Parish Profile The United Benefice of: Barlavington, Burton with Coates, and Sutton with Bignor Burton Church Overview Page 2 The churches and ministry Page 3 The local area and amenities Page 7 The rectory and other information Page 9
Overview A priest is needed for a rural parish with five small Grade I listed ancient churches in the South Downs National Park, just south of Petworth in West Sussex. The position will suit someone of a sincere faith who is happy to continue our tradition of a simple style of worship. The parish is well organised with three PCCs, well maintained buildings and reasonably sound finances. Parish life is integrated into the local community of 521 people. The four bedroomed rectory is located in Sutton village, which has a thriving Horticultural Society, WI, village hall and pub. The area is excellent for walking. Pulborough Station has regular trains to London Bridge and Victoria. Burton Simplified parish map. With thanks to streetmap.co.uk. 2
The churches and ministry The Benefice The Benefice is in the Deanery of Petworth and the Diocese of Chichester. The Rural Dean is Revd David Twinley BTh MA, based in Bury. The Archdeacon is the Venerable Roger M Combes LLB and the Bishop of Horsham is The Right Reverend Mark Sowerby BD AKC MA. The benefice comprises five rural churches with three parochial church councils: Barlavington Burton with Coates; Sutton with Bignor. Coates Church The three PCCs have distinct structures and meetings, but are holding some joint benefice meetings during the vacancy. The electoral rolls include 124 people compared with a total population of 521. There are six church wardens; two at Sutton and one at each of the other churches. The churches are kept open for visitors. Ministry Revd David Brown is retiring in January 2014 following 6 years of ministry. The congregation and local population reflect rural traditions and values. The Priest-in-Charge will need to be a person of sincere faith, happy to continue our tradition of a simple style of worship. Services A rotating pattern of services keeps worship alive at all churches: Week Services 1 st Sunday 8am Sutton; 10am Coates (Communion) 2 nd Sunday 10am Sutton (Communion) 3 rd Sunday 8am Sutton; 10am Burton (Communion); 1130am Barlavington (Matins) 4 th Sunday 8am Sutton; 10am Bignor (Communion) 5 th Sunday 8am Sutton; 10am Barlavington (Communion) 3
Special services also rotate: Easter day (Sutton); Harvest Festival (Barlavington); Christingle (Bignor); Carol service (Burton); Midnight mass (Sutton); Christmas Day (Coates). The 10am Communion uses its own order of service booklet and includes singing of hymns. Most services are followed by coffee. The 8am service uses the Book of Common Prayer and there are no hymns. There is no separate provision for children. There has been no evensong service for several years due to low attendance. Attendance at Sunday services averages 30 people. Music Each church has an organ and we are fortunate to have an organist to cover services. Hymns are sung to a traditional organ accompaniment. At present there is no choir. Baptisms, weddings, funerals and other services Between 2008 and 2013 there have been 25 baptisms, 17 weddings, 12 funerals and 13 internments of ashes. The priest also takes a service each month at Barlavington Manor, a local residential care home. The mission of the benefice: To offer appropriate worship in a dignified manner, accessible to the current congregation and to those who have not yet participated; To minister to the sick, the elderly and others who, for whatever reason, may be unable to come to their parish church for services; To face the challenge of engaging with all persons in the benefice and to support and promote social harmony; To have an open mind to the modern demands of both the faithful and the not so faithful in relation to Church worship; To make all residents aware of the need for financial support to maintain an active ministry and pastoral care within the benefice. Bignor Church is well suited for public events 4
Church buildings All churches are Grade I listed and originate from the 11 th or 12 th centuries. Detailed information about each church can be found in http://www.sussexparishchurches.org Barlavington St Mary s: Churchwarden Joy Mayes. Bignor Holy Cross: Churchwarden James Patrick. Burton: St Richard: Churchwarden Chris Hubbard. Coates St Agatha s: Church warden: Alex Hill-Smith. Sutton: St John the Baptist: Churchwardens: Anthea Pratt & Dr Ben Sheldon. Sutton Church: the largest in the benefice. Barlavington Church Finances The diocesan contribution from the benefice has tripled over the last 15 years and currently amounts to 80% of the costs allocated by the diocese. Raising income is a challenge with such a small population, but giving per head is amongst the highest in the diocese and a fundraising campaign in 2011 generated new and increased covenants. The congregation uses Gift Aid envelopes to boost Sunday collections. A variety of fund raising social events are also used to supplement income and to generate funds for major repairs. The 100 Club was formed some 8 years ago and splits income equally between the Churches and prize money. This contributes just under 7,000p.a. 5
Outreach to the local community The monthly Village News booklet, which is distributed to all homes in the parish, contains details of all church services and The Parson s Piece at the front provides an opportunity to connect directly with all parishoners. The 100 Club, which reaches out to all in the community, holds the monthly draw in the White Horse pub and is a popular social event Shopham Bridge over the River Rother Some church events are aimed at a wider audience, including mothering Sunday services and an annual nativity play and Christmas party for children aged ten and under. Fund raising social events are well attended by the local community. The biggest event is the Church Fete, held every other year at Bignor Park, a local country estate. The annual quiz, with dinner, is also widely supported. An annual village Christmas lunch, cooked by men of the parish, has grown in popularity, having started a few years ago. In the past, Bignor Church has been used for public events, including major weed and flower festivals every second year and many theatrical performances. The Benefice supports the work of charity Family Support Work, a Sussex charity that has been working with vulnerable families since 1890. A benefice website is planned. Currently, some information is available via the Church of England website http://www.achurchnearyou.com View from Barlavington Church to the South Downs Lombard Street, Petworth 6
The local area and amenities The mosaics at Bignor Roman Villa are among the best in Britain The benefice is situated a few miles south of the old market town of Petworth, known for its many antique shops and historic buildings. Petworth has a good range of shops, including a Co-Op supermarket, a newsagent, bakers, delicatessen, book shop, hardware store, clothing shops, a bank and several cafes, pubs and restaurants. There are general medical practice health centres in both Petworth and Pulborough and there are local dental surgeries. The closest hospital is St Richard s in Chichester. There are no schools in the benefice, but several good local primary schools in nearby Fittleworth, Petworth, Duncton and Bury; both Duncton and Bury are CofE schools. There are Senior Schools at Midhurst (Midhurst Rother College) and Chichester (Bishop s Luffa CofE). There are several private preparatory schools nearby and Seaford College takes pupils through to A Level. Most houses are privately owned, but some are available to rent from the Chichester Housing Trust and the Barlavington Estate. There are a number of second home owners. The area is served by a network of quiet single track minor roads that help maintain the rural tranquility. 7
The main economic activity is agriculture, supplemented by extensive planting of grape vines. Tourism is also important and the area is included in the recently created South Downs National Park, with its many footpaths, bridleways and the long distance South Downs Way which runs along the southern edge of the benefice. The area offers convenient access to Petworth Park, Goodwood, Cowdrey Park, Parham, Fontwell and the cathedral towns of Chichester and Guildford, both of which are within half an hour s drive and contain excellent theatres and shopping. Bignor Roman Villa within the parish contains well preserved remains of a substantial villa including some of the best mosaics to be found in Britain. Sutton has numerous secular organisations, many of which meet in the Village Hall. In particular, there is a Horticultural Society, which stages two flower shows a year. The Womens Institute meets regularly through the year and has a regular programme of events. Local views of the South Downs, Burton Mill Pond and the 15 th century Yeoman s House in Bignor 8
The rectory and other information The rectory is situated close to the Church in Sutton (Postcode RH20 1PS). It is a very comfortable detached four bedroom house with a large garden. On the ground floor there is a large fully fitted kitchen, family sitting room, dining room and a large study by the front door. There is also a double garage. Contact for further information: Chris Hubbard, Church Warden for Burton Church: hubbard@owlswyck.co.uk 9