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Location
The Benefice lies approximately 13 miles to the
north west of the county town of Ipswich, and approximately 13
miles to the east of the Cathedral town of Bury St Edmunds. Stowmarket
(pop. 15 thousand), the nearest market town, has a variety of
shops, restaurants, entertainment and sporting facilities.
There are excellent road and rail connections
from the Benefice to London, the Midlands and the North. To the
south of the Benefice there is easy access to the A14 trunk road
and the main line railway from Norwich to London Liverpool Street
stops at Stowmarket, (journey time 80 minutes).
All three parishes in the Benefice fall within
the Local Authority of Mid-Suffolk District Council.
The Churches
There are
three churches in the Benefice: The Assumption of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, Haughley; Holy Trinity, Stowupland and St Mary the
Virgin, Wetherden all of which fall under the Patronage of the
Lord Chancellor, the Bishop of St. Edmundsbury and Ipswich and
Diocesan Patronage.
Other Christian
denominations are cared for locally by the Wetherden Baptist Church;
the Stowupland URC and the Roman Catholic Church in Stowmarket.
The URC chapel in Haughley has closed recently and the URC congregation
now shares worship in Haughley Parish Church, where one service
each month follows the URC tradition.
The
Services
As well as
using the Book of Common Prayer at some services, all three churches
use Common Worship. There is a common Benefice Service Book and
all use the same Hymn Book- “Hymns Old and New.”
Church
Tradition
The Church
tradition at all three Churches is considered Central.
The
Priests
In addition
to the Incumbent, the current staffing of the Benefice is one
self-supporting minister, one part-time ordained local minister,
and one stipendiary curate, who has recently been ordained priest.
All the priests take services in all three churches in rotation
with the Vicar/Rector.
Lay involvement
in the administration of the Parishes and in the conduct of services
is encouraged. Haughley and Wetherden each have a lay elder.
The Church
Finances
All three
Churches pay their parish share in full. Priests’ expenditure
claims are also paid promptly in accordance with a Benefice formula.
The
Vacancy
All three
Churches have agreed that the Benefice needs a Priest to:
•
Lead and inspire the spiritual development of the Church in
our communities.
•
Be a biblical Shepherd who can energise and invigorate, making
the Bible relevant to modern-day life.
•
Provide with us pastoral care to all age groups and to each
village community.
•
Continue and develop with us the ecumenical partnerships in
the benefice.
•
Work with us to widen the age profile of church membership by
outreach to the middle aged (often newly retired), to young
parents, teenagers and young children.
•
Provide leadership and support to all the ministry team, and
to be a training incumbent for the newly ordained curate.
•
Lead and encourage development of the lay ministry.
•
Contribute with us positively to the community life in all three
villages.
•
Have good organisational and IT skills.
The Incumbent
must have use of a car.
In addition,
the individual parishes have identified further qualities that
would be especially helpful to them:
Haughley
• a willingness to minister to a diverse community.
• energy to strengthen and broaden the ecumenical mission
of the Church.
Stowupland
• excellent “people skills” and a good communicator.
Wetherden
• an appreciation of the joys of working in a rural parish
yet with a perception to understand its challenges.
• to act positively with the PCC to address the perceived
areas for development.
Applications
Archdeacon of Sudbury
Sudbury Lodge
Stanningfield Road
Great Whelnetham
Bury St Edmunds
IP30 0TL
Tel: 01284 386942
Email:archdeacon.david@stedmundsbury.anglican.org
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