St Ebbe's Church, Oxford

St Ebbe's is a Church of England parish church in central Oxford. The church is within the conservative evangelical tradition and participates in the Anglican Reform movement.[1] It has members from many nations, many of whom are students at Oxford University. The rector is Vaughan Roberts who is also an author and conference speaker.

St Ebbe's Church
LocationPennyfarthing Place, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 1QE
CountryEngland
DenominationChurch of England
ChurchmanshipConservative Evangelical
Websitestebbes.org
History
StatusActive
DedicationSt Ebbe
Architecture
Functional statusParish church
Administration
DioceseDiocese of Oxford
ArchdeaconryArchdeaconry of Oxford
DeaneryDeanery of Oxford
ParishOxford, St. Ebbe with Holy Trinity and St. Peter-le-Bailey
Clergy
Bishop(s)The Rt Revd Steven Croft, Bishop of Oxford
RectorThe Revd Canon Vaughan Roberts
Laity
Churchwarden(s)Alistair Cory and Suzanne Wilson-Higgins

History
Norman period west door

The church stands on the site of one dedicated to St Æbbe before 1005. Most sources suggest that this was the Northumbrian St Æbbe of Coldingham,[2] but it has been suggested that Æbbe of Oxford was a different saint. The name was first recorded in about 1005 when the church was granted to Eynsham Abbey by Ealdorman Æthelmær the Stout, when it was already recorded as the "ancient St Ebbe's".[3]

The present church was built in 1814–16. It was restored between 1862 and 1868, and again in 1904. A Norman doorway of the 12th century has been restored and placed at the west end.[4] The church is the parish church for the parish of St Ebbes, a portion of which was demolished to make way for the nearby Westgate Shopping Centre in the 1970s. The church underwent further restoration in 2017 under the direction of Quinlan Terry.[5] During this restoration some internal fittings were sold as architectural antiques.[6] The organ was transferred to St Denys, York.[7]

In 1957, the church of Holy Trinity, Blackfriars Road, was demolished having been deemed unsafe. This was merged into the present parish.[8] In 1961, the parish of St Peter-le-Bailey merged with St Ebbe upon the foundation of St Peter's College (formerly St Peter's Hall) and its use of the church as its college chapel.[9]

Present day

St Ebbe's continues to be highly active, with three meetings each Sunday at 9:45, 4:30 and 6:30, with the additional of a fourth 11:45 service during the university term. There are also a range of mid-week groups and youth work.

St Ebbe's is within the Conservative Evangelical tradition of the Church of England, and it has passed resolutions to reject the ordination of women and/or female leadership.[10] It receives alternative episcopal oversight from the Bishop of Maidstone (currently Rod Thomas).[11]

The church has a ministry among the remaining part of the parish, although most of its members live outside the parish. The church is a partner church of St Ebbe's Primary School, a school within the parish.[12]

Ministers

Rectors

Curates
  • 1816: John Penson
  • 1822-1824: William Wilson
  • 1825: Henry Bliss
  • 1826-1831: Henry Bulteel
  • 1831-1837: William Champneys
  • 1837-1842: H.B. Whitaker Churton
  • 1847-1860: G.T. Cameron
  • 1860-18??: S.Y.N. Griffith[20]
  • 1934-1936: Pat Gilliat
  • 1950-1952: Edward Saunders
  • 1952-1956: Michael Farrer
  • 1955-1958: David Pytches, later Bishop of Chile, Bolivia and Peru
  • 1957-1960: Peter Dawes
  • 1958-1960: Brian Ringrose
  • 1960-1963: Patrick Harris
  • 1961-1964: James Spence
  • 1963-1966: Anthony Baker
  • 1964-1968: Gilbert Gauntlett
  • 1966-1972: Simon Starkey
  • 1968-1971: John Wesson
  • 1971-1974: Robert Hope
  • 1973-1976: Anthony Burdon
  • 1974-1976: Peter Toon
  • 1976-1980: Robert Key
  • 1980-1983: David Banting
  • 1983-1986: Kevin Scott
  • 1988-1991: Timothy Hastie-Smith, later Director of Scripture Union (England & Wales).[21]
  • 1991-1998: Vaughan Roberts, later Rector
  • 1995-2001: David Gibb
  • 1999-2003: Anthony Jones
  • 2002–present: Pete Wilkinson
  • 2003-2008: Julian Bidgood
  • 2008-2012: Phil Jack
  • 2009–present: David Reid
  • 2010-2014: Suresh Menon
  • 2013-2018: James Fletcher
  • 2013-2017: Alistair Gibbs
  • 2017–2019: Matt Pope
  • 2017–2021: Joel Knight
  • 2021-present: Glenn Nesbitt

Non-stipendiary ministers
  • 2005-2008: Sam Allberry
  • 2012-2013: Phil Jack
  • 2015–present: James Poole
  • 2016–present: John Miller

Deacons
  • 1979-1991: Jean Ritchie
  • 1991-1993: Patricia Whelan

References
  1. "Local churches linked to Reform".
  2. Hibbert, Christopher, ed. (1988). "St Ebbe's Church". The Encyclopaedia of Oxford. Macmillan. pp. 387–388. ISBN 0-333-39917-X.
  3. Victoria County History of Oxfordshire: Medieval Oxford.
  4. Alden's Oxford Guide. Oxford; Alden; 1958; p. 125.
  5. Terry, Quinlan. "St Ebbe's". Quinlan Terry Architects. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  6. "Long Oak Simple Gothic Rood Screen from St Ebbe's, Oxford (SOLD)". Antique Church Furnishings. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  7. "Update on the St Denys Organ Project" (PDF). 1 January 2018.
  8. "Roll of Honour - Oxfordshire - Oxford, Holy Trinity". www.roll-of-honour.com. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  9. "OXFORD: ST. PETER LE BAILEY PARISH RECORDS - Archives Hub". archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  10. "Christmas 2016 Newsletter" (PDF). bishopofmaidstone.org. Bishop of Maidstone. December 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  11. Mann, Julian (17 June 2021). "St Ebbe's church minister to be ordained in the CofE". Christian Today. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  12. "Collective Worship Policy" (PDF). St. Ebbe’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School. 22 October 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  13. "Nathaniel Bliss - MacTutor History of Mathematics archive".
  14. Stacey, Vivienne. Thomas Valpy French, First Bishop of Lahore (PDF). pp. 72, 121. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  15. "John Stansfeld: Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Scheme". www.oxonblueplaques.org.uk.
  16. Townley, Peter (16 July 2007). "Obituary: The Rt Rev Maurice Wood". The Guardian.
  17. "Stella Gough: a life devoted to helping others". Oxford Mail.
  18. "Trinity Hall - Canon Keith Weston: 1926 - 2013". Archived from the original on 13 December 2013.
  19. "Doing the impossible - Evangelicals Now". www.e-n.org.uk.
  20. "Churches | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  21. Passing the baton - Scripture Union

Further reading

51°45′02″N 1°15′35″W

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