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This is a text-only version of an article first published on Monday, 22 February 2016. Information shown on this page may no longer be current.
WITH growing ministries to schools and to men, as well as a diverse range of churches and a host of church refurbishment projects, the Witney Deanery is an exciting place to be. The Revd Toby Wright became Area Dean two years ago, taking over from the Vicar of Carterton, the Revd Bill Blakey.
I met Toby in his rectory, near to the idyllic St Mary's Church in Witney, where he is the Team Rector.
He lives there with his wife Sally, who is also ordained and licensed to the Witney team and their two children Caspar, seven, and Felicity, four. "I came in as the Area Dean at a fun time," says Toby, who is proud of the work done by clergy and congregations in the 38 churches.
They range from urban settings like Witney and Carterton through to tiny villages in remote edges of West Oxfordshire, bordering the Gloucester Diocese. "We are quite close to Oxford but there is a distinctive West Oxfordshire feel about this deanery," he says.
"I have been fortunate that during my time as Area Dean we have had almost a full allocation of clergy.
We have got some really good and committed people who are excited about seeing the deanery flourish. "Having been a recovering deanery for many years, Toby was delighted to announce that for the last two years, it has paid its parish share in full.
"That has been down to people working together very closely.
We have an excellent assistant area dean, an excellent administrator and a great treasurer so it's a brilliant team with a standing committee. " Relationships between clergy were solidified when around 20 of them went on a three-day residential at the former Bishop's Palace in Lincoln last year. "That was important for building up fellowship and trust and one of the great things within this deanery is that while there are different theological views and spectrum of the Church of England, there is a growing willingness to encourage one another. "The Deanery Synod meetings begin with wine and refreshments for half an hour, before a Bible Study and an inspirational talk involving a positive story to encourage the members.
That is all before they get down to business.
Recently that has involved setting three strategic objectives:
1. Schools ministry
2. Men's ministry
3. Vision and Mission Action Planning, including communication and gratitude.
"We want part of our mission action planning to include being better with communication with each other and the gratitude is about celebrating what God is doing amongst us.
Without communicating what we are doing it is difficult to show gratitude for it," says Toby. The schools ministry involves working with ecumenical partners and currently there isn't a primary school in the deanery that is not regularly visited by a church representative.
"There is also some excellent work going on in our secondary schools," says Toby. The men's ministry involves prayer breakfasts and curry nights and Toby says the deanery is looking at ways of moving this into the more rural areas.
Another way that Toby has been encouraged has been church renovations and looking at how the churches can be used for mission.
"One of those has been through Street Pastors in Witney and Carterton," says Toby. Back in 2011, Princess Anne visited St Mary's, Witney, where she launched a £1. 7m re-ordering.
The 800-year-old church has now had almost every roof repaired, and once the Chancel roof is completed, it will move into the next phase.
Wood Green has also just been re-ordered and a project at Hailey is about to start. "This is a tremendous deanery," says Toby.
"I was Area Dean in my last post in Peckham, and what has struck me has been the sense of good will and support from the people around me.
I was struck by that at my commissioning service. "
Vital Statistics:
Area Dean: Toby WrightLay Chair: VacancyClergy: 18Churches: 38Benefices: 10
Bringing different traditions together
MEMBERS of St Kenelm's CofE Church have joined forces with Minster Lovell Methodist Church for joint services and prayer meetings. The Revd Paula Clifford, the Vicar of St Kenelm's, worked with the Revd Melanie Reed, of the Methodist Church, to set up a joint service every two months and a fortnightly prayer meeting. "It's a relatively small place, so it made sense for the two congregations to work together," says Paula.
"We've had a one-off Taize service as well.
"The Revd Melanie Reed, the Methodist minister, says: "From our perspective it's a wonderful time of shared fellowship and shared faith.
We bring our different traditions together and learn from each other and also spend time after the service in fellowship.
It is hugely beneficial for the local community. "
A bit of everything in Standlake
A PRAYER tree, dialogue and lively music are all part of the new all age service at St Giles Church, Standlake on the first Sunday of every month.
"We are trying to do something different to attract more young families," says the Revd Drew Tweedy, the Rector.
"On the second Sunday of the month we already have Messy Church and that's really started to catch on.
It has attracted families who don't normally come to church and we're hoping to build on that with the all age service. "Drew was speaking as he was preparing for a Lent course using Hilary Brand's book The Mystery of Everything based on the film about Stephen Hawking, The Theory of Everything.
"We are doing it on Monday mornings in the pub and in the Rectory on Wednesday evenings for people who can't make it during the day.
It will include discussions around faith and science and about overcoming disability," Drew added.
£3. 7m refurbishment for the Warwick Hall
A £3. 7m project to transform an outdated, Grade II listed church hall into a modern community building will come to fruition in Burford this summer.
The transformation project at Warwick Hall.
Andrew Butcher Four years ago the Victorian Warwick Hall was not fit for purpose, either as a hall for St John the Baptist Church, or as a town hall.
That was before work started on £3. 7m of refurbishments.
It is due to re-open with space for a growing children's Sunday Club, confidential space for counselling and prayer and offices for staff.
It will be suitable for a day centre for the elderly, for schools to use and for the town council and residents association. The Vicar of St John the Baptist Church in Burford, the Revd Richard Coombs, said: "We are hoping it will take the ministry of the church into the heart of the community and provide a facility that the community will be proud of, as well as giving us much better facilities for our own groups. "