Our intention is to: Worship God in his Church and Work for God in his World

Transcription

1 St. Mary's Arbroath & St. Peter's Auchmithie CONGREGATIONAL PROFILE Spring 2015 Our intention is to: Worship God in his Church and Work for God in his World We are looking for an energetic, enthusiastic full-time Rector who will lead, inspire, invigorate, harness and grow the abilities of our congregations to even better achievements for our future and for our communities in Arbroath and Auchmithie. Please read on to discover more:- St. Mary's Arbroath St. Peter's Auchmithie Page 1 of 12

2 CONTENTS: 1. Introduction: Arbroath and Auchmithie 2. St. Mary's & St. Peter's Episcopal Churches: 2.1 Our history 2.2 The Church buildings 2.3 The Rectory 2.4 Recent and planned upgrades to the buildings 3. Worship and Services: 3.1 Liturgy 3.2 Services Declaration of Arbroath 3.3 Numbers of Baptisms, Confirmations, Weddings & Funerals etc 4. Congregation 5. Finances: 5.1 Financial attributes 5.2 Future levels of giving and our ability to pay a full time Rector 5.3 Reserves 6. Structure and Administration 7. Process for appointing a Rector in The Scottish Episcopal Church 8. Position Specification 9. Person Specification Bay at Auchmithie Coastal Trail between Auchmithie & Arbroath Page 2 of 12

3 1. INTRODUCTION TO ARBROATH & AUCHMITHIE Arbroath is an ancient port with origins dating back to Pictish times. With a population of 25,000, Arbroath is the largest Angus town and home to the famous Abbey which was founded in It was at the Abbey in 1320 that the famous Declaration of Scottish Independence was signed, outlining the desire of the Scottish people for self-determination. Industry and Agriculture drives Arbroath's Arbroath Harbour economy ranging from fishing, Arbroath's Smokies, (which originated from Auchmithie), food processing and farming, to engineering and packaging. This industry is supported by a port, which also has a busy marina, substantial investment from the oil and gas sector and the development of Arbroath Enterprise Park. Arbroath is home to a modern exhibition and conference centre (Angus Business Centre) based locally at the Dundee and Angus College where a number of first rate vocational courses are available. Arbroath benefits from a good educational base. There are 11 primary schools, two secondary schools and a tertiary college. There are at present two new housing developments taking place quite close to both churches. In the 2012 Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, the worst 5 data zones in Angus were all in Arbroath. Warddykes, the lowest, has a rank of 509, meaning it is amongst the 10% most deprived areas in Scotland. 45 Commando Royal Marines and 7 (Sphinx) Commando Battery Royal Artillery has a base adjacent to Arbroath (RM Condor) with over 600 personnel on the base and family accommodation within Arbroath itself for married personnel. In Arbroath there are five Church of Scotland churches, together with churches for Free Church of Scotland, Methodist, Pentecostal, Brethren, Baptist, Independent, Roman Catholic, Salvation Army, Jehovah's Witnesses and a Town Mission. Arbroath has excellent transport links via road and rail with Dundee, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow, and their airports; it is connected with fibre optic broadband. Angus is an ideal place for families. The county is easy to get around having a good road infrastructure, excellent leisure facilities and a strong sense of community. Angus also provides a broad range of support services to meet every need, including excellent education and healthcare services. Angus provides many choices for getting the best out of everyday living with fun activities and great places to visit for family and group days out:- The Angus Glens, Glamis Castle, Carnoustie Golf Links, Montrose Basin, Lunan Bay, extensive Lunan Bay woodland areas, unspoilt coastlines and open expanses of moor and marshlands. Nearby Dundee will soon be the home to the new Victoria and Albert Museum (2018) and already has RSS Discovery (famous for Scott s visit to Antarctica), Verdant Works (Heritage Museum to Jute processing) and the exciting new 1 billion Waterfront Development programme. Page 3 of 12

4 2. ST. MARY'S & ST. PETER'S EPISCOPAL CHURCHES 2.1 Our History The congregation of St Mary the Virgin dates back to For a short time the congregation worshipped in the Town Parish Church when Episcopacy was restored in 1610 by James VI. In 1694 the Scottish Episcopalians were ousted and had no place of worship until the beginning of the 18th century after the repeal of the Penal Laws. The non-juring Scottish Episcopalians merged, in 1806, with the qualified congregation of English Episcopalians who had built a new chapel at the bottom of the High Street. This building became inadequate, so the minister St. Mary's Arbroath (Christmas) Mr William Henderson persuaded the managers of the congregation to raise funds to build a bigger church. The foundation stone of the church in Springfield Terrace was laid in 1852 and the church consecrated on August 31st St. Peter's Auchmithie The congregation of St Peter's dates back to 1829 when a small chapel was built and used for occasional services, but the villagers still walked to St. Vigean's Church in a small village 3 miles inland for communion, baptisms, weddings and funerals. In 1885 the present church was built - the money raised by fund raising activities and donations, at the instigation of local farmer's wife Annie Gilruth. A minister was appointed and all services were held in the church. This continued until 1963 when the church was united with the parish church of St. Vigean's. In 1980, owing to falling attendances the church was closed by the Church of Scotland and bought a year later by the Episcopalian Church of Scotland to be an Ecumenical Village Church and named St. Peter's. 2.2 Description of both church buildings St. Mary's is a fine example of a Gothic Church complete with Simeon Chapel, Chancel Screen, Rood Cross, Dunmore Stone pulpit, Eagle lectern, 2 bells (but no longer used) in the tower and many very good examples of stained glass windows. The adjacent Church hall was built in It has a large hall of approximately 170 square metres, has a recently refurbished kitchen, toilets and separate meeting rooms. Page 4 of 12

5 St. Peter's is a church built in the Norman style, with a semi-circular apse; it comprises an entrance porch, nave, chancel apse and bellcote set on an elevated grassed area surrounded by mature trees. 2.3 The Rectory The Rectory adjacent to St. Mary's was built at the same time as the church and is Gothic in style, has a kitchen (recently refurbished), living room, dining room, parish room, study, downstairs toilet and shower room, 5 bedrooms, bathroom and shower rooms. 2.4 Recent and planned upgrades to the buildings The following work has been carried out over the recent period: - Complete redecoration of the interior of St. Mary's, new boiler fitted to St. Mary's, some work on the roof and guttering of St. Mary's, church hall floor sanded and polished, in the Rectory we have replaced the kitchen, the central heating boiler and added a new shower. The following work is planned to be carried out in the near future: - External painting on the Rectory, new kitchen in the church hall and normal maintenance work. The following work is anticipated in the future:- more work on St. Mary's church roof and guttering, the heating system in St. Mary's and the church hall needs to be upgraded and the lighting system in St. Mary's needs to be re-evaluated. 3. WORSHIP AND SERVICES 3.1 We use the Scottish Liturgy Normal weekly services. The services at St. Mary's are currently:- 8-00am Sunday Said Communion 11.00am Sunday Sung Eucharist 10.30am Thursday Said Communion St. Mary's Congregation (Sharing Peace) We have frequent "Bring and Share Lunches" after the 11.00am Sunday service, Easter services, All Saints & All Souls services, Advent services, Christmas services, Lenten services. The services at St. Peter's are currently:- 1st and 2nd Sundays in the month 9.15am Said Communion 3rd/4th/5th Sunday in the month 9.15am Morning Prayer St. Mary s Altar at Harvest Page 5 of 12

6 3.3 Numbers of Baptisms, Confirmation Candidates, Weddings, Funerals etc The numbers at our celebrations are: Baptisms Confirmations Marriages Funerals Celebrations Communicants 3,175 2,989 3,099 3,336 3,143 Home Comms Easter Sunday before Advent CONGREGATION There are many church activities and groups in which the congregation is involved:- Chalice assistants, intercessions, readers, welcomers etc. Youth Church Group, Sunday School, St. Mary's Friends, Knitting Group, Book Reading Group, Bible Reading Group. Many of our congregational St. Mary's Summer BBQ for the retirement of the Organist members work with voluntary groups in Arbroath and the surrounding area:- Christian Aid, Rotary, RNLI, Youth organisations, Food collections for the Food Bank run by another church Friends of St. Mary s modelling gifts for the Seamen Friends of St. Mary s Tea party Action for Growth Group formed describing how we are planning to achieve growth Annual "Vestry Away Days" Page 6 of 12

7 Fundraising Group formed to achieve additional church funds We need to be more active in Pastoral visiting, with visiting done by the Rector and members of the congregation Outreach in the community including the groups that currently use the Church Hall: - Angus Minstrels; dog training; gym groups etc. Social activities: - Concerts; Ceilidhs; Bingo Nights etc. Sunday School Easter Activities B St. Mary's Carol Service Bring and Share Lunch St. Peter's at Christmas St. Peter's Nativity Page 7 of 12

8 5. FINANCES 5.1 Financial attributes The following table shows that over the last 3 Financial years that we have maintained a level of financial sobriety despite fluctuating levels of income due to late income tax rebates, lower Hall income streams, our lack of grant applications, our fluctuating levels of maintenance expenditure and our low level of expenditure on Stipend etc + Allowances INCOME Collections 28,595 29,086 30,851 Gift Aid 9, ,449 Fundraising 3,733 4,112 5,529 Donations 1,854 2,008 5,710 Endowment & misc. 1,820 2,577 1,316 Grants 7, Hall 13,048 9,478 6,397 TOTAL 65,685 47,661 58,652 EXPENDITURE Stipend etc & allowances 15,123 15,208 15,655 Church supplies etc 725 1,932 2,351 Rates 1,343 1,348 1,363 Insurance 3,835 3,854 3,781 Heating & lights 3,466 6,228 3,948 Maintenance 28,416 9,879 2,981 Admin, Sundries etc. 3,964 4,299 4,240 Quota 6,085 6,480 6,628 TOTAL 62,957 49,228 40, Future levels of giving and our ability to pay a Full Time Rector:- Our previous Rector was the Diocesan Ministry Co-ordinator and as a result our parish had only a nominal 50% charge towards his Stipend/Pension/NI costs. We are, therefore, acutely aware of the financial implications of supporting a full time Rector within our parish. With the appointment of a full time Rector working solely within our Parish, it is expected that not only will the size of the congregations increase, and with it the future levels of giving, but that the congregations of St. Mary's and St. Peter's will contribute more to the communities of Arbroath and Auchmithie. We have an expectation of financial support from the Diocese and Province towards the cost of a full time Rector. This support will be for a limited time of hopefully 5 years, and that it will gradually reduce and that it can only support the stipend portion of the Rector's cost. It is acknowledged that during this 5 year period when hopefully the congregation will increase together with the levels of giving we will have to reduce our normal expenditure on Repairs and Maintenance to bridge the deficiency. The alternative of appointing a part time Rector is to be avoided. Page 8 of 12

9 Anticipated Income and Expenditure INCOME Collections 30,996 30,996 31,926 33,203 34,863 Gift Aid 3,996 3,996 4,461 5,100 5,930 Fundraising 4,200 4,200 4,326 4,499 4,724 Donations 1,800 3,309 3,309 3,309 3,309 Endowment 1,956 1,956 1,956 1,956 1,956 Grants 480 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 Hall 4,800 7,000 8,000 9,000 10,000 Diocesan Aid 0 18,517 16,370 12,845 10,481 TOTAL 48,228 71,974 72,348 71,912 73,263 EXPENDITURE Stipend & 6,468 36,149 36,691 37,241 37,800 Allowances Church supplies 2,100 2,200 2,300 2,400 2,500 Rates 0 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 Insurance 4,080 4,162 4,245 4,330 4,417 Heating & lights 4,800 4,896 4,994 5,094 5,196 Maintenance 18,960 11,999 11,328 9,829 10,099 Admin, Sundries 4,320 4,363 4,449 4,538 4,629 Quota 6,672 6,805 6,941 7,080 7,222 TOTAL 47,400 71,974 72,348 71,912 73, Reserves We currently have reserves of 156,953; however, 75,226 is restricted towards fabric expenditure of St. Mary's Church, Hall and Rectory. 6. STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION At St. Mary's we have a Vestry comprised of a secretary, treasurer, 2 wardens, lay representative and 6 members. The Vestry meets every 2 months. Page 9 of 12

10 At St. Peter's we have a Vestry comprised of a secretary, treasurer and lay representatives. We have a Church magazine which is published 10 times per year with approximately 150 copies per month. We have a website stmarysarbroath. org.uk and advertise our weekly services in the local newspaper. Our previous Rector was a contributor to the local newspaper. We also have an address st.marysarbroath@hotmail.com and Facebook Account. The HAAR Festival is a celebration of life which takes place in Auchmithie bringing together the whole village with re-enactments, a flower festival held in St. Peter s, children's games and a tea room with home baking. The day ends with a traditional fisher wedding. 7. PROCESS FOR APPOINTING A RECTOR IN THE SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH The appointment of an Incumbent is governed by Canon 13 of the Canons of the Scottish Episcopal Church. The Canons can be downloaded at: The Vestry chooses a candidate and presents the candidate to the Bishop. The Bishop decides whether he accepts the presentation or not. In practice the Bishop works with the Vestry to design a process of discernment through which a candidate is selected - it is a partnership between Vestry and Bishop. 8. POSITION SPECIFICATION Our previous Rector stabilised the congregation after a period of uncertainty; we now want to build on the firm foundations he has laid and grow the congregation further. To do this we need a Rector to guide us theologically and help us realise the potential we know we have. We are a diverse group of people with many different skills and talents, which need directing and nurturing. We would like St Mary s to be better known in Arbroath and for the people of Auchmithie to feel at home in St Peter s. Page 10 of 12

11 In essence, we would like the Rector to: Lead the two congregations in worship in a style appropriate to their needs Carry out other sacramental and occasional offices as required Nurture the skills present in both congregations Lead us into our communities with confidence and faith Encourage us to be open minded about different types of worship Guide us to live as better Christians in the community 9. PERSON SPECIFICATION The person we are seeking will be able to demonstrate a successful track record in a similar environment to our current situation; however, what is extremely important is that our new Rector has the following qualities:- Someone who is able to energise and harness the people skills within the congregations we have and develop these skills and energies further Grow both the congregations to enable them to fulfil our Mission Statement within the communities of Arbroath and Auchmithie and the world in which we live Someone who is Spiritual, Prayerful, a team player, someone who is approachable and adaptable, a good communicator, an organiser, and someone who is a self starter We need someone who has all these skills to be able to apply them and specifically relate them to our two distinct church congregations: St. Mary's congregation (around 220) which is diverse, almost cosmopolitan and reasonably large but with the potential to grow much further and having a long previous tradition of being Episcopalian St. Peter's congregation(around 10) which is very small and based upon a historical Angus fishing village with many historical traditions and also being from a Church of Scotland background where the Rector needs to be able to relate to the needs of the whole community within the village St. Peter's Auchmithie St.Mary's Arbroath (Spring-time) Page 11 of 12

12 St. Mary s 160 th Anniversary Christingle Service St. Mary s Holy Saturday Confirmations at St. Mary's Stained Glass Windows in St. Mary's Page 12 of 12