PATRONAGE (BENEFICES) MEASURE 1986

Parish of Abbey Priory and Church of St Andrew PCC statement describing the church’s ministry and mission within the parish OCTOBER 2019 Hexham Abbey is a living, vibrant church drawing upon a long and prayerful heritage. It is a place where all are welcome and God’s love is enjoyed, celebrated and shared. The Abbey’s stated mission is to be an open community of Christ’s disciples, sharing our worship, engaging our faith with the world and offering our lives to serve God’s kingdom.

2 | PARISH PROFILE CONTENTS

WELCOME 5

1. CHURCH AND COMMUNITY 6 1.1 The local community 8 1.2 The Abbey community 10 1.3 Worship and numbers 14 1.4 Church tradition 15 1.5 Ministry 15 1.6 Deanery relationships 16 1.7 Ecumenical life 17 1.8 The parish and the future 18

2. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE, BUILDINGS, FINANCES 20 2.1 Buildings 22 2.2 Finance 24 2.3 Governance and staffing 26 2.4 Organisational chart 27

3. THE POST OF 28 3.1 The new incumbent 30 3.2 The Rectory 32 3.3 Our pledge to the Rector 33

CONCLUSION AND QUESTIONS FOR APPLICANTS 35

WWW.HEXHAMABBEY.ORG.UK | 3 4 | PARISH PROFILE WELCOME

In the past few years, we have at last reunited our magnificent Abbey Church with its former Priory buildings to develop wonderful new facilities accessible to all. We now have an exciting opportunity to unite our spiritual ministry with our outreach to the wider community and the 120,000 visitors, tourists and pilgrims who step through our doors every year. We seek a Rector who feels called to lead and inspire us in achieving our vision as we step into the next stage of our journey in faith.

A place of worship since AD 674, with all the challenges that entails, and Hexham Abbey is an important link in the an ancient place of worship at the heart chain of Christianity in Northumbria from of the North East’s Christian tradition, its the 7th Century to the present day. Some glorious buildings providing boundless 120,000 visitors, tourists and pilgrims opportunities for worship, spiritual growth enter the Abbey each year for services, and outreach to all people. private prayer, historical interest and quiet space. The Abbey is also regularly used A member of the Greater Churches for diocesan and civic services, and for a Network, in the last eight years the variety of special celebrations. Abbey has taken a transformational step, developing a £3m Heritage Lottery Fund- Thus, the Abbey is a good deal more supported project to reunite the Abbey than a parish church. It is Grade I-listed, and its former priory buildings, creating the mother church of Tynedale and it community resources and launching a gives Hexham its character as an abbey hospitality and retail business. town, where the church is a visible and public focus of community life. Hence, its This new, larger organisation of church mission, liturgy and spirituality have an and business is now entering a period essentially outward-facing character as of consolidation. The congregation is well as helping to shape and inspire the becoming used to trading activities on life of its congregation. site, the PCC is getting to grips with its responsibilities as sole shareholder of a Ask local people what the Abbey is, business, and there is a deep sense of and you will receive a variety of answers. the need for guidance and inspiration in While one person may say it is a parish unifying church and business activities. church first and foremost, another may The Abbey also faces significant say it is a centre of heritage or a visitor financial challenges, including the cost destination. Others will cite a valuable of buildings maintenance in the face of community resource, a magnificent falling incomes. venue for concerts and events, or see it as ‘the big church’ for Rememb