain lawns and gardens. • There is a Community Centre and Senior Citizens’ Hall and local rugby and bowls clubs, together with other organisations for children, youths and adults. Whittington Together is a small team that organises the annual village fete. • The Venue, which is a multi-functional leisure facility, The New Saints FC and Oswestry Showground are also located within the parish. • The castle, opposite the church, attracts many visitors throughout the year and hosts numerous re-enactment events. • The annual week-long Whittington Music Festival held in the church showcases chamber music played by internationally acclaimed musicians. • Our church (aided) primary school offers excellent education to children from our village and beyond, with clergy being fully involved in school life. The 2018 Ofsted report states: “The leadership team has maintained and further improved the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You know your school well and are accurate in your judgement of where Whittington Primary School is on its journey of improvement.” “Living and learning with God by our side” • Together with nine hamlets, with a total population of about 1,500, West Felton comprises a village shop with a post office, a pub and a village hall. The WI plays a Our Parishes prominent role in the community, and the social club provides a home for the Feltonians (senior citizens) and the Brownies. There is an annual carnival and a Christmas Fayre. • The CofE primary school was established under the 1871 act by the owner of Tedsmore Hall and, since then, has become a church controlled school. There are currently 26 staff, West Felton with 62% of who reside in West Felton, with 142 pupils, aged 2 – 11. Superb links with St. Michael’s Church and the clergy, who lead weekly worship sessions that are lively and Haughton engaging and linked to our half-termly Christian Values, complement daily acts of worship including child-led activities. We meet regularly for Messy Church and host a variety of church events throughout the year and we are keen to continue and build on this work in the future. • The school offers ‘wrap around care’ and has a breakfast club for all children (even two year olds) from 8am and an After School Club which is open every week day until 5:30pm. • A very positive Ofsted two years ago retaining our ‘Good’ grading, with the inspector describing the school as being at the high end of this continuum, with many outstanding features. • The SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) Inspection took place in May 2017 and we retained our ‘Outstanding’ grading. • Alongside our rich and varied curriculum, we strive to develop every child beyond the constraints of the National Curriculum, participating in a wide range of enrichment activities to encourage a sense of pride, participation and community spirit. Its success is underpinned by our mission statement: “Preparing for life in all its fullness” • All three churches have pipe organs, and have regular organists. Our Churches • Whittington has a small choir. • With the exception of Messy Church and Praise & Play, our parishes have not been particularly successful in encouraging people from the villages to attend church, even though special services, eg. Christingle and school services are standing room only. St John the Baptist • Reception, end-of-term and church festival services are always joyous celebrations. St Michael the Archangel • Visitors regularly comment on the warm welcome they receive from regular church goers. St Chad’s • The average congregation over all Sunday services are: Whittington: 70 West Felton: 20 Haughton: 8 • There is also a Home Group which has members from both Whittington and West Felton. • Sunday worship pattern: 8.00 Holy Communion, Whittington (2nd, 4th & 5th Sunday of month) 9.30 Holy Communion West Felton (1st Sunday - Family Eucharist) 9.30 Holy Communion (BCP) Haughton (Monthly) 10.30 Holy Communion, Whittington (1st Sunday - Family Eucharist) 18.30 Holy Communion (BCP) Whittington (1st Sunday of month) 18.30 Evensong , Whittington (3rd Sunday of month) • The original church on this site was likely founded in the 12th century as part of the development of the castle. The brick tower was built in 1747, and in 1804 the mediaeval church was demolished to make way for the Georgian structure we see Our Churches today. A major refit took place in 1894. So the tower is the oldest part of the present church and contains an old font, likely from the 12th century church and a list of rectors on the wall dating back to the 13th century. • The huge single span wooden ceiling, which is supported from above by Queen posts St John the Baptist ensures superb acoustics making the church an excellent concert venue. • The belfry contains six bells, the eldest of which is dated 1696, although mistakenly Whittington stamped 1666. • The choir screen is a memorial to Rev. William Walsham How, who was rector of the parish for 28 years. He was a well-known hymn writer and became the first Bishop of the new Diocese of Wakefield, although his heart remained in Whittington. He died in 1897 and is buried beside his wife in the churchyard. • The present Bevington organ was installed in 1867 (although now electric powered). It is a two manual organ with swell and great keyboards, each of 56 notes and a radiating concave pedal board of 29 notes. • The churchyard is a closed site, maintained by the council. There is a cemetery in the village. The Garden of Remembrance, opposite the church, is currently in the process of being closed. • In 2018/19 there were: Baptisms: 16 Weddings: 4 Funerals: 8 Internments of ashes: 14 Confirmations in previous six years: 31 • The numbers at Messy Church and Praise & Play are encouraging, with 63 and 12 respectively regularly attending. • The grade 2* listed building was built in the 12th century with additions in mid and late 19th century. It has seating for about 240 maximum. Our Churches • A toilet and utility room were installed in 2012 to improve the capability to hold events. There is a pipe organ, which requires occasional maintenance, and a keyboard for messy church and other events. • The churchyard is closed, so the council is responsible for its maintenance. St Michael the Archangel (Although, with appropriate Faculty approval, ashes are interred from time to time.) There is a council graveyard in the village. West Felton • There are 55 members on the electoral roll, 16 of whom are non-resident. • The usual Sunday congregation is about 20. The number attending is significantly greater at Festivals, such as Harvest and the Christingle service. • The average age of the congregation is on the older side and the PCC is keen to encourage worship by younger persons. • Annually, on average there are: Baptisms: 6 Weddings: 1 Funerals/memorial services: 4 • Confirmations in previous five years: 15 • We have an open baptism policy. Marriage preparation is undertaken by the rector; divorcées are married at St Michael’s. • Funerals are arranged by the rector and conducted by the rector or retired clergy. Our Churches • Designated by the Diocese as a Mission church, St. Chad’s was built in 1886 as a Chapel of Ease for the employees of the Tedsmore estate by its owner, Rev TMB Bulkeley-Owen.

St Chad’s • He was a strong supporter of the Oxford movement and, in common with Haughton many priests, had a great interest in railways and built a mission church for railwaymen in Shrewsbury, which remains Anglo-Catholic to this day.

• Curiously, the church is not under faculty jurisdiction, although the graveyard is.

• The churchyard is open and each year there are one or two burials or interment of ashes.

• St Chad’s has a Sunday service once a month which attracts about eight people.

• The church has a pipe organ. • The annual benefice share is £63,000, and is split as follows: Whittington: 70% - £44,000 Our Churches West Felton: 30% - £19,000 The rector’s time is spent accordingly. • The parish share for both parishes is fully paid up. Finances & • Direct Giving continues to be our most important source of income representing approximately 65% of our total income. The other main income stewardship contributors are Fees for Pastoral Services (16%), and general fundraising (9%). • Whittington Problems with the roof have recently been dealt with. A Quinquennial inspection took place in 2019. A Renovation / Improvement Team has been set up to focus on obtaining funding for the Priority 1 issues we face: gutters, heating and parquet flooring. We have commissioned a professional Grant Claiming Advisor to assist with this. • West Felton The Quinquennial inspection two years ago revealed significant faults in the roof and the electrical supply, all of which have been dealt with. • Haughton The Quinquennial examination two years ago confirmed that apart from some electrical work, which is now completed, nothing urgent was found. • At present, many members are elderly. Many of the population are busy and see no relevance in the church. Our Churches • The churches have fixed pews, so are not very adaptable for functions (with the exception of the acclaimed Chamber Music Festival and similar concerts). • Some children do help as servers, and special services are well attended and are useful for mission, as is the church presence at the carnivals and other functions. Challenges and • The schools are supportive of the church and members help with Messy Church. • The churches, partly through Messy Church, have helped the Oswestry Rural Youth Mission Action Church (ORYC) which attracts younger people. • Both churches (with the small Methodist group in West Felton) plan Christmas Planning events for children, which also encourage parents and relatives to attend. • The challenges include the missing generation (20 – 45 year olds) who are financially stretched and have neither the time nor inclination to be interested in religion. This group does accompany children to school and other events at the church and can be attracted by entertainment. As one church member commented “We have a challenge to make Christianity entertaining”. • Whittington castle’s popularity as a wedding venue is increasing. • Organisations other than the church provide activities for youth and other groups. • Many people undertake tasks, such as looking after elderly people, organising group activities and helping with reading in the school. Although in keeping with the teachings of Christianity, this is not necessarily seen as work of the church. • Other ideas for use of funds to increase awareness of Christianity among young people within the constraints of our resources are urgently needed. Our People The rector can be assured of plentiful support across the benefice from teams of people who help in all aspects of planning & delivering worship and with the day-to-day operation of the churches.

• A curate now in her third year • Four retired clergy • Experienced church wardens • Committed PCC members • Enthusiastic Messy Church and Praise & Play teams • Dedicated people working to provide many church-based activities throughout the parishes • Lay people to assist with communion • Pastoral teams

Enthusiastic Voluntary Support Benefice-wide