The local Church in Wales' restructure is completed last month with the arrival of the Revd Stuart Evans, formerly of Rhosllanerchrugog. He takes over as the Warden (Rector) of Rhuthun/Ruthin, after the retirement last year of the longstanding Revd Raymond Bayley.
What’s new is that Evans is responsible for St Peter's, St Meugan's *and* Ss Mwrog & Mary's.
Before, Ss Mwrog & Mary Llanfwrog was under the custody of the rector of Llanfwrog, Revd John Barden-Davies. Barden-Davies also had the ecclesiastical parishes of Y Gyffylliog and Clocaenog. With the passing of the last two to Revd Richard Carter of Ss Cynfarch & Marys Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd, all three Rhuthun town churches come together under Evans.
Barden-Davies was the first Llanelwy/St Asaph diocesan priest effectively to take early retirement in order to facilitate a restructure. It reduces the number of clerics in the Dyffryn Clwyd deanery from four to three. Henceforward, there will be priests at Rhuthun (Evans), Llanfair DC (Carter) and Llanbedr DC (Revd Phillip Chew) only.
This all makes sense from a Rhuthun viewpoint but in Rhuthun's case it won't be an easy marriage. Far from it. The two main churches of St Peter and Ss Mwrog & Mary are very different. St Peter's congregation expects a very "high" Anglican type of service. Quite the reverse at Ss Mwrog & St Mary's Llanfwrog. Indeed, the two churches reflect the historic social make-up of the town, traditionally there being a cultural divide between the two ecclesiastical parishes.
There are those in the congregation who live in one and worship in the other as befits their preference so, for them, a merger of the two will be welcomed. It will nevertheless put a strain on things for Evans as he juggles the two approaches. This must have been a difficult appointment in finding someone who was comfortable with both high and low services as, usually, a priest has a tendency towards one but not the other. Expect his respective congregations to be fiercely territorial.
There does remain one final anomaly. Any worshippers who live in Glasdir technically belong in the Rhewl ecclesiastical parish in the benefice of Llanbedr, though they would naturally migrate towards one of the Rhuthun churches, one supposes.
What’s new is that Evans is responsible for St Peter's, St Meugan's *and* Ss Mwrog & Mary's.
Before, Ss Mwrog & Mary Llanfwrog was under the custody of the rector of Llanfwrog, Revd John Barden-Davies. Barden-Davies also had the ecclesiastical parishes of Y Gyffylliog and Clocaenog. With the passing of the last two to Revd Richard Carter of Ss Cynfarch & Marys Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd, all three Rhuthun town churches come together under Evans.
Barden-Davies was the first Llanelwy/St Asaph diocesan priest effectively to take early retirement in order to facilitate a restructure. It reduces the number of clerics in the Dyffryn Clwyd deanery from four to three. Henceforward, there will be priests at Rhuthun (Evans), Llanfair DC (Carter) and Llanbedr DC (Revd Phillip Chew) only.
This all makes sense from a Rhuthun viewpoint but in Rhuthun's case it won't be an easy marriage. Far from it. The two main churches of St Peter and Ss Mwrog & Mary are very different. St Peter's congregation expects a very "high" Anglican type of service. Quite the reverse at Ss Mwrog & St Mary's Llanfwrog. Indeed, the two churches reflect the historic social make-up of the town, traditionally there being a cultural divide between the two ecclesiastical parishes.
There are those in the congregation who live in one and worship in the other as befits their preference so, for them, a merger of the two will be welcomed. It will nevertheless put a strain on things for Evans as he juggles the two approaches. This must have been a difficult appointment in finding someone who was comfortable with both high and low services as, usually, a priest has a tendency towards one but not the other. Expect his respective congregations to be fiercely territorial.
There does remain one final anomaly. Any worshippers who live in Glasdir technically belong in the Rhewl ecclesiastical parish in the benefice of Llanbedr, though they would naturally migrate towards one of the Rhuthun churches, one supposes.
Tags:
Worship