The United Parish of
Whitby with Ruswarp
Thank you for your interest in the post of Rector of Whitby with Ruswarp.
Whitby is a place with a wonderful Christian history, and at first sight it can seem quaint with its
Abbey ruins, quaysides and alleyways. There are reminders of Whitby’s heritage everywhere. If you
are called to be the next Rector of Whitby with Ruswarp, you will need to appreciate the best of
what former generations have handed to us: but your task will not be to let the church live in the
past, or trade on it.
It will be your responsibility to help your parishioners see that the Good News of Jesus Christ can
constantly re-shape their lives, and the love of Christ can reach them in times of joy and sorrow. You
will need to be able to recognise the parish’s opportunities and challenges, devote time and energy
into knowing its folk and being known by them, discern appropriate ways of ministering to visitors,
be ready to take a key part in inspiring young people to reach their potential, and lead people
creatively into the future. It will be important to take account of the changing economic and social
context that Whitby shares with other northern coastal towns that are situated some distance from
any big city.
In order to do this, you must be a person for whom prayer and worship are central to your whole
being: a priest who is excited by our shared aspiration in the Diocese of York to see growth in
Christlikeness, commitment, partnership, influence and numbers.
If you come to serve in Whitby with Ruswarp, you will have the privilege of ministering in a
wonderful community, with areas of stunning natural beauty all around.
The following pages have been compiled by the Parochial Church Council. If you would like to have
an informal conversation about the post, please feel welcome to contact me or either of my
colleagues, the Archdeacon of Cleveland (the Venerable Samantha Rushton) on 01642 706095 /
[email protected], or the Rural Dean (the Revd Barry Pyke, Rector of Hinderwell) 01947 840249.
The closing date for applications is 7th January 2016 and interviews will be held on 1st February
2016. The Archbishop of York is patron and I represent him in this process. Appointment is subject
to a satisfactory enhanced DBS disclosure.
Paul Whitby
The Rt Revd Paul Ferguson, Bishop of Whitby
PA: Mrs Julie Elphee [email protected]
01642 593273
Parish
Profile
This document
gives a true account
of the United Parish
of Whitby with
Ruswarp as agreed
by the PCC
representatives
who produced it.
WHITBY WITH RUSWARP
A brief history of Whitby Abbey and the town
Whitby Abbey was founded in 657 AD by the King of Northumbria, Oswy and dedicated to St Peter. It
was a double monastery of Benedictine Monks and nuns run in the Celtic or Ionan tradition and Lady
Hild (later known as St Hilda) was appointed as abbess. In 664 AD, the abbey hosted the Synod of
Whitby at which it was decided to adopt the Roman
calendar. Whitby Abbey was home to the great Saxon
poet and father of English sacred song Caedmon, whose
7th century poem, The Song of Creation is the earliest
known poem in English. In 867 AD Whitby fell to Viking
attack and the Saxon monastery was abandoned and
destroyed. When the Normans arrived in 1078 the
Benedictine monastery was re-founded and the current
ruins are the remains of the Abbey which was begun
around 1220. In December 1539 the monastery was
dissolved and destroyed following the Second Suppression Act of Henry VIII. Whitby Abbey was
further damaged in 1914 when the west front was hit by shells from a German warship.
In the reign of Elizabeth I, Whitby was a small fishing port. At the end of the 16th century Whitby
grew significantly as a port as a result of the alum trade and by importing coal from the Durham
coalfield to process it. Whitby grew in size and wealth, extending its activities to include shipbuilding
using local oak timber. In 1753 the first
whaling ship set sail to Greenland and by
1795 Whitby had become a major whaling
port. In his youth the explorer James Cook
learned his trade on colliers, shipping coal
from the port. HMS Endeavour, the ship
commanded by Cook on his voyage to
Australia and New Zealand, was built in
Whitby in 1764. Whitby developed as a spa
town in Georgian times. In 1839, the Whitby
and Pickering Railway connecting Whitby to
Pickering and eventually to York was built,
and played a part in the town's development as a tourism destination. During the early 20th century
the fishing fleet kept the harbour busy and a few cargo boats used the port. A marina was started in
1979. Today, there is limited fishing and tourism is the main industry in the town.
Demography
Current data indicates that Whitby has a resident population of 13,110 and there is a mix of owner
occupied and rented homes in the town. The majority of people in employment work in the service
industries. Unemployment in the town is approximately 8%. The average age of the population is
41.8 years and hence there is a significant number of older age residents. Transport in the Whitby
area can be an issue and although there are bus and train services to other towns and villages, the
services can be infrequent. In the three wards that make up the Whitby district of North Yorkshire,
out of a population of 13,110 there are 10,286 who stated that their religion was Christian in the
2001 UK census. There were 19 Muslims, 17 Buddhists, 12 Jews, 3 Sikhs and 499 people had no
religious affiliations.
Tourism
Whitby is an important tourist destination in the
North Yorkshire region. It is described by
Scarborough Council as having national and
international acclaim for its maritime, literary and
geological heritage as well as providing cultural
opportunities, excellent dining experiences and
interesting and unique shopping. Tourism is of vital
importance to the local economy and employs 32%
of the total workforce. Whitby has ‘bucked the
trend’ of declining seaside tourism which has
contracted in recent years: in the 10 years from
2001 to 2011, employment in tourism increased by
40%, a much greater increase than in the rest of England. During the summer season, the population
of the town grows from approximately 13,000 to 40,000+ on
busy days.
Activities in the town
Twice a year Goths and steampunks gather in the port in the
spring and around Hallowe’en for the Goth Festival which
attracts a vast number of visitors. Just before the autumn event,
the International Bram Stoker Film Festival, paying tribute to the
creator of Dracula, takes place. Whitby also offers music –
Whitby Folk Week in August and Musicport have loyal followings,
and are growing ever year. There are regular music weekends
covering everything from rock and soul to jazz and 60s music at
the Whitby Pavilion. The annual Whitby Regatta takes place in
August and is the oldest sea regatta on the North East Coast.
There are sea-angling festivals throughout the year. Whitby offers a diverse range of attractions and
activities including the Captain Cook Memorial Museum and Pannett Park Museum and Art Gallery.
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway serves the town and has steam engines running through
spectacular National Park countryside.
Whitby Deanery
The Deanery of Whitby is geographically large and with challenging terrain. It covers the North
Yorkshire Jurassic Coast from Robin Hood’s Bay to Staithes and a large part of the North York Moors.
The largest centre of population is Whitby with the rest of the Deanery being composed of coastal
and moorland communities.
Currently the deanery is composed of six groups of parishes, which at full strength have 6.5 full time
equivalent stipendiary posts, plus a number of retired clergy and readers who actively support
ministry and mission. Chapter is an important source of mutual support and encouragement and
aims to meet monthly. Once a year we have a Chapter retreat overnight, (usually at Wydale Hall, the
Diocese’s retreat and conference centre on the southern edge of the North York Moors), which has
proved both popular and valuable in terms of support and encouragement. The clergy of the
deanery recognise the need to work collaboratively and there is an expectation that the successful
applicant will be a ‘team player’ in the deanery. Anyone who comes to Whitby Deanery will find
welcoming and supportive colleagues.
Collaborative ministry working across parish boundaries is key to the development of a mission
focussed deanery. The united parish of Whitby with Ruswarp has a significant part to play in the
development and outworking of our deanery vision because of its size and potential. The first
priority is to build a strong and vibrant Christian presence in Whitby which has mission and outreach
as a priority and which will inspire and encourage the other parishes of the Deanery to participate.
The parish of Whitby with Ruswarp has great potential to be the beating heart of the Deanery.
11 + education in the Whitby area
There are 2 secondary schools which serve Whitby and its surrounding villages. Caedmon College is
an 11-18 school on 2 sites close to the town centre. The school delivers pre- and post-16
qualifications. Eskdale School is currently an 11-14 (Key Stage 3) school but plans to become an 1116 secondary in September 2016. Eskdale School is on the eastern side of Whitby. Alternative sixth
form provision can be found at Prior Pursglove College in Guisborough, which provides a dailysubsidised bus service to Whitby and at Scarborough Sixth Form College. Fylinghall School is a coeducational Independent boarding and day school based near Robin Hood’s Bay which provides
education up to and including sixth form.
The United Parish of Whitby with Ruswarp
(A map of Whitby and Ruswarp roughly covering the parish boundary)
The United Parish of Whitby with Ruswarp has a significant role as the most populous parish within
the Whitby Deanery. The churches play a crucial role in the life of the town and its surrounding
villages. In 2014 there were 177 people on the Electoral Roll. There are annual services for the town
such as the Remembrance Service; Captain Cook Memorial Service and Armed Forces Day. In the
summer each year, the Bishop of Whitby conducts the Blessing of the Boats service.
There is a Church of England Voluntary Controlled primary school in Ruswarp which has strong
attachments to St Bartholomew’s Church and the ministers of the parish. The current Chair of
Governors is both a Church warden and regular worshipper in the parish. We also have strong links
with the secondary schools in the parish as identified above.
The Rector of Whitby has a number of responsibilities in the life of the town. The Rector sits as a
Trustee of the Mission to Seafarers; Trustee of the Seamen’s Hospital; the Rector is also on the
board of trustees of the Port of Whitby. Traditionally, the Rector has had an involvement with the
RNLI.
The Parish also provides the Honorary Chaplain to Whitby Hospital. We have pastoral responsibility
for residents of the various residential and nursing homes in the benefice. The Anglican Order of the
Holy Paraclete is based at Sneaton Castle on the outskirts of the town. The Rector and the Parish
have strong links with the Order and 2 members of the congregation of the Priory Chapel sit on the
PCC.
The benefice could be described as having a variety of liturgical traditions in its worship; we are
probably best recognised as being of a Liberal Catholic tradition. We have one PCC for the United
Parish, and joint churchwardens’ meetings. We share a prayer chain across the benefice and have
one monthly Magazine to share all our news, events, and interesting insights.
Churches Together
We have representation on Whitby Churches Together Executive Committee; our Associate Minister
is currently Vice-Chair. The Churches Together in Whitby organise a Walk of Witness on Good Friday,
shared worship during the week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and share the Town Carol Service at
Christmas which takes place in St Mary’s Church. There are also various events such as Kidzfest,
planning days and retreats that we share. There are plans to have an open air Christian Music and
Drama Celebration around May Day 2016, a Rock Gospel at All Saintstide, and a shared Messy
Church for young people. Plans are progressing for St John’s Anglican Church to be opened as a
shared Mission Venue during daylight hours.
Other Denomination Churches
The Roman Catholic Church dedicated to St Hilda was built in 1867 on Baxtergate. There are places
of worship for Christians of other traditions including a United Reformed Church, Whitby Christian
Fellowship, Whitby Evangelical Church, St. Ninian’s Independent Catholic Church, and a new
Missional Community of Hope Whitby. The Mission to Seafarers maintains a Christian ministry
where our Parish Office is situated, and it has a chapel which whilst being an Anglican foundation
currently hosts the Methodist Church for Sunday worship.
Staffing
The new Rector will work alongside the following:
Stipendiary ordained Church Army Captain who is also Missioner to the Deanery
A Sister of the Order of the Holy Paraclete (see below) who was Priested in 2015
3 Readers, one of whom is salaried and acts as ‘Church Maid’ at St Mary’s, and a Reader with
Permission to Officiate
3 retired Clergy with Permission to Officiate
12 Eucharistic assistants/4 Vergers
In the Parish office there is an Office Manager (part-time) and an Office Assistant (also part-time).
The parish office is the first point of contact with people seeking the services and assistance of the
church. It provides administrative support for the parish and has modern facilities for producing
publications which are also used by parishes of the Deanery. The office staff would welcome further
training in order to better support the work of the Parish.
In addition to the above listed team, there is a team of up to eight Church wardens (of which seven
posts are currently filled) and there is a Treasurer and a PCC Secretary.
Finance
All the churches in Whitby have had recent extensive work carried out on their buildings. This work
included the expenses necessary to ‘make safe’ the cliff edge around St Mary’s Church; although the
churchyard is closed and maintenance is the responsibility of Scarborough Borough Council, works of
this kind have been the responsibility of the PCC. . We have been fortunate to receive bequests
which have largely offset the costs of our outgoing expenses. The work on St John’s roof was largely
funded from grants by English Heritage.
Whitby PCC General Income over expenditure has been maintained in recent years as a result of
significant legacies and we have been able, therefore, to maintain our Parish Share (now the Freewill
Offering) but not to increase it. Charitable giving by the PCC is approximately 6% of income with an
ambition to increase that in future. We operate a Gift Aid/tax reclaiming system with a large number
of givers. Weddings, funerals and baptisms are all good indicators of a church well-used by the
community and also make an income contribution.
The Churches of the Parish
St Mary’s Parish Church has been holding services since 1110, we celebrated our nine hundredth
anniversary recently. It is of course, universally linked in popular culture with St Hilda and the Synod
of Whitby. Also, the link with the fictional Dracula
makes the church a focus for the Goth interest. We
have a small regular congregation (approximately 30)
but this is increased greatly by summer visitors and
attendance at the special services held: such as
Captain Cook, Remembrance Sunday, the Town Carol
Concert, plus other commemorative services. We are
always busy with Funerals, baptisms, and weddings.
We are committed to using the Book of Common
Prayer, either at Matins or Holy Communion and
these are supported by a regular organist.
St Mary’s has an extremely efficient Church Maid. This is an historical position which carries
responsibility for the day to day cleaning of the church and caring for the building in general. At
present, the Church Maid also manages the Parish Shop. This provides a useful source of income and
is manned by a supportive team of volunteers. We also have a steady number of School Visits: these
are being served by knowledgeable volunteer guides. This Church is considered by the townspeople
as part of their heritage, for example, funds for the repair of the 199 Steps which are part of the
church curtilage were raised almost overnight. St Mary’s also has a Parish Clerk.
St. Mary’s attracts large numbers of visitors who are drawn to it for a variety of reasons. The main
focus of outreach and mission is therefore to visitors. St. Mary’s is the ending place of the new long
distance pilgrimage route ‘St. Hilda’s Way’ and so is important for those who see this ancient site as
an important centre of pilgrimage. The pilgrimage aspect of St. Mary’s could be developed and as
such could be a place where the importance of Whitby and Hilda in the story of Christian England
could be told to pilgrim and visitor alike in an imaginative way using modern media and art. The
development of good working links between St. Mary’s and the Abbey could provide potentially
interesting and imaginative opportunities for telling the Christian story.
St Hilda’s stands exactly opposite the 12th Century
St Mary’s Church across the harbour. It was built
between 1884 and 1886. The tower was added in
1939. The present church was preceded by a
building erected in 1868 near the present site and
made of iron. It was known as a ‘tin tabernacle’.
As the current church was envisaged as a future
Cathedral, R J Johnson was commissioned to
design a building of great dignity. The organ was
built by Harrison and Harrison in 1926 and was a
gift from Mr & Mrs Headlam in memory of their
son who was killed on active service in the First
World War. It is a listed organ and organists come from across the
country to give recitals. St Hilda’s has a very strong tradition of
music and the choir master/organist and choir play an important
role in the life of the St Hilda’s and the rest of the Parish.
There is a regular Sunday congregation of 50 – 60 people including
children and a Sunday School operates during the Sung Eucharists.
Twice a month on a Monday afternoon, there is a Toddler + service
for parents, carers and small children. St Hilda’s is a busy church
as the following figures attest. In 2014 there were 45 baptisms, 11
weddings and 42 funerals. The church is host to the Festival Chorus
and is the venue for many concerts both for the Festival Chorus
and other local and national music groups. St Hilda’s also provides
the venue for some special services such as the welcome service
for the new Bishop of Whitby in 2014.
St. Hilda’s is a majestic liturgical setting and benefits from a good
musical tradition. The style of the services could be described as
modern catholic. It is an important focus for the people of Whitby
for occasional offices. One of the great opportunities for St. Hilda’s would be to build upon the good
will of those who come to the church for occasional offices and keep in active contact with them.
The Associate Priest is beginning work on developing a team of visitors who can build good
relationships with those who attend church for baptisms, weddings and funerals to encourage them
to become part of the worshipping community.
Whilst St. Hilda’s is a magnificent building it is in need of some significant restoration in the coming
years. It does not currently have a parish hall and so there might be scope for some re-ordering to
provide a toilet, kitchen and social space. It would be good to be able to keep the church open
especially in the summer months.
St John’s Church was built in 1850 and is a well preserved
building in the centre of Whitby, accommodating around
250 people. The East End contains a fine wall painting and
mosaic which was added to the church along with the choir
area around 1910. The church was completely re-roofed in
2013 and the interior has been repaired and re-plastered.
Some side pews have recently been removed to enable
greater use of the church for social functions. There is a fine
organ which was installed in 1850. The average Sunday
attendance is about 15-20 worshippers. A midweek Holy
Communion is very popular. Occasional baptisms are held
and some funerals, but the church is not licensed for weddings. The church is suitable for smaller
concerts. Coffee mornings have been held monthly which have raised a considerable amount but
kitchen facilities need to be improved.
St. John’s sits in the very heart of Whitby in Baxtergate. Baxtergate is a major pedestrian
thoroughfare and has a large footfall especially in the summer months when tourists throng the
streets. With such a footfall, St. John’s has enormous potential to be a real focus for outreach and a
place to offer Christian hospitality. At the time of writing our ordained Church Army Captain, in
discussion with The Bishop of Whitby and ecumenical partners in Whitby are seeking to open St.
John’s as an ecumenical mission centre and place of prayer. The new Rector would play an
important part in shaping the future direction of St. John’s.
St Bartholomew’s Church in Ruswarp was
consecrated in 1869, costing a total of £3,052
(site, building and furnishing!) and was built
in a Victorian interpretation of ‘Early
Decorated’ style. It consists of a nave, a
chancel and a lady chapel. In 1873 a National
School was built opposite and we are proud
of our links with the village school which is
now a C o f E primary school. A parish room
was developed in 1990, by screening off the
West end of the church, also providing a
kitchen and toilet. The room is used for
meetings, parish meals, and by the school. There is disabled access via a concrete ramp outside.
In 2000 the Lady Chapel was redeveloped and chairs were donated in memory of departed loved
ones. In 2013 the pews were removed and chairs were installed making a much more usable space
for both parish and school activities. The vestry was also refurbished in 2013.
St Bartholomew’s has, a congregation averaging 10 worshippers. During 2014 we had 6 funerals, 5
baptisms, and one wedding. The church school has several services throughout term times and also
uses the church for concerts, harvest festivals etc.
Although our congregation is small, we have a core group of 5 or 6 who are always willing to help in
both church and parish activities.
Ruswarp as a village has a large proportion
of second homes. One of the challenges here
is developing connections and outreach to
resident and visitor alike. The church
building, as well as providing a good liturgical
space, also benefits from a dedicated and
flexible social space within the building. Links
with Ruswarp C of E School are important
and so the building of good relationships
with the school is important and could be the
focus to encourage a greater engagement
with families who attend the school in the
worshipping life of the church.
Pattern of services in the United Parish
Sunday in the
month
1st
St Mary’s
St Bartholomew’s
St John’s
St Hilda’s
11.15am Matins *
No service
11.15am Matins
2nd
11.15 Eucharist
No service
11.15am Matins
3rd
11.15am Matins
No service
4th
11.15am Matins
11.00am
Eucharist
No service
8am Holy
communion
9.30am Family
Eucharist
6.00pm Choral
Evensong
9.30am Sung
Eucharist
9.30am Sung
Eucharist
9.30am Sung
Eucharist
11.15am
Eucharist
*Temporarily suspended during the vacancy
The united Parish service on the 5th Sunday is hosted by each church in turn.
There is a 10.00am Eucharist in St Hilda’s each Tuesday and in St John’s each Thursday.
Mission to Seafarers
The office of The Rector of Whitby carries an ex-officio place on the board of trustees of the Mission
to Seafarers in Haggersgate. The Archdeacon of Cleveland is ex-officio Chairperson and The Rural
Dean of Whitby is a trustee. The charity owns the large Georgian house in Haggersgate, which is the
home of the mission. At present the building houses the parish office, the Whitby fishing school and
a café. The mission employs several staff to run the café. The mission also owns an adjoining shop
and flat. The Mission is financially sound but as the number of seafarers in Whitby has declined one
of the issues facing the mission is how best it can fulfil the purpose of its foundation. There is real
potential in the Mission for it to be an asset for mission and outreach but serious work needs to be
done by the trustees in finding an imaginative way forward.
The Order of The Holy Paraclete
The Order of The Holy Paraclete (OHP)
has its Mother House in Whitby parish
being based in Sneaton Castle. OHP
have enjoyed good relations with the
parish of Whitby with Ruswarp and it is
an important resource for the parish
and the Diocese (The Archbishop is the
Order’s visitor). The Rev’d. Sr. Karan works within the parish under the direction of the Rector. The
site at Sneaton Castle also has a Christian Resource Centre selling books and church requisites.
Whilst there is no constitutional link with the OHP it is a unique asset for the parish and the clergy to
use if they so wish.
http://www.ohpwhitby.org.uk/
The new incumbent
We are seeking an Incumbent who has a presence and confidence in themselves. The new Rector
should be able to listen to the congregations and enable our vision to flourish. We hope for someone
with visionary insight both for pastoral care of our regular members and for a ministry to the wider
community including the many tourists who visit Whitby. We hope the person appointed would
work with us imaginatively to help us shape and develop our vision for the parish and enable us take
our place as co-workers with our clergy team.
We want someone who will lead us in worship and work with us to grow.
A good manager of people, both volunteer and paid staff, is essential and we need a Rector who is a
good Steward of our assets. They will need to be comfortable working with male and female
ordained colleagues.
They must possess good communication skills, and the ability to work with Town Authorities and
other Civic Dignitaries together with all the people in the Parish. The new Rector will need to be
comfortable in this role.
We would like a person who is comfortable with different styles of worship so that our churches in
Whitby can offer a wider range of services to the people who come or may be drawn to our
churches. We hope that the person appointed would have an interest in the music in the churches
and would also have an interest in further developing our work with children.
We are looking for someone with energy and drive for this busy parish. However, the new
incumbent should have a clear understanding of the necessity to balance the demands of the Parish
and their home life. They must be robust and firm in maintaining that important balance and have a
good sense of humour!
The Rectory
The Rectory, built in the 1970’s, is a modern, purpose built detached home. It has 4 bedrooms and a
box room, a large lounge, dining room and study. The large kitchen was updated in 2012. The house
has gas central heating and upvc double glazing. The combi-boiler was installed in 2010. There is a
bathroom, a shower room and a toilet upstairs and 2 toilets downstairs. The house is centrally
situated and has a large garden to the side and rear of the property. The side drive has parking for 3
to 4 cars. There are 2 separate entrances to the house.