THE PARISH MAGAZINE OF ST PETER’S, EDGMOND WITH ST CHAD’S, KYNNERSLEY AND ST LAWRENCE PRESTON WEALD MOORS including VILLAGE NEWS JUNE 2015 Visit us at www.stpeterschurchedgmond.org and www.edgmondparishcouncil.co.uk RECTOR (usual day off: Monday) The Revd Prebendary Edward Ward, Edgmond Rectory 820217 RESIDENT MINISTER (part time; usual day off: Saturday) The Revd David Stokes-Harrison, Tibberton Rectory 551117 LICENSED READER Paul Benton 603071 CHURCHWARDENS John Ingram, Lovatt Cottage, 5 Turners Lane, Edgmond 810337 Chris Taylor, Provost’s House, High Street, Edgmond 810880 PCC SECRETARY Jane Gill 811201 TREASURER AND STEWARDSHIP RECORDER Rodney Bunyan 810957 ORGANIST AND CHOIRMASTER Dr Colin Brown 550164 TOWER CAPTAIN and RINGING MASTER Edric Broom 825851 TOWER SECRETARY Paul Lewis 820135 PUBLICITY c/o Penny Westgate 812920 MOTHERS’ UNION Margaret Matthews 825976 MAGAZINE EDITOR Sara Taylor, Provost’s House, Edgmond, TF10 8JY 810880 Email: [email protected] MAGAZINE ADVERTISING Chris Taylor, Provost’s House, Edgmond, TF10 8JY 810880 Email: [email protected] MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTION Penny Hughes 813017 2 Dear Friends, I don’t know if you have read in your newspaper about a recent case in the Appeal Court when a Parish Priest appealed against the verdict of an Employment Tribunal which ruled that he was not employed but was an “Office Holder”. He lost his appeal. The Appeal Court also ruled that clergy are not subject to Employment Law because they are “Office Holders”. The Church of England is introducing something called “Common Tenure” under which all future appointments will be made. It is claimed that this will give clergy some protection under Employment Law. Those of us who are perhaps of a more cynical frame of mind consider it as a useful tool for Bishops to get rid of annoying clergy, as it states that every Clergy Licence has to be renewed every seven years. Some of us who were appointed before Common Tenure was introduced have retained our Freehold, which allows us to be independently minded (or awkward). I received a letter some time ago from a Diocesan Official telling me that I had to do some Continuing Professional Development (CPD) or else “disciplinary action may be taken against me”. After being a priest for 40 years I decided to ignore it. I did wonder what form this disciplinary action might take. Would I be forbidden to preach sermons? Well probably both I and the congregations would enjoy that. Would I be forbidden to take services? Well, that wouldn’t upset me too much. The Bishop can come and take the three services I do every Sunday morning in three different churches, plus baptisms and other things which occur on a Sunday, which often result in me not eating from Saturday evening until Sunday evening. However no one has said anything to me, although I did wonder how a more recently ordained priest would react to such a letter. I get the impression that the Bishops are determined to run the Church along business management lines, where parish clergy are employed workers, Bishops and Archdeacons are mangers, and the clergy must do what the Bishops tell them to, as all workers must obey the managers. I am sure this is why clerical and parochial independence from Bishops’ interference is slowly being eroded. But if the Church does go along these lines then there are many things to be considered, such as a proper job specification for the clergy; hours of work will have to be stated and also when overtime will be incurred and the rate of pay for this overtime. It will probably be at this point when the Church will change its mind over this matter. For if there is one thing the Church of England does understand, it is money, because this business approach to the Church’s mission and ministry will cost the Church money, and it won’t like that. Let us hope and pray that parish clergy will remain Office Holders and be free to exercise their ministry as they see best, free from interference. God bless you. Your Priest and Friend, Edward Ward 3 SERVICES IN THE JUNE DATE EDGMOND KYNNERSLEY PRESTON Thursday 4th 9.30 am Corpus Christi Holy Communion SUNDAY 7th 7.45 am 10.30 am 9.00 am Trinity 1 Holy Communion Holy Communion Holy Communion 10.30 am Family Communion Thursday 11th 9.30 am St Barnabas Holy Communion SUNDAY 14th 7.45 am 10.30 am 10.15 am Trinity 2 Holy Communion Holy Communion Family Service 10.30 am Sung Eucharist 6.30 pm Healing Service Thursday 18th 9.30 am Holy Communion 8.30 pm Compline SUNDAY 21st 7.45 am 10.30 am 9.00 am Trinity 3 Holy Communion Holy Communion Holy Communion 10.30 am Family Communion 3.30 pm Holy Communion Wednesday 24th 9.30 am St John the Baptist Holy Communion Thursday 25th 9.30 am Holy Communion SUNDAY 28th PATRONAL FESTIVAL 10.30 am 9.00 am Trinity 4 7.45 am Family Service Holy Communion Holy Communion 10.30 am Sung Eucharist 3.00 pm The Clypping Monday 29th 9.30 am St Peter Holy Communion 4 SIX PARISHES 2015 DATE TIBBERTON GREAT BOLAS WATERS UPTON Thursday 4th Corpus Christi SUNDAY 7th 10 . 30 am 10.30 am 9.15 am Trinity 1 Family Service Morning Prayer Holy Communion Thursday 11th St Barnabas SUNDAY 14th 9.00 am 10.30 am 9.15 am Trinity 2 Holy Communion Holy Communion Said Communion Thursday 18th SUNDAY 21st 10 . 30 am PATRONAL FESTIVAL 9.15 am Trinity 3 Morning Prayer 10.30 am Holy Communion Holy Communion Wednesday 24th St John the Baptist Thursday 25th SUNDAY 28th 9.00 am 10.30 am 9.15 am Trinity 4 Holy Communion Holy Communion Holy Communion Monday 29th St Peter 5 FROM THE REGISTERS HOLY BAPTISM 12th April at St Peter’s, Edgmond – Darcie Anne, daughter of Jamie and Laura Speed. 25th April at St Peter’s, Edgmond – Zachary Dyeus, son of Mladen Vujnovic and Gemma Whitfield. FUNERALS 21st April at St Peter’s, Edgmond – Robert Denton, late of Newport. The service was followed by cremation at Telford Crematorium. 24th April at St Peter’s, Edgmond – Bernard Hill, late of Muxton. The service was followed by interment in the churchyard. BURIAL OF ASHES 22nd April at St Peter’s, Edgmond – Robert Denton. FROM THE EDITOR St Peter’s Day is on Monday, 29th June and, as St Peter is Edgmond Church’s Patronal Saint, we will be celebrating our Patronal Festival the day before – Sunday, 28th June – with the traditional “Clypping” service at 3.00 pm. All villagers (and their families and friends) are invited to come along and form a complete circle around the church: “clyp the church” – you can read more about this ancient tradition on page 5. The pictures on our front cover were taken at last year’s celebrations. The next edition of the Parish Magazine and Village News will cover the month of July 2015 and the deadline for contributions is Sunday, 7th June. Please deliver your contributions in good time to me at the address on the inside front cover – or you can email them to me at [email protected]. I’m always delighted to receive your photos too (preferably by email), especially ones of people, places and events which take place in and around our villages. Don’t forget that you can also read this magazine online on both the village and church websites (addresses on the front cover). HEALING SERVICE Just to remind you all that the monthly Healing Service at St Peter’s, Edgmond has reverted to being held at 6.30 pm on the second Sunday of each month until October. 6 CHURCHWARDENS ELECTED All the Easter Vestries and Annual Church Meetings have taken place and the following have been elected as Churchwardens:- EDGMOND: John Ingram and Christopher Taylor PRESTON: Dr David Nurse and David Brown KYNNERSLEY: Jack Edge TIBBERTON: Peter Harman WATERS UPTON: John Williams and Caroline Osborne GREAT BOLAS: Jill Maddox and Simon Harris THE CLYPPING OF THE CHURCH The Clypping of the Church is unique to Edgmond. It is part of the very fabric of the village and community as Edgmond has the longest continuous tradition of Clypping the Church in the world. Indeed we are trying to get it authenticated by the Guinness Book of Records as such. It is one of the events which makes Edgmond special. St Peter’s Church is not holding this service just for the members of the congregation. It is acting as caretaker of the community’s traditions, in exactly the same way as on Rogation Sunday it holds the Rogationtide procession on behalf of the whole village for the blessing of the land, the crops sown and the animals. We know that Edgmond was founded by a Viking, and that there was a stone building on the present site in 1080. But recent research has shown that there were at least two previous buildings on the site. So this may well have been the sacred centre for the community for over 1000 years. The community would meet together, perhaps round the sacred tree or stones, form a living circle around it or them (a circle being a symbol of eternity as it has no beginning or end) and then invoke a blessing upon the life and work of the community. The Christian missionaries simply took over the local tradition and changed the deity to the Christian God. The Clypping this year will take place on Sunday, June 28th at 3 pm when it is hoped many of the villagers will come and continue this very ancient village custom.