BENEFICE OF BILDESTON WITH WATTISHAM AND LINDSEY, WHATFIELD WITH SEMER, NEDGING AND NAUGHTON 1
Contents Page The Benefice In Its Setting 3-4 The Parsonage House 5-6 What We Can Offer You 6 What We Are Looking For In Our New Priest 6-7 Our Strengths and Challenges 7-8 Our Parishes: Bildeston with Wattisham 8-9 Lindsey 9 Whatfield 9-10 Semer 10-11 Nedging 11-12 Naughton 12 Benefice Service Pattern 13 Occasional Offices 14 Church Electoral Roll Figures 14 Hadleigh Deanery 15-16 The Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich 16 2
THE BENEFICE IN ITS SETTING Suffolk is welcoming, family-friendly and one of the country s best-kept secrets! We are 7 parishes with 6 churches, located in the heart of the South Suffolk Countryside to the west of the A12 and to the south of the A14, almost equidistant between Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds and Colchester. London, Cambridge and Norwich are all easily accessible by both road and rail. The Benefice has around 2,214 parishioners (2011 census) distributed through the villages and associated hamlets. Agriculture, Wattisham Airfield, and a number of manufacturing and service industries provide employment within the Benefice, but residents also commute to Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Colchester, Stowmarket, Sudbury and Hadleigh as well as to London and further afield. This is a very desirable area to live, so new houses are being built in the Benefice and Deanery, and more are planned, particularly in Bildeston. We are part of Hadleigh Deanery (see pp. 15-16), and Hadleigh is our nearest market town, with a Co-op, Morrisons, a number of excellent independent retailers, sports facilities, a health centre and pharmacy, several dentists, two primary schools and Hadleigh High School. Our largest village, Bildeston, also has a health centre, shops, a post office, hotel and restaurant, hairdresser etc., while Semer has a nationally renowned farm shop. 3
Our area of South Suffolk is particularly famous for its medieval wool towns such as Lavenham, and for its beautiful villages with half-timbered buildings and striking churches. The Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, only a couple of miles away from our Benefice, has been immortalised through the paintings of John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough. The Suffolk Coast is a 50-mile stretch of heritage coastline and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Its attractions range from a major international port and beautiful old sea front at Felixstowe, to opportunities to go to concerts at Snape Maltings, to see the famous archaeological discoveries of Sutton Hoo, to sail at Woodbridge, to visit the nature reserves at Minsmere and along the coast near Orford with its famous castle and sea food, and to take in the beauty of the little coastal town of Southwold; all are less than an hour's drive away. In the centre of the county lies Bury St Edmunds with its beautiful cathedral and old Abbey grounds. 4
THE PARSONAGE HOUSE The Rectory in Bildeston was sold in 2015 when the last Rector retired, so the successful candidate will live in Hadleigh, very close to the Benefice boundary at Whatfield. It may be possible to move into the Benefice if a suitable house becomes available in future. The property is at 42 Oxford Drive, Hadleigh and is a four-bedroom detached house with gas central heating and double-glazing in a quiet residential street with ample off-road parking and a double garage. The house has a kitchen, dining room, large lounge, conservatory, three double bedrooms (one en-suite), a good-sized single bedroom and a family bathroom. The garden is enclosed by a wooden fence, and is mainly laid to lawn with a timber decking area and a wooden shed. Ground Floor The lounge has double glazed windows, a gas fireplace, two radiators and laminate flooring. The conservatory is of brick and double glazing, with power and light connected, tiled flooring and under floor heating. The hallway has a storage cupboard, a radiator and tiled flooring, with a small cloakroom with wash hand basin and low-level WC, radiator and laminate flooring. The dining room is double-glazed and has a radiator and laminate flooring. The kitchen has a matching range of base and eye-level units, stainless steel sink with mixer tap, wall mounted gas boiler serving heating system and domestic hot water, integrated dishwasher and washing machine, fitted electric fan- 5
assisted oven, built-in four ring gas hob with extractor hood over, space for fridge/freezer, double glazed window, radiator, tiled flooring, recessed spotlights. First Floor There is an airing cupboard on the landing. The bathroom has a bath with power shower over, wash hand basin, low-level WC, heated towel rail, mirrored cabinet, obscure double glazed window, vinyl flooring. The master bedroom has an en-suite bathroom with wash hand basin, low-level WC, shower enclosure with fitted shower, obscure double glazed window and vinyl flooring. There are three other bedrooms with double-glazing, radiators, laminate flooring and built-in wardrobes/cupboards. WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU A warm welcome! A good house in a thriving market town on the borders of the Benefice. Friendly caring people with a good team spirit and close Benefice identity. Two vibrant and successful primary schools within the Benefice (one a church school). Supportive PCCs that can deal with the finances and fabric of the churches. Two Elders and a Reader-in-training to help with taking services, school visits, etc. Further support is available from a pool of retired clergy living in Hadleigh. Active lay people who can provide support where needed to help plan and lead services. The opportunity to minister in a sought after rural location close to urban centres with good rail networks. WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR IN OUR NEW PRIEST We are very much aware that we have high expectations of our new priest that will need to be managed within the limits of what is currently a part-time post. Suffolk s county motto is Guide Our Endeavour and that is what we are looking for someone to guide our endeavour! We need someone who understands rural multi-parish ministry, and the opportunities and challenges this involves. Our ideal Parish Priest: Will be a visible presence in our village communities, offering pastoral care to all. Will have a good sense of humour, energy and stamina, and be willing to learn. Will have creative ideas for reinvigorating church life in a rural benefice and for discovering and developing the gifts and vocations of others, working closely with the ministry team. Will be able to manage change with sensitivity and humility. 6
Will be enthusiastic about working with our 2 primary schools and about bringing children and families into church activities, while continuing to engage with the existing older congregations. Will be at ease with using a wide variety of service styles (including BCP, Common Worship, Messy Church etc.). Will be willing to support rural services such as Rogation and Harvest, which play an important part in boosting church attendance in the Benefice. Will be computer literate with good organisational skills and time management. Will have their own transport the ability to drive is essential. OUR STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES We hope the following is a realistic assessment of what you would be facing if you came to be our Priest. Our Strengths We have worked well together since the creation of the Benefice in 2002, and the parishes have a real sense of togetherness. In each of our villages there are talented people who will help in any way they can to support the church. We would like to expand this group so that younger people are attracted to take over from their elders. There are two schools in the Benefice, at Bildeston and Whatfield, both rated 'Good' by OFSTED. The new Priest in Charge would be welcome to be a School Governor, and the ministry team are actively involved in building relationships between church and school. Services are organised on a Benefice basis and Elders are licenced to the whole Benefice. The incumbent meets regularly with the Churchwardens and the lay ministry team to exchange information, plan the future and share ideas. All of the team are willing to help out across the Benefice. There is respect for individual parishes' identities and churchmanship but a strong sense of Benefice. 4 th Sunday Benefice Services have been operating for many years, and where a parish has no service on a particular Sunday, a core group of people are happy to go to their neighbouring parishes. All PCCs have lay vice-chairmen able and willing to chair meetings. A monthly parish magazine, Roundabout, is distributed to all parishes in our Benefice. Some administrative assistance is available, and the Deanery Office in Hadleigh can help with large quantities of photocopying. The Benefice has traditionally paid its parish share and its clergy expenses in full and on time. All our churches are left open in daytime and this is much appreciated by church visitors and dog-walkers alike. Our Challenges There will be a need to work creatively with the parishes on a new service rota that is both manageable and fits the needs of the parishes, encouraging people to move around more to other churches in the Benefice. 7
Like most churches across the land, we would like to attract more young people and families into church and/or church-related activities. We currently have two Lay Elders and one Reader-in-training, and would like to expand the Lay Ministry Team. We would like to find ways to enhance and expand the music in our churches as our three wonderful organists reach retirement. We need to recruit more people willing to be active Churchwardens. Lindsey's transition to becoming officially a Festival Church will need to be managed. Some of our churches need loos! All of us struggle with the increasing demands of the Parish Share. THE CHURCHES All of the churches in the Benefice are medieval; all require a lot of maintenance but are much loved. All the churches have open graveyards. The nearest crematorium is in Ipswich. ST MARY MAGDALENE, BILDESTON The parish is officially Bildeston with Wattisham, but St Nicholas' Wattisham was declared redundant in 1977 when the ecclesiastical parish was united with Bildeston. The South Chapel at Bildeston was then dedicated to St Nicholas and was refurbished with furniture from the closed church. The magnificent Grade 1 listed medieval building now stands in splendid isolation, about half a mile from the centre of the village, which moved in the 13th century to be near the site of a market at a crossroads in the valley below. Happily, new houses are beginning to spring up around the church once again. In 1975 it lost its tower, which collapsed while maintenance work was being done, so the replacement tower, paid for by much fund-raising, is now topped by a slender spire. Fortunately, the medieval bells had been taken out before the tower collapsed! There are 6 bells and the ringers meet every week to practise and to ring for services. Testimony to 15th century masons survives in the grand flush work of the south porch, and there is a glorious window depicting the Annunciation and other scenes, created by the Kempe workshop. 8
The church can seat up to 300 people, though at present a typical Sunday service attracts about 15-20. The church is open daily and is much visited by those walking along the footpaths near the church. ST PETER'S, LINDSEY St Peter s is the parish church of the small village of Lindsey, which has some 180 inhabitants. The church tower fell down in in 1836 and was then replaced by a small wooden structure. Despite this, Nicholas Pevsner considered St Peter s to be one of the fifty most beautiful parish churches in Suffolk. The reason is that its thirteenth and fourteenth century architecture is unusually light and at the same time the church has a calm and peaceful atmosphere. The number of regular worshippers is small so we concentrate on holding between four and six services a year to which a congregation of some thirty or forty can be attracted. In view of this situation it is intended that St Peter s shall officially become a Festival Church once the necessary measures have passed through General Synod. Financially speaking our heads are just above water. The dangerous electrical wiring has been replaced and the ancient lime trees around the churchyard have received their quinquennial trimming in order to reduce the risk of a tree falling on to the church or a neighbouring house. The total net cost of these works was some 8,000 which has generously been met by the Friends of St Peter s. Contacts with the appropriate bodies for obtaining grants to offset these costs are in progress. The Friends are an independent body founded in the year 2000 to raise funds for the upkeep of the church fabric. Without the Friends it is unlikely that St Peter s could survive. ST MARGARET OF ANTIOCH, WHATFIELD Whatfield is a compact village of about 350 people in a 1600-acre parish, set within rolling countryside. The ancient village has always been dedicated to farming, and retains beautiful cottages, some thatched and restored, and farms, with many 20 th century additions. Many families have deep roots in the village and recently some affordable homes have been built for young people with local connections to stay or return to the village. Most people are content to stay for many years, thus giving the community a stable aspect. The village hall is well used by the CofE primary school (NOR: 44) and by the Whatfield Players drama group and others. The licensed bar is open on Friday evenings, and is a popular venue for villagers to socialise. 9
St Margaret's has Saxon origins, with many early 14 th century additions and a simple, attractive interior. We generally have two Common Worship services a month, of which one at present is taken by a lay Elder on the P.C.C. She also plans and leads Messy Church in the village hall once a month for the children after school, aided by several adult volunteers. The school holds about 4 services a year in the church, and the children have undertaken visits to the church to learn about its role in our community. ALL SAINTS, SEMER The village of Semer took its name from the Mere around which the Church, the Old School, Mission Hall and the Manor House were located. As with most Suffolk villages, Semer's income was based on agriculture, and most of the population were involved in farming. The current farming community is thriving, keen on utilising the most up to date farm practices, promoting conservation and diversifying into related activities. The very successful local Farm Shop, Hollow Trees, is nationally renowned and is the village s largest local employer. The current population of Semer is only 130, most of whom are working professionals or retired couples although there are families living in the village who have been here for over 3 generations. There has been a church in Semer for over a thousand years, and it is beautifully sited on raised ground adjacent to the river Brett. The existing medieval church building dates from the 14 th Century, but the chancel, roof and south porch were completely remodelled in the late 19 th Century, mainly by the Cooke family who served as Rectors in Semer 10
between 1731 and 1892. Their legacy is an expanse of well-polished carved woodwork, pews, pulpit, rood screen and choir stalls contributing to a notably spacious Victorian interior for such a relatively small church. There is a distinctive and rare organ that is maintained in good order and is capable of impressing the congregation and audiences when played with aplomb. ST MARY'S, NEDGING Nedging with Naughton is one civic parish with two churches, each with its own PCC. Nedging's population of 336 lives in largely private housing but with some rented and social accommodation spread over a wide area surrounded by agricultural land. Unemployment levels are low but approximately 20% of people in the village are aged over 65. There is no obvious village 'centre'. Nedging Tye has a garage that sells fuel and carries out repairs and there is also a light industrial estate with businesses such as plant hire and manufacturing. The Village Hall is in Nedging and is host to several fund raising events for the Parish Council and the Village Hall, both of which have made donations to the two parish churches. The Grade 1 13th century parish church is at the west end of the village, some distance from the bulk of the population, who are geographically closer to Naughton church. It can seat 70 and is a small, simple medieval church with a fine south doorway, C14th roof, distinct North Door, C15th font with wooden Jacobean cover (regarded as exceptionally good) and seven C15th benches. The rest of the pews are Victorian, as is the pulpit. There are two bells, although only one can be rung, as the other is a precious C14 "Dawe bell. Services currently alternate between the two parishes on a weekly basis, and special services such as Mothering Sunday, Rogation, Remembrance and Christmas Eve Services alternate on an annual basis. Each church has its own Easter, Harvest Festival and Carol Services. Worship is generally traditional, favouring BCP but with some CW services. Active involvement in church life by farming families in the parish means that rural services such as Rogation and Harvest Festival are popular and well attended. We do not like 'bells and smells' and we are not good at the Peace! ST MARY'S, NAUGHTON 11
There are approximately 76 residents who live mainly in private housing and the village is surrounded by agricultural land. In this small village there is a public house, which is centrally located close to the village green. St Mary's church is a small pretty church, which seats 80 people and is situated on Naughton Green at the centre of the village. It was built early in the 14 th century of flint and stone and has a castellated tower with a single bell cast in Bury St Edmunds in 1618. The font is of 12 th century Norman origin and there are three interesting medieval wall paintings, the largest being St Christopher with the Christ Child. There are 17 th century benches known as rockers located in the nave and the ancient organ is a rare example, built by Robert Grey in 1777. We are friendly and welcoming to visitors and existing church members alike. We enjoy participating in sharing the Peace and encourage a friendly chat at the end of each service. Our services are advertised on a board on the village green as we have found that this helps to remind and encourage people to attend, and it complements the advertising in our church magazine The Roundabout. 12
Current Weekly Sunday Services in the Benefice Week Time Church Service 1 9.30 11.00 11.00 11.00 Semer Bildeston Whatfield Nedging or Naughton Holy Communion (BCP) Family Service Holy Communion (CW/BCP) Morning Prayer 2 9.30 11.00 Bildeston Nedging or Naughton Holy Communion Morning Prayer 3 9.30 11.00 11.00 11.00 Nedging or Naughton Semer Whatfield Bildeston Holy Communion Morning Prayer Morning Prayer Morning Prayer (service dropped during interregnum) 4 11.00 Rotates around the benefice 5 10.30 Services rotate around the Deanery Benefice Holy Communion Deanery Holy Communion Whatfield normally has a weekly Wednesday Morning Prayer service at 9.30am, which has been dropped during the Interregnum. Family Services replace Morning Prayer on an irregular basis. 13
Occasional Offices 2017 Bildeston Whatfield Semer Nedging Naughton Lindsey TOTAL Baptisms 3 1 6 1 0 0 11 Weddings 3 2 1 1 0 1 8 Funerals, Thanksgivings, Burial of Ashes 2016 4 2F 0 2 F 3 0 11 Bildeston Whatfield Semer Nedging Naughton Lindsey TOTAL Baptisms 1 3 2 0 1 1 8 Weddings 5 1 0 0 0 0 6 Funerals, Thanksgivings, Burial of Ashes 7 3F 2 1 TG 2 Ashes 1 0 16 2015 Bildeston Whatfield Semer Nedging Naughton Lindsey TOTAL Baptisms 3 4 1 0 1 0 9 Weddings 2 2 3 1 0 0 8 Funerals, Thanksgivings, Burial of Ashes 11 2F 1 1 Ashes 0 1 F 16 There have been no Confirmations during this period. Church Electoral Rolls as at 2018 APCMs Parish Village Population Church Electoral Roll 2011 Census Bildeston 1,054 38 Whatfield 350 47 Semer 130 28 Nedging 336 25 Naughton 68 14 Lindsey 180 12 14
HADLEIGH DEANERY The Benefice forms the north part of Hadleigh Deanery and is one of 5 benefices in the Deanery. The Acting Rural Dean is Revd. Rosalind Paul, who co-chairs the Deanery Synod with the Lay Chair, Mrs Karin Norman-Butler. The Deanery Organiser, Mr Jeff Delves, plays a strategic role in helping us to plan our budgets and allocate Parish Share. The Deanery Secretary, Jill Taylor, is Churchwarden of Nedging. This is an interesting time in the Deanery, and the person appointed will have a formative role to play in helping to shape it for the future, as it is likely that there will be some pastoral reorganisation in the next few years in order to cope with the decline in clergy numbers. As a result of forward thinking on this subject, the 5 benefices of the Deanery have drawn closer together and now worship together every 5th Sunday in one of the 5 large churches across the Deanery. We also hold various social and training events together and are trying to learn from each other's skills. The person who is appointed to this post will be part of a small Chapter whose members work well together, and are open to each other's ideas. Chapter Meetings are held monthly to enhance communication between benefices and to share worship and good practice with each other. Attendance is regarded as a priority. The Deanery Synod meets 3 times a year and meetings include speakers and discussions on various subjects. These meetings are planned by the Standing Committee, which includes both clergy and lay members. The Deanery Quota Allocation Working Party meets twice a year to consider how the Parish Share should be divided between the benefices, and each parish is represented at these meetings by its Treasurer. Careful discussion takes place so that all can hear and understand the needs and struggles of the various parishes around the Deanery. Recommendations are then made to the Deanery Synod, which makes the final decision. 15
The Archdeacon's Visitation takes place in May/June and is held in a different church each year, with refreshments to follow. The clergy attend to present their Churchwardens, and many other parishioners also attend this service. THE DIOCESE OF ST EDMUNDSBURY & IPSWICH The Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich was founded in 1914 and includes the whole county of Suffolk, except for an area of North East Suffolk around Lowestoft, and one parish in the county of Essex. It serves about 631,000 people living in a geographical area of more than 1,400 square miles. Out of this population, around 20,000 identify themselves with the Church of England by being members of the church electoral roll. An average of over 14,000 attend Anglican Church activities weekly (20,000 including other denominations). Over 12,000 attend an Anglican service of worship each Sunday (18,000 including all denominations). A wide range of communities exists in the Diocese from small rural villages to urban centres such as Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket, Haverhill, Sudbury and Beccles. The region has many sites of historic interest among which are Sutton Hoo, the Saxon village at West Stow and the ruins of the old Abbey at Bury St Edmunds famously where, in 1214, the barons of England met and swore to force King John to accept the Charter of Liberties, later known as the Magna Carta. The whole county, together with its Heritage coastline, is a haven of delight for lovers of natural history. Oversight and Mission The Diocese is overseen by the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, the Right Revd. Martin Seeley, supported by the Bishop of Dunwich, the Right Revd. Dr. Mike Harrison. The Cathedral Church of St James and St Edmund, the mother church of the Diocese, has been a place of pilgrimage and tourism for centuries and remains today a focal point for the Christian faith in Suffolk. The communities of the Diocese are served by 454 parishes with 125 benefices and 18 deaneries. There are 478 church buildings, of which 457 are listed. There are around 118 stipendiary clergy and 44 self-supporting ministers, some 180 Lay Licensed Ministers, including 172 Readers and a few Licensed Lay Pastors and Local Evangelists and 570 commissioned lay assistants (Lay Elders) in the parishes. There are 88 Church of England Controlled and Aided schools in the Diocese. The Anglican churches across the Diocese seek to develop close links with other Christian denominations and to build understanding with members of other faiths. The Diocese also has close ties with churches across the world, most especially with the Diocese of Kagera in West Tanzania. For further details about the Diocese, please go to: www.cofesuffolk.org 16