Interregnum News

7 May 2016 - Annoucement of new Rector Revd Robert Thewsey

The Rt. Revd. Timothy Thornton, Bishop of Truro and the Rt. Revd. Colin Fletcher. Bishop of Dorchester, have pleasure in announcing the appointment of the Revd. Robert Sydney Thewsey as the new Rector of the benefice of Shiplake with Dunsden and Harpsden-cum-Bolney, in the Diocese of Oxford.
Robert will be licenced at 7.30pm, 15th September at Shiplake Church.

May 2016 - Appointment Made

The Benefice of Shiplake with Dunsden and Harpsdem Cum Bolney is deligted to confirm that we are making an appointment but that the name won't be public until June.

4 May 2016 - Interview Day

Four candidtates attended the interview day which consisted of

Eucharist at St Margaret’s
Visit to Rectory
Two Sets of Interviews
Visit to Shiplake Primary School
Discussion with clergy team
Lunch

25 April 2016 - Shortlisting Meeting

Today we have had our shortlisting meeting.and have a good shortlist.

20 April 2016 - Closing Date of Application

Today is the closing date for application for the position of Rector. We have had a positive response with a number of applications.

3 March 2016 - Benefice Profile Live On Diocesan Website

Benefice profile is now available on the diocesan website

1 March 2016 - Benefice Profile Completed

All comments made in the Section 12 meeting have been applied to the Benefice (Parish) profile and sent to the PA to the Bishop of Dorchester for inclusion on the diocesan website. Approval given for the profile to be made available today on the benefice webiste at https://www.shiplakedunsdenharpsden.org.uk/documents/2016-SDH-Parish-Profile.pdf

27 February 2016 - Advert for Church Times Finalized

The following advert was approved by both PCCs and sent today to the PA to the Bishop of Dorchester

RECTOR, Benefice of Shiplake with Dunsden & Harpsden- cum- Bolney, (Shiplake

2 miles, Harpsden one mile and Dunsden 5 miles from Henley on Thames) https://www.shiplakedunsdenharpsden.org.uk/

What we offer:

. three beautiful, well maintained churches

. three friendly, committed and welcoming congregations

. our willingness to get better at what we do

. a highly desirable and modern Rectory

. secretarial support

. excellent local schools

. good road and rail links to London and surrounding counties

What we would love to be offered is:

. your warmth, energy and vision for our spiritual growth

. your engagement with our styles of worship both traditional and more family oriented

. your collaborative encouragement and direction to develop our potential for outreach and community relations

. your support, ideas and pastoral inspiration

. your caring leadership

23 February 2016 - Section 12 Meeting Held

The section 12 meeting was held on 23rd February 2016 7.30pm at Shiplake Church Hall. The parish profile was reviewed in the presence of

Bishop Colin Fletcher Acting Bishop of Oxford and the current area Bishop of Dorchester,
Revd Kevin Davies the Area Dean of Henley.
Members of the PCCs from both Shiplake with Dunsden and Harpsden cum Bolney.

3 February 2016 - Documentation Sent to +Bishop and Patrons

Following information has been sent to +Bishop and Patrons and confirmed as received by the Bishop of Dorchester's office

The Parish (Benefice) Profile
The completed Section 11 Form 34 identifying our 4 representatives
The minutes of our Section 11 meeting plus attachments

1 February 2016 - Parish Profile Changes Completed

All changes minuted in the section 11 meeting have been applied to the Parish (Beneifce) profile ready to be shared with +Bishop and Patrons,

27 January 2016 - Section 11 Meeting Held

The section 11 meeting was held on 27th January 7.30pm at Shiplake Church Hall.

The parish profile was reviewed and approved subject to minuted changes that were agreed during the meeting
Choice of Representatives. All PCC members were given the chance prior to the meeting to nominate themselves if they wished to be considered to be a representative and on the interview panel. None came forward so the Benefice representatives are the current Church Wardens.
It was hoped that our Patrons, Dean and Cannons of Windsor and All Souls Oxford would advertise the vacancy. The Benefice will offer to pay reasonable costs. All members agreed.

18 January 2016 - Parish Profile

The church wardens are currently preparing the parish (benefice) profile which will be shared at the Section 11 meeting for approval. A draft copy of the profile will be distributed to all PCC members a week before the meeting to allow time for feedback.

16 January 2016 - Confirmation of Dates from the Bishop of Dorchester office

The Bishop of Dorchester's Office has confirmed that the dates of the key stages to recruit a new incumbent will be as follows:-

Section 12 Meeting - 7.30pm 23rd February 2016 – This is arranged locally and is open to all members of the PCCs
Advertise - 4th & 11th March 2016 – Final advertisement by 12 noon 25th February 2016
Closing Date - 20th April 2016
Short-Listing - 7.30pm 25th April – venue to be arranged locally
Interviews - Wednesday 4th May 2016.

14 January 2016 - Benefice Section 11 Meeting Confirmed For 27 January 2016

A section 11 meeting has been arranged for 27th January 2016 where both Shiplake with Dunsden and Harpsden PCCs will meet to

prepare and agree a statement (sometimes called a Section 11 Statement and commonly called the Benefice/Parish Profile) describing the conditions, needs & traditions of the parish
appoint 2 lay members to each PCC to act as representatives (thus a total of 4) of the council in connection with the selection new incumbent
Decide whether to ask the Patron to advertise the vacancy

14 December 2015 - Vacancy Papers to be issued by the Registry on 4th January 2016

PA to the Bishop of Dorchester, Carolyn Jupe has informed the Church Wardens that the vacancy papers are being issued by the Registry on 4th January 2016. We have been informed that the Section 11 meeting will then need to take place within 4 weeks of this date with the meeting likely to take place either week commencing 18th or 25th January 2016. Details of the actual date will be shared shortly.

The Section 12 meeting which needs to take place within 6 weeks of the Section 11 Meeting it likely to take place on either Tuesday 23rd February 2016 or Wednesday 24th February 2016 based on Bishop Colin’s availability.

Assuming these meetings are held around the times stated Carolyn has suggested the following timetable of events:

Advertise: 4th & 11th March
Closing Dat: 20th April
Shortlisting: Evening of Monday 25th April or Wednesday 27th April
Interviews: Wednesday 4th May 2016

22 October 2015 - Benefice Of Shiplake, Dunsden and Harpsden formally in Interregnum

Following the licensing service for Rev'd Paul Bradish on 22nd October 2015 at Kings Worthy and Headbourne Worthy parish in Hampshire the benefice of Shiplake Dunsden and Harpsden is now in a temporary period of being without a Rector, known as Interregnum (“between reigns”)

The legal responsibility for the Church will now rest with the Church Wardens supported by the Shiplake with Dunsden and Harpsden PCCs.

26 September 2015 - Service Pattern Changes from 4.10.2015

As you know we are shortly to begin an interregnum—the official term for the period between one incumbent leaving and a new one being installed. I am pleased to say that the Churchwardens, PCCs, Clergy Team and I have worked hard to make sure that you are resourced and ready for the transition as much as you can be.

With that in mind, the PCCs and Clergy have reviewed the current service pattern in the light of what resources will be available during the interregnum and have made the following decisions to suspend certain services until a new Rector is installed and resources can be considered and deployed going forward. The following services will be suspended as of 4th October 2015:

Fortnightly 08.00am Holy Communion at both Harpsden and Shiplake on the 1st and 3rd Sundays.
The monthly midweek 10.00am Holy Communion at Harpsden on the second Wednesday of the month.
The monthly Benefice Choral Evensong at 5.00pm on the first Sunday of the month alternating between Shiplake and Harpsden.

Whilst this may seem disappointing these are services that attract small congregations and perhaps they can be revived once the new Rector is installed. They have not been cancelled, merely suspended in the hope that they will re-start at some future point.

Rev Paul Bradish

1 September 2015

Rev Paul Bradish, the rector of Shiplake, Harpsden and Dunsden will shortly be moving to Kings Worthy and Headbourne Worthy parish in Hampshire, which is part of the Winchester diocese.

As of 22 October 2015, The the united benefice of Shiplake, Dunsden and Harpsden will be undergoing a period of interregnum and will be managed in the interim by the Church Wardens in conjunction with the Parochial Church Council.

This page of our benefice website is intended to keep you updated in our search for a new rector.

Rev Bradish’s final benefice service will be at the Church of St Peter and St Paul on September 27 at 10am.