The Benefice of Benson with Ewelme Benefice Profile for the post of House for Duty Associate Priest 1 Introduction from the Rector The benefice of Benson with Ewelme was formed in April 2017, and I moved to become its first rector in July 2017. As a new benefice, I have found it a wonderful place to serve. There are of course growing pains, but there is also a real sense that God is doing a ‘new thing’ in our villages: both historic challenges and new opportunities have prompted the parishes of the benefice to open themselves up to creative ways of serving God in their different contexts. Apart from being set geographically in one of the most beautiful corners of England, the villages of the benefice are steeped in spiritual history, so that even a quiet moment in any one of the parish churches inspires one for the future of God’s purposes here. Each of the parishes expresses its faith distinctly (and very differently!), and the variety in worship is something I find very encouraging about ministering in the benefice; in turn, this comfort with each other’s ‘differentness’ and a total disinterest in ‘identikit parish life’ makes the benefice an exciting and releasing place to ‘be yourself’ as a priest. I am looking forward to welcoming a clergy colleague to serve with me in these parishes, so that together we can help lead the people of God in these villages to be more faithful to God and to grow in holiness. Above all, I look forward to sharing ministry with someone alongside whom I can pray. Because the benefice is so new, most things about the new House for Duty priest’s role are up for discussion (where there are specific expectations, they are set out below). We think of ourselves as being in a period of transition and discernment, and we anticipate the appointment of a House for Duty priest providing us with a major steer in discerning what God is calling us to be and do as a benefice. I am pleased that the Ewelme Trust (‘God’s House in Ewelme’) has agreed that the next House for Duty Associate Priest of the benefice will also be appointed Chaplain to the Ewelme Trust, with a remuneration of £5,000 per annum. The responsibilities of that post are set out separately from this profile. The Revd Dr Patrick Gilday, Rector The setting Bounded by the River Thames on one side and the Chiltern Hills on the other, the benefice is made up of four parishes situated in South Oxfordshire. Roughly mid-way between Henley and Oxford, the benefice straddles the most rural and sparsely-populated of farmland at one end and a large village undergoing significant development and growth on the other. Excluding RAF Benson – geographically within the benefice but with its own spiritual oversight – the total population is about 4,000, but may be closer to 6,000 in the next five years. With excellent access to Oxford, Henley, and Reading, as well as straightforward commuter access to London via Cholsey station or Lewknor Turn bus stop, the benefice does not feel at all disconnected from metropolitan life. There are two Church of England primary schools within the benefice (in Benson and Ewelme; both rated Good by OFSTED), and secondary school pupils travel outside the benefice to the neighbouring towns of Wallingford and Watlington, as well as to Henley, Woodcote, and into Oxford. The shape of ministry Sharing of ministry between the parish of Benson and the other three parishes of the benefice is still quite new. Since July 2017, the Rector (who lives in Benson) has had principal oversight for Benson, and the House for Duty Associate Priest (resident in Ewelme) has had principal care for Ewelme, Brightwell Baldwin, and Cuxham with Easington. It is anticipated that whilst both clergy will serve across the whole benefice, there will always be a natural connection between the Rector and 2 Benson, and between the House for Duty priest and the other villages. The new House for Duty priest’s principal remit, therefore, will be to help lead and deepen the worship of God in Ewelme, Brightwell Baldwin, and Cuxham with Easington. Further specific duties include: leading a weekly service for Ewelme C of E VA School in St Mary’s, Ewelme; officiating at an appropriate proportion of occasional offices across the benefice; officiating at the annual Almshouse Service in Ewelme; acting as foundation governor at Ewelme C of E VA School. As a House for Duty position, there is no stipend attached to the post, but remuneration for ministry over Sunday plus two days a week (or the equivalent) is provided in the form of a parsonage house. (More details concerning the parsonage house can be found below.) THE PARISHES IN DETAIL Ewelme The church of St. Mary the Virgin was built in 1430-50 by William and Alice de la Pole, Earl and Countess of Suffolk, and later Duke and Duchess of Suffolk. It is a Grade 1 listed building, surrounded by its ancient Churchyard, and enjoys a beautiful setting at the top of a small hill. It is physically linked to God’s House in Ewelme – a cloister of almshouses established by the de la Poles and still providing housing to elderly residents – as well as to Ewelme Church of England VA Primary School, the oldest continuously used school building in the country. The Ewelme Trust owns the almshouses and school site, offers the parish the use of one of its rooms as a choir vestry, and pays for the maintenance of the extraordinary chantry chapel and south aisle of the parish church. The Rector is an ex officio trustee of the Ewelme Almshouse Charity (the Ewelme Trust), but it is anticipated that the House for Duty priest will provide the main pastoral point of contact between the benefice and the almshouse residents, as well as the pupils at the school. The fourteenth-century tower of the original church, dedicated to All Saints, houses a peal of six bells, plus a calling bell. Acoustics in the church are excellent, and a hearing loop is installed. The very old and inefficient heating system was replaced in 2013 with a computer controlled hot water circulation system. In 2014 a beautifully hand crafted servery made in Oxfordshire oak was installed with the approval of English Heritage. The William Hill organ built for Ewelme in 1841 has been given national certification as an historic instrument. There is a small but dedicated choir and organist. The church building is large for the size of village, which today has a population of about 570 residents. Ewelme is a picture-postcard village: idyllic, tight-knit, and on the tourist trail, a parish where the entire school comes to church on a Tuesday morning and parishioners know one another’s business. Doctoral theses have been written on the church and village history, but Ewelme is also a modern, working village. The community-run, and award winning Village Store provides a wide range of groceries and consumables, including locally produced products. Ewelme has numerous societies, many of which meet in the Village Hall and the adjoining thatched Reading Room, both of which are in strong demand for events and which serve as the premises for a thriving pre-school. The Horticultural Society, of which all residents are automatically members, organises an annual Horticultural Show. The Church has in the past organized an annual Summer Fete. There is an enthusiastic and strong Quiz Team, a Tapestry Group, and a well-established twinning link with Nolay in Burgundy. The Ewelme News, a bi-monthly magazine, is delivered to every household in the village. There is also a published Village Plan. 3 The newest society is the Friends of Ewelme Church, formed to raise funds in support of the maintenance of the church fabric, and to contribute towards the enhancements of the building for the benefit of future generations. The Friends organise fund-raising events such as concerts, talks and lectures, most of which are evening events held in the Church. Through various events they have raised enough funds to install a new heating system, to renovate the organ and build a servery in the south west corner at the back of the church. Sunday attendance is low for the size of the village, leaving plenty of room for growth: an average Sunday will see c. 20 in attendance, and of the four parishes in the benefice, Ewelme is the parish needing the most attention and leadership from a new House for Duty priest. Alterations to the schedule of services made in advance of the vacancy are likely to help stabilize numbers. However, future growth opportunities are more likely to lie in (a) re-establishing a pram service; and/or (b) establishing a monthly service for children and young families on Sunday afternoons. Furthermore, the new priest’s presence in a village where there is already a real sense of community apart from the church will prove decisive in establishing the longer-term relationship between parish and church. There is real possibility for growth in Ewelme. Morning prayer is currently said in the chancel each Tuesday at 9.30 am. Brightwell Baldwin The village of Brightwell Baldwin (2011 population: 208) has two parts: the original village which lies around the church and is mostly in a Conservation Area, and Upperton which is on higher ground several hundred yards away and is the larger part of the village. This can prove a significant challenge for church outreach, in that most members of the community live in Upperton, so that coming to church always entails a special journey.