Parish Council
The Diocese
Of
St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
Annual Report & Financial Statements
Of the
Parochial Church Council
Of St Andrew’s Church, Marlesford, Suffolk
For the year ended 31st December 2021
Prepared under the Receipts and Payments Accounting Basis
General information
Church Address: St Andrew’s Church
Church Road
Marlesford
Suffolk IP13 0AT
Priest in charge
The Reverend Canon Graham Hedger
14, St Peter’s Close
Charsfield
Woodbridge
IP13 7RG
01473 737280 / 07388117656
Bankers: Church of England Deposit Fund
St Alphage House
2 Fore Street
London EC2Y 5AQ
CAF Bank Ltd
King’s Hill
West Malling
Kent ME19 4TA
Examiner: Mrs Carol Parry
Church Membership and service numbers
Electoral Roll (Resident): 22
There were 19 Sunday parish services this year.
Average adult attendance: 16
Average fortnightly young persons’ attendance: 0
Average adult communicants: 14
Average monthly young person’s communicants: 0
There was one Benefice Communion, whose numbers have not been calculated in.
The Christmas Eve carol service 51
36 Wednesday Compline services with average attendance 3-4
Aims and Objectives
This has been a second challenging year because of the Covid-19 virus.
From January till the end of March we had no services apart from those on Zoom. Then from April to the end of June there was a Holy Communion service for the Benefice each Sunday in each parish in turn. After July we returned to the previous pattern of a Benefice Holy Communion on the first and fifth Sundays, with Evening Prayers on the second Sunday and Holy Communion on the third. The Revd Graham Hedger and the Revd Deirdre Parmenter led our services. It was our objective to provide as much as possible a continuity of worship in our community.
Membership of the Parochial Church Council
We held our APCM for 2021 on 24th April, the first possible date, spaced out as much as possible in church.
Members of the PCC are either ex-officio or elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) in accordance with the Church Representative Rules.
Priest in Charge: The Revd Canon Graham Hedger
Churchwardens: Lord Marlesford
Mrs Nancy Waterfall
Deanery Synod
Representative: Mrs Nancy Waterfall
Elected Members: Mrs Jackie Cousins (Secretary)
Mrs Carol Cooke (Treasurer)
Mrs Brenda Lavender
Mr Roger Waterfall
Mrs Julie Barham
Mr Andy Cousins
Mr Andrew Quartermain
Standing
Committee: Priest in Charge, two churchwardens, treasurer and secretary.
After the death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in April we commemorated his life in the church porch as we were unable to use the church to do so.
Overall Review of the year
Church Services and Mission
Once we had returned to worshipping in church, we recognised the need for distance and used our pews accordingly.
Community Initiatives
Maintaining our church and churchyard.
For at least the last two years, they have vigorously cut the nettles to the north of the church. Progress is being made and the former tangle of Urticaceae is beginning to give way to a grass sward which will be much better for wildflowers. All the material cut in the churchyard in 2020 and 2021 has been used in the creation of various habitat piles which should encourage small mammals (including hedgehogs), amphibians and reptile to use them as hibernacula. Seed has been harvested from the rare Meadow Saxifrage growing on the south side of the path. It has successfully germinated and will be planted and encouraged to spread in other areas of the churchyard.
Policies
Deanery Synod
Finance and Fundraising
Financial report
Appended separately (Carol to provide)
Priest in Charge APCM report for the year 2021
I do sometimes wonder what people in a hundred years time will make of these momentous years. Covid has caused so many individuals and organisations to rethink what we do and how. Last year I quoted from Psalm 137:4 ‘How can we sing the songs of the Lord in a strange land?’ These words continue to be relevant as we move forward. This report, looking back over the last year is also coloured by the fact that it will be my last as priest in charge, having announced that I will retire on 30th April.
Services
Returning to church and ‘in person’ worship has been a welcome change. Being able to sing has helped. In common with many churches, we notice that our numbers are down as some are reluctant to mingle too freely. I am therefore very grateful to Bill Clark for continuing to host the Zoom service and for members of the ministry team in leading them. It is a real blessing to share ministry with Canon Deirdre Parmenter and the elders within the ministry team. In the New Testament ministry is normally exercised in partnership with others and I thank all of the ministry team for their hard work. Also, the number of people who play the organ and sing in the benefice choir, all of which enables us to have a range of services throughout the benefice.
Mission and ministry
A former Dean of St Edmundsbury, Neil Collings, used to remark in meetings that ‘if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.’ Over the past two years it has seemed a bit like that. Yet it has been amazing how we have been able to continue to develop many of our aims under our Growing in God strategy. We have had to put some things on hold but others have flourished. For me two highlights of the year have been things we were able to do in partnership with the Mid Loes benefice. Throughout the summer we were able to host in Easton a monthly Taize service led by the Revd Wendy Gourley. Then in August we hosted at Brandeston the holiday club for primary aged children. It was a fantastic event and it was good to be holding the club again after a covid imposed break.
Finance
The diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich is a modern diocese, created in 1914. As such we have very little ‘free reserve’, which means that the Diocesan Board of Finance cannot subsidise ministry in the parishes. We are therefore very reliant upon the generous gifts of individuals and the fundraising efforts of each parish. It is noticeable that where churches have electronic giving via the Parish Giving Scheme or standing orders that their finances are much more healthy. A big thank you to all who have continued to give towards the work of the church and to all who contribute in any way. The parish contributed £9,000 in Parish Share and as a benefice were able to contribute £52,542 Parish Share. Well done and thank you. A special thank you to all those who in imaginative ways enabled fundraising to continue.
Thank you
Every annual report quite rightly records thanks to many people. My thanks goes to the Elders, Canon Deirdre Parmenter and the Archdeacon of Suffolk for their work and support across the benefice. Pam Bennett-King stood down as Safeguarding Officer in February and we thank her for her work.
In our parish, I would like to give thanks in particular to our wardens Lord Marlesford and Nan Waterfall and to Carol Cooke, who as both treasurer and elder does an immense amount both in the parish and the benefice. Also, to the other members of the PCC who give loyal service to Christ and his church. The work of Andrew Quartermain as our organist has made an immense difference to the quality of our worship. We are also grateful to him for the ‘Music in Marlesford’ concerts and to the wonderful work of the Marlesford Bakers through whose efforts so much money has been raised over many years. I and indeed all of us are also indebted to the many others who quietly and behind the scenes have done so many things to enable our church buildings to remain open for prayer, to offer support to others in the villages and ensure that the message of God’s love is experienced in our communities.
What does the future hold?
Who knows what the future holds? 2022 and beyond will be different. As a group of churches, we have faced many periods when priests have left and we have waited for a new priest to join us. These times are not about sitting back and waiting for something to happen. Rather they are opportunities to be open to the Spirit of God, prompting, challenging, encouraging us to continue to grow in faith and to try new things. Continue to support one another, to pray and worship together and be open to the God of surprises. We know that Jesus is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end and he will lead us and guide us, therefore we will not be afraid.
Rev’d Canon Graham Hedger
Priest in Charge