The Ray Valley Benefice Profile
January 2015
Foreword by the Bishop of Dorchester and the Archdeacon of Dorchester
Unusually, this rural multi-parish benefice has two House for Duty posts arising simultaneously. The benefice has taken the decision to run the appointments process for both posts at the same time. As you will see from the following pages, they are looking for two people who can offer all the regular, priestly ministry alongside others in the Ministry Team and in collaboration with committed lay people in each community. The vision is for a benefice-wide team, working together for the mission of God while at the same time having two priests with particular responsibility for a geographical area of the benefice.
There is a delightfully diverse mixture of the traditional, the contemporary, the family-orientated, the academically-minded and even military establishment, represented in the churches here. One post is based in Charlton-on-Otmoor, the other in Islip - churches and communities with different needs and approaches. If you'd like to hear more about each of these, and their particular characteristics, please do be in touch directly with the Rector, Charles Masheder (01869-247813 or ) who will be very pleased to talk with you. He is away 23rd-27th February.
The Diocese of Oxford is encouraging all parishes to engage with the Living Faith vision (http://www.oxford.anglican.org/mission-ministry/projects/living-faith/) and find their own distinctive ways of living and sharing the love of God found in Jesus Christ. You will find elements of that vision in this benefice too, and the potential to deepen and grow the life of faith.
You may find yourself drawn more to one post than the other, or to either, but whatever the case you will find a warm welcome and the opportunity to offer ministry in a delightful part of rural Oxfordshire. We are delighted to commend it to you, as you discern the path for your own ministry and service in God's Church.
From the Area Dean: Rev’d Stephen Griffiths
The Deanery of Bicester & Islip is one of contrasts, comprising large tracts of rural Oxfordshire, the fast-expanding town of Bicester, a number of large villages equipped with schools and shops, and many smaller less well equipped communities. As in every place it is the people that make this area come alive: a mixture of locals who value their deep roots and newcomers who have arrived for work, or value the good transport links, or want to retire in pleasant surroundings. Community spirit is alive and well in our Deanery. There is a surprising amount going on even in the smallest villages.
The Deanery it is made up of five sizeable Benefices: the Bicester Team, Akeman, Cherwell Valley, Ray Valley and Shelswell Benefices and one single parish of Rousham. Clergy and lay people are learning more and more about the value of team work as we seek together to meet the needs of a growing population. Clergy coming to our Deanery will need to have a Benefice and Deanery wide perspective. You will be joining a diverse clergy chapter which includes a prison chaplain, army chaplains, and new communities minister. Our mission and ministry are also shared with ecumenical colleagues.. This is a crucial time in the life of the Deanery. We look forward to welcoming a colleague who can help shape the future of church in the Ray Valley Benefice and beyond. http://www.oxford.anglican.org/who-we-are/dorchester/deaneries/bicester-islip/
The Ray Valley Benefice
Location
The Ray Valley Benefice lies along the course of the River Ray in the eastern part of Oxfordshire. It starts at the border with Buckinghamshire and ends where the Ray joins the River Cherwell at Islip. The Ray crosses the wetlands of Otmoor, an area of historical significance and now the home of an RSPB reserve. It has the advantage of being in a rural area but within a close proximity of Oxford.
Within the benefice are eight churches, serving twelve villages. The villages are quite varied in character, although those that are situated on Otmoor have very strong ties going back over the centuries.
The churches are, overall, in a good state of repair, with restoration projects completed in several and others under way in other churches. To date, fund-raising for these projects has been very successful, with excellent support from the parishioners.
In 2014 all parishes paid their parish share in full, with one exception where there was relatively small shortfall.
The Ministry Team
The Benefice is served by, and the Rector supported by, a Ministry Team comprising of two House for Duty Priests, a Curate under training, a Licensed Lay Minister and a part-time Administrator.
The Rector is based at Ambrosden, where he occupies the Rectory adjacent to the parish church.
Students from Wycliffe Hall, Oxford and Ripon College, Cuddesdon are welcomed as part of their training.
The Ministry Team meets weekly for prayer, discussion and planning, with a business meeting once a month, preceded by Holy Communion.
There is a Benefice Treasurer and each parish provides a representative at a regular Benefice Treasurers’ Meeting.
From the Rector
It would be a real joy to meet you and to welcome you to our recruitment process. The Ray Valley has been the home of Felicity and me over 7 years and the focus of my ministry through that time. The parishes are very varied, each with its own culture and village life.
There has been a certain sense of cohesion within the Benefice within more recent years but I have always encouraged each church community to pursue their own life. Our range of services covers Holy Communion, Family Services, Evensong (with BCP) and more informal worship. We are hoping and praying for two new priests to fill our vacancies. A love of rural life and parish ministry is essential, as well as a good sense of humour!
The Pattern of Sunday Services in the Benefice
Throughout the Benefice there is a diversity of worship offered. The Ministry Team, with its range of talents, has been instrumental in delivering these services. The parishes combine for some benefice services and parishioners regularly visit other parishes for services.
Church 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
Ambrosden 10.30 10.30 10.30 10.30
Holy Communion Family Service Holy Communion Holy Communion United Benefice
18.30 Service (UBS)
The Xtra One
Merton 09.00 18.00 09.00 10.30 UBS
Holy Communion Evening Prayer Holy Communion Family Service
Piddington 10.30 08.00 18.00 09.00 UBS
Family Service Holy Communion Evening Prayer Holy Communion
Islip 10.30 08.00 10.30 08.00 UBS
Family Communion Holy Communion Family Communion Holy Communion
10.30 10.30
Family Communion Family Service
& Shortened
Communion
Noke 17.00 09.15 UBS
Family Service Holy Communion
alternate with
Woodeaton
Woodeaton 09.15 09.15 UBS
Family Service Holy Communion
alternate with
Noke
Charlton 10.30 09.00 10.30 09.00 UBS
Family Service Holy Communion Family Communion Holy Communion
18.00
Evening Prayer
Oddington 10.30 18.00 UBS
Holy Communion Evening Prayer
Murcott All Age Worship 10.30
(Methodists) Holy Communion
The Eastern part of the Benefice
St Mary the Virgin, Ambrosden
Ambrosden lies 3 miles south west of Bicester and borders on Buckinghamshire. Two major roads pass through the parish. but away from the village centre. These are the A41 Bicester to Aylesbury road and the B4011 Bicester to Thame road.
Historically most of the houses were on either side of the road to Merton. However, after the Second World War the Ministry of Defence built a large number of houses for the army personnel based at St. George’s Barracks in the nearby village of Arncott. A new phase is being entered following the departure of the resident regiment in 2014 from the military bases in Bicester area. A new regiment will be taking up residence. There are also developments under way for new private houses in the village, as well as plans for housing on military sites. The current population of the whole parish is around 3,500 but this is expected to increase substantially in the medium term.
Local children attend Five Acres Primary School in the village www.five-acres.oxon.sch.uk There are two general stores, a ladies hairdressers and a public house. The village is well served by buses, going to Bicester, Oxford and Aylesbury. The railway station at Bicester affords a regular service to London Marylebone and Birmingham.
The earliest part of the Grade 2* Church of the Virgin Mary is 12th century, with additions having been made in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. Canon Gregory Page-Turner is the patron. There is a splendid organ, built by William Hill Ltd in 1909 and rebuilt in 1973.
Originally hamlets of Ambrosden, the nearby villages of Blackthorn and Arncott are served by St Mary’s. Both formerly had non-conformist chapels.
Arncott is a small village, with houses mainly around the green. It is surrounded by military installations and is also home to H.M. Prison, Bullingdon, which lies outside the main village.
St Swithun, Merton
The village of Merton lies on either side of the Islip to Ambrosden road. It is 4 miles south of Bicester and 11 miles north west of Oxford. The parish has an acreage of 1,932, bordering on Fencott, Murcott and Charlton-on-Otmoor on one side and Ambrosden and Wendlebury on the other. It has a population of around 430.
Children of primary school age attend either Charlton-on-Otmoor Church of England School or Five Acres School, Ambrosden.
The village hall is the centre of all activities, hosting meetings and various village groups.
The Grade 1 listed Church of St. Swithun was built in the 13th and 14th century, with a major refurbishment carried out between 1865 and 1872. The Patron is Exeter College, Oxford.
The ladies of the parish are renowned for their flower arranging skills, with stunning displays in the church on special occasions.
The former Manor House within the village is now a nursing home.
St Nicholas, Piddington
Piddington, a pretty village nestling under Muswell Hill, lies 4.5 miles south east of Bicester. The parish, consisting of 2,354 acres, borders Ambrosden and Arncott on one side and the Buckinghamshire parishes of Brill and Ludgershall on the other. It has a population of around 370. There is a village hall, which hosts a range of activities.
The Grade 2* Church of St. Nicholas dates from the 13th century. It has a 14th century wall painting of St. Christopher, which was restored in 1935, and an elaborate 14th century double sedilia. The patrons are the members of the Parochial Church Council.
The Central part of the Benefice
St Mary the Virgin, Charlton-on-Otmoor
St Mary’s House
The residence of the House for Duty priest is a 5-bedroomed detached house, built in the 1970’s, in the main street of Charlton-on-Otmoor. The rear garden has a splendid view of Otmoor.
May Day at Charlton-on-Otmoor
Charlton-on-Otmoor is the largest of the Seven Towns of Otmoor, i.e. the villages situated on the moor. Together with its former hamlets of Fencott and Murcott it is renowned for the continued presence of families who have been there for centuries. There remains great pride that their ancestors took part in the riots in the 1830’s, when the moor was enclosed. In recent years a number of people employed at Oxford University and the Oxford hospitals have come to live in the villages. The population of Charlton is around 430 and the civil parish of Fencott and Murcott has a population of around 250. There is a public house at Charlton and the Nut Tree at Murcott is a Michelin starred restaurant.
The Grade 1 listed Church of St. Mary the Virgin dates from the 13th century and is listed as being in the best thousand churches in the UK. It has a splendid rood screen, dating from the 16th century. The patron is Queen’s College, Oxford.
May Day at Charlton is nationally famous, with children from the village school processing to the church with a garland of flowers, which is then hung on the rood screen. A service is followed by dancing around the maypole.
The Church of England Primary School in the village enjoys a good reputation, pupils coming from all of the nearby villages www.charltononotmoor.co.uk.
Murcott Mission Room
The Murcott Mission Room was commissioned by the Rector of Charlton in the late 19th century to provide a place of worship for members of the Church of England, in an area then dominated by non-conformists.
Holy Communion services are held on one Sunday each month, with an additional morning service for Methodist worship, reflecting the non-conformist tradition of many of the inhabitants.
St. Andrew’s, Oddington
Oddington, with a population of about 100, enjoys a peaceful location away from through traffic. Up until the 1960’s it was populated almost entirely by people engaged in agriculture. Now there are a number of professional people, working in Oxford and beyond.
The Church of St. Andrew is Grade 2* listed and dates from the 13th century. It enjoys a stunning location, overlooking Otmoor. The eminent Maori princess, Maggie Papakura, lived in the village in the 1920’s and is buried in the churchyard. Her grave is a pilgrimage for Maoris from all over the world. During her time at Oddington she commissioned a memorial to the Maoris killed in the First World War, which is unique in the world. The patron is Walsingham. www.churchofstandrewoddington.org