We’re looking for a new Vicar……….

...and we’re a lively bunch, so why not come and join us?

So, where exactly are we?

In the heart of rural Herefordshire

… but not too far off the beaten track

Between Hereford and Leominster

- each with railway connections

An hour from Worcester and Gloucester

An hour and a half from Birmingham,

Bristol and Cardiff

- all with international airports

Herefordshire is well known for hosting the Three Choirs festival, for the Hay festival, HArt festival, as

well as cider, strawberries, cows, black and white buildings, the Mappa Mundi, tight knit communities and

so much more!!

Our Mission in this corner of Herefordshire

Can you help us to achieve our aims?

There are six Churches in our Group, sharing one common goal

– to reach out to everyone in our communities with the hand

of friendship led by the Christian faith that compels us.

The Parishes of Birley, Canon Pyon, King’s Pyon and Wellington

all lie within the lovely Herefordshire countryside but have the

city of Hereford and market town of Leominster both within

easy reach for shopping and higher education as well as

employment. Whilst each Parish includes some isolated

properties , the Group is not in an isolated area - the villages

of Wellington and Canon Pyon having thriving facilities

including village shops and Post Offices as well as primary

schools. We may be disparate in our choice of worship style

and indeed in the historic buildings in which we worship, but we

strive to maintain a close bond which we trust will be

strengthened still further by this appointment. We are proud

of our traditional values but eager to embrace new ideas to

help to develop our mission.

Each of our Churches has identified the clear need to address

the issues which arise from an ageing population (one of the

characteristics of Herefordshire) – as well as influencing the

number of regular worshippers. This brings additional pastoral

responsibilities, something that as a Group we take very

seriously in our support for our Vicar. We are fortunate that

in both main villages, new housing development has the

potential to provide the opportunity for growth of the

worshipping community and bring in a more mixed

demographic. Just to clarify the four parishes/six churches

scenario, Canon Pyon also encompasses Westhope Church

with its hugely popular ‘Messy Church’ for youngsters and

within King’s Pyon there is a mission chapel at Ledgemoor.

Fundraising is of course a continual (sometimes uphill!)

struggle but by using our Church buildings creatively, we seek

not only to encourage fund raising but also to increase our

income and strengthen our ties with the local communities.

The big advantage of such projects is that they bring many

people into our buildings who might not otherwise come

through our doors – and when they do we want them to feel

the warmth of the welcome and embrace the spirituality

within.

On a practical note, our vicarage is close to the village

amenities of Canon Pyon which places it central to all six

Churches; purpose-built in 1990, it is a four-bedroom family

home set in a large garden with the advantage of a study

which can be approached directly from the outer hall, without

impinging on the remainder of the house.

The Parish of St Peter, Birley

St Peter’s serves a community stretching from Stretford to

Bush Bank, east to Aulden and includes Knapton and Birley

itself.

The Church has a reputation for welcoming Christian

worshippers of all denominations. There are regular services in

the church, supplemented by special services. Each year a

Carols by Candlelight service is traditionally held, which

always attracts a ‘full house’, as does the annual Christmas

morning Holy Communion service. Easter Day is always well

attended, as are the occasional fifth Sunday Group

Communion services.

The liturgical tradition of St Peter’s has been to use Book of

Common Prayer, which is preferred by the congregation.

St Peter’s is a beautiful Grade I listed Church; people have

worshipped in this place for 800 years. It is in a very peaceful

location in the centre of Birley village.

.

The Churchyard is well maintained and kept mown by a local

resident. A contribution is

received from the Parish Council towards maintenance.

The Church is working with Birley and Upper Hill Parish Council

to establish a parish website. This site will carry Church news

and information about forthcoming services and special

events. This information is also published in the Pyonear, the

local monthly magazine covering the wider Pyons area.

St Peter’s has always paid its parish share in full, and plans to

continue to meet its obligations. It is hoped that future

attendance, donations and fundraising activities will support

the continued financial viability of the parish.

Our warm and welcoming congregation encourages new

members and it is expected that the church will be loved and

used by generations to

come

An introduction to the Parish of St Lawrence, Canon

Pyon

We have two places of worship, the parish church of St

Lawrence in Canon Pyon, and the chapel of ease of St Francis

in Westhope. They are quite different, but complement each

other.

This is an engaged and inclusive community, and whilst many

parishioners may only be in church on high days and holidays,

they feel strongly about their churches and view the vicar as

a valued member of the community. Many families still want

to come to their home church for weddings and baptisms, and

choose it as their final resting place.

The church community tries to be accessible and relevant,

proclaiming the Gospel through actions as much as words.

Regular worship is liberal catholic in liturgical terms, with both

BCP and CW being used with friendly informality. Easter,

Christmas, Harvest and Remembrance are always celebrated

by a much wider circle. In Lent study groups, services of

Compline and a Eucharist with of Imposition ashes take place.

During Holy Week there are dramatic readings of the Passion

and an Agape Passover meal on Maundy Thursday – though we

don’t necessarily manage the four glasses of wine specified!

Over Easter weekend a (16 miles!) walk is held, taking in all

the churches in the Group and remembering the Stations of

the Cross en route.,

As a rural community

Plough Sunday,

Rogation Sunday

(including beating the

bounds) Lammas and

Harvest Festival all lend

themselves to special

worship and celebrations.

The wider community is

engaged through events like Ride and Stride, a much enjoyed

progressive supper, the St Lawrence Friendship Club, which

supports the older members of the villages, church concerts

deploying local talent – and of course, the fete. St Francis in

Westhope doubles as a community hub, providing warm space

and useful facilities for everything from coffee mornings to

quizzes.

Members of the congregation offer a wide range of lay

support to the parish, acting as leaders of worship, serving at

the altar, leaders of intercession, and sacristans – as well as

all the organ playing, flower arranging, cleaning and other

essentials. The PCC is active and supportive of both

maintenance of the parish assets and growing the mission of

the Church.

The community is a caring one – the sick and elderly are well

supported and people would surely be identified as practising

their faith through support for their neighbours.

Canon Pyon is a growing village. There are currently some 65

new homes being built, with more planned and the Church

community will extend a warm welcome to newcomers. It is

encouraging to see growth in the population, particularly as a

good number of young families are expected, which will help

sustain our school.

Our parish is closely engaged with the

village Church of England primary

academy. The Vicar has regularly led

weekly school assemblies in the school,

and conducted school services in Church

for Easter and Christmas. The PCC

appoints a Foundation Governor and the

Vicar is an ex officio Governor. The

children are engaged in the ‘Open the

Book’ programme under the leadership of

lay members of the congregation and

parents.

Messy Church has become a

popular and well-attended feature

of Church life over the past18

months, with up to 20 children

plus parents attending monthly

gatherings in St Francis’ Church.

The parish of Canon Pyon is about 6.5 miles north of the city

of Hereford on the A4110. The parish consists of the village

of Canon Pyon and the hamlet of Westhope, which lies about 1

mile east of the A4110 and north of Canon Pyon. There are

regular, if infrequent, buses to both Hereford and Leominster

from Canon Pyon.

In Canon Pyon the majority of the population live within the

village “hub”, close to the village amenities. There are a number

of farms and cottages around the minor roads. In Westhope

there is a core of dwellings within the village itself and a large

number of renovated cottages scattered along the numerous

tracks which lead up the steep hillside to an area of open

common land of some 120 acres.

There are good facilities in Canon Pyon, including a thriving

Post Office and Stores, Parish Hall, Playing Fields and a public

house, with tea room. There is also a public house and

restaurant at Bush Bank, a mile away. The parish hall is well

used and hosts many local activities. The playing fields have a

small children’s play area and zip wire, full-sized football pitch,

cricket pitch, and a hard surface area for tennis, basketball

and five-a–side football.

The closest secondary school is at Weobley, some 5 miles

away, served by a school bus. There are also good secondary

schools in Hereford, including two church schools and, in the

private sector, Hereford Cathedral School takes children

from 3 to 18 years.

St Lawrence’s Church

The Grade I listed parish

church is about half a mile

out of the village. It is an

ancient building, dating in

parts from the mid 13th

century. It is in excellent

condition, having been

extensively restored and

repaired. It has a small

kitchen area but currently no

toilet facilities. It is well

heated! The sturdy tower contains a peal of 6 bells, all in good

order, having been re-cast in 1981. The bells are rung

periodically according to the availability of ringers. New

ringers are currently being trainedThe organ is also in good

order and is used regularly for services and practices. The

church is open during daylight hours to encourage visitors and

private prayer. The churchyard is well maintained.

St Francis, Westhope

This is a small corrugated

iron building – a tin tabernacle

- lined with wood, built in

1888. The church is in the

middle of the hamlet and is

also used as a meeting room

by the PCC and as a

community facility. The

building is in a good state of

repair and has a modern

electric heating system, a

small kitchen and a loo.

The Parish of St Mary the Virgin, King’s Pyon

The quiet and peaceful parish of King’s Pyon lies in a rolling and

partly wooded landscape. The parish also includes the hamlet

of Ledgemoor, which has a mission

chapel. Although King's Pyon used to

have its own Village Hall this was

demolished some years ago, and

thus the church itself is now the

focus of community activities, in

addition to the scheduled

services. There is no shop or school

within the parish and no buses serve

the community. Local farms are engaged in producing cider

apples and soft fruit crops, and rearing sheep and

cattle. King’s Pyon was the home of the Tomkins family,

internationally known for breeding the original Hereford cattle

and there is a herd in the area. The parish is served by the

Pyons Parish Council which includes Canon Pyon.

The population of the parish is about 250, some of whom are

employed in agriculture and associated rural

industries. Others travel locally to work or work at

home. There are

families with preschool

aged children, single

people, working couples

and those who have

retired. All newcomers to

the area are made most

welcome by the church

and local community

Our Grade 1 listed

church dates back before

the Norman era, and is

listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. The inside of roof of

the nave and south transept date from the 14th century

and have a magnificent two-tiered structure of black

trefoiled headed wind-braces to each slope, in sharp contrast

to the limewashed ceiling. The Victorian addition of the north

transept displays our Norman font. Significantly, this space

has now been refurbished to serve as our communal area. The

church completed its recent restoration project at the end

of 2017, to address the needs of the last Quinquennial

Report, and which was principally funded by the Heritage

Lottery Fund. This followed

other restoration PCC

projects to restore the

Tower, and Save the Nave and

roof of the church. The tower

dates from the 14th

century, in which hang five

bells from the early 17th

century, and are rung

frequently by enthusiastic

campanologists. The tower

clock, which chimes the hour, was installed in 1872.

Our PCC is small but stable

and energetic, promoting a

wide range of activities to

attract community

involvement and raise

funds for the church. The

parish is both solvent and

financially independent and

able to pay its Parish

Share. Weekly collections,

the Summer Fete, Baking

Competitions, St Nicholas

Fairs, Pudding Quizzes, and concerts and recitals assist. The

parish monthly Bingo also provides a social and financial

benefit, and has been running for about twenty years. Linking

the Pyons group of parishes is the Pyonear magazine which

adds to a sense of cohesion and identity within the area.

Other communal activities

include churchyard

maintenance developing the

balance between a neatly kept

garden and a sanctuary for

wildlife, especially bats and

swifts. The newly

refurbished North Transept

houses a second-hand

community book shop, and is

essential for community

gatherings after services and,

in the absence of a village hall,

for our bring- and-buy sales,

talks, concerts exhibitions,

and entertainment. It is

perfect for christenings

around the Norman font. Ride

and Stride is a regular event in the church calendar.

There are 28 people on our

Electoral Roll with an

approximate average

attendance of about 18 people

for a Communion Service and 11

for Matins. The church has an

enthusiastic and well-

supported choir and organists

at all its services. There are lay

members of the church keen to

lead services when required.

Saint Margaret of Antioch, Wellington

Warm, welcoming Wellington

That was the message we received from parishioners at the

initial consultation meeting which began the process of

finding our new Vicar. Warm in our welcome to everyone who

lives in our Parish, whether they are regular worshippers or

not and warm in every sense of the word as the Church has a

modern heating system which works well! There is a huge

sense of community pride; we all care for one another and look

out for our neighbours and those in need of support at

difficult times.

An exciting opportunity

This vacancy provides us with new impetus to grow our

congregation and spread the work of God to all corners of the

Parish, which by its very

nature is widespread with

some isolated pockets.

The arrival in the Autumn

of a new Head at the

County Primary School

opposite the Church

should enable us to form

new relationships there,

building on the work that

has already been done. We

see outreach as being a

fundamental role for us all,

supporting our new Vicar in his or her pastoral care.

We describe our worshipping tradition as ‘modern Catholic’,

with vestments worn for Holy Communion and we maintain

the tradition of the Reserved Sacrament for the sick. Details

of our service pattern are on the accompanying ‘fact sheet’;

we have a team of 11 enthusiastic lesson readers and some

members of the congregation are licensed administrators of

the Chalice.

About the Parish

St Margaret’s, a Grade I listed building,

stands in a prominent position at the

heart of the village. Despite our

proximity to the A49 trunk road (which

provides excellent transport links),

Wellington is fiercely protective of its

village status. We have an adopted

Neighbourhood Development Plan which

provides for modest, controlled housing

growth over the next 15 years. In the

last five years, over 30 homes have

been built on two new developments

bringing fresh faces and new opportunities to our community.

One historic claim to fame is that Benjamin Tomkins the Elder

lived at Wellington Court. The family were instrumental in

changing the characteristics of plough oxen through breeding

into what we know today as the white-faced Hereford

domestic cattle. There are any number of historical facts we

could recount but this document is about our future!

Getting on with things

We are especially good at organising special events and know

how to put the FUN into FUND raising. Tickets usually sell out

quickly when there is an excuse to get together, such as a

Parish lunch or Pate and Plonk evening. Our parishioners are

hugely supportive of our fund-raising efforts – an appeal to

restore the bells a few years ago resulted in a heart-warming

response! We are embarking on the first phases of an

ambitious project to re-order the West End to provide more

useable space for village activities, so opening our doors to an

audience we may not have had before. We believe that once

we can get people to make an effort to cross the threshold,

there is more likelihood that they may join us in worship! Our

Church is open during daylight hours for those who want to

take a quiet moment of prayer or reflection or who simply

want to look around.

We are ready to meet the challenges that this change of

Vicar will bring - to explore ways of working closer with our

sister Churches in the Group for joint activities, to

investigate how social media might help us reach out to

younger members of our Parish, and to expand the lay

leadership of worship.

More about the community

Wellington is an active, accessible and inclusive community as

the website will show you – www.wellingtoncommunity.co.uk.

There are volunteers active in many

areas of village life with much going on –

we are fortunate to have excellent

community halls opposite St Margaret’s

with sports fields beyond hosting

football, tennis, archery and bowls.

Myriad clubs and associations use the

community halls which is where many of

our Church events are also held. We’re

fortunate in having a newly refurbished

pub/restaurant and a thriving shop and

Post Office. Volunteers also run a

community library. There is an independent evangelical Chapel

in the centre of the village. Newcomers to the village are

always welcomed by the churchwardens with a welcome

letter, a service plan, a little of the history of the

surroundings and a Parish Magazine.

The Statistics

† No Weddings in King’s Pyon due to major works project

* Includes a ‘one-off’ donation for a spoecific purpose

All stats give only a snapshot, and don’t reflect recent changes—legacies, wedding bookings etc. Be sure to ask!

2017 financial statements are being audited as we prepare this document.

Community Birley Canon Pyon King’s Pyon Ledgemoor Wellington Westhope

Population 250 275 125 125 1100 260

Electoral Roll 17 43 28 In KP 56 In CP

Average Church

Attendance

13 17 12 - 18 10 25 15

Easter Service

Attendance

19 68 30 N/A 41 N/A

Christmas Service

Attendance

28 89 46 N/A 28 16

2017 Baptisms 0 2 2 0 8 0

2017 Confirmations 0 0 0 0 0 0

2017 Weddings 2 1 2 0 1 0

2017 Funerals 0 1 0† 0 4 0

Income 2016 £6.9k £34.3k £25.6k In KP £51k* In CP

Expenditure 2016 £7.9k £36.4k £26.9k In KP £37k In CP

Nett Assets 2016 £12.8k £70.5k £29.2k In KP £23k In CP

Parish Share in full ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

The Worship Pattern

A typical worship programme of ‘routine’ services for a month is shown

A combined Group Eucharist takes place at 10.30 am in months where there is a fifth Sunday—in rotation

There is a said Eucharist in Wellington each Friday morning at 9.30am

Messy Church takes place in Westhope once a month in term-time

Special or additional services are announced separately

First Sunday Second Sunday

Third Sunday Fourth Sunday

Canon Pyon 11:00 Family

Eucharist

CW

11:00 Matins

BCP

Lay led

8:30 Holy

Communion

BCP

6:30 Evensong

BCP

King’s Pyon 9:45 Holy

Communion

BCP

9:45 Matins

BCP

Lay led

9:45 Holy

Communion

BCP

9:45 Matins

BCP

Lay led

Birley 3:30 Evensong

BCP

11:00 Holy

Communion

BCP

Westhope 9:45 Family

Eucharist

CW

9:45 Family

Eucharist

CW

Ledgemoor 6:30 Evensong

BCP

Wellington 11:00 Morning

Praise

CW

Lay led

11:00 Eucharist

CW

11:00 Family

Service

CW

11:00 Eucharist

CW