ALL SAINTS VILLA&E NEWSLETTER NO. 12
February 1967
Message from the Rector, the Revd. Allan Campbell
My Dear ^riends,
Mr. Holder is now home from hospital. We are pleased to see him
and hope that he will soon regain his strength and be able to do at
least some light duties.
May I commend to you LENT as a special time when we should think
deeply and daily about our discipleship under the headings of (l) Holy
Communion (at least once per week) (2) daily prayer (morning and evening)
and (3) daily bible reading.
Ash Wednesday is on February 8th. Please try at least until Easter
to observe these three things.
Yours s ince rely,
Allan Campbell. Rector.
Message from _theJPrie_s^b-i^-Charge the Revd. W. L. Holder
Mr Dear People,
At long last I am hone again and am delighted to neet my old
friends and to be vfith my family in Coleshill. I am still not on full
duty but am fast gathering strength and will, I feel sure, be able to
do all that any. parish may require of its Priest.
¥ith Epiphany still in our minds, here are some of the places
where men have found the star which led them to Our Lord:
In our homes "where Christian parents have taught and prayed for their
children.
In our schools Where clergy and church workers have known and loved
our Lord.
In their joys Yifhere good and happy experiences have helped men to believe
in Him and cone to bring "life more abundant"
In their sorrows Vfhen men have learned that He "bore our sicknesses and
carried our sorrows"
In the needs of others vThen men have found Christ in the poor and hungry
and served them
Have you found your star?
I earnestly ask you to think on these points and pray that G-od
will lead you on to the next step. willian L< Holder.
iLJLI?
Why, in some Churches, does the Priest wear special robes at
the Service of Holy Communion?
The special garments sometimes worn by a Priest at a celebration
of Holy Communion dates back to the clothes worn by the
Roman and Syrian citizens during our Lord's lifetime. Over the
cassock is worn a long white linen gament called an alb. It is
longer than an ordinary surplice and sone think it represents
Christ's seamless robe for which the soldiers cast IdLs on Calvary.
Round the left ana is fastened a strip of material of the same
colour as the frontal. This is a maniple and is a reminder of the
towel with which our Lord girded himself before washing the
disciples' feet. Round the Priest's neck is an oblong piece of
linen - the amice; this, when fastened is turned back to form a
collar. Then comes the stole - a symbol of the yoke of Christ,
and over this the chasuble. This is the coloured vestment which
frequently has a 'Y1 shaped cross embroidered on the back. The
colour of the chasuble varies with the season. It reminds ud of
the "gorgeous robe" with which "ierod arrayed our Lord before
sending Him back to Pilate. Thus these special garments have a
close connection with the last liours of Christ's life on earth
before His death and resurrection.
There is another vestment, not primarily connected with the
service of Holy Communion. This is a cope. It is a large semicircular
cloak of silk or other material fastened in front by a
clasp and worn in processions and at other solemn functions, as,
for example, the coronation of the Sovereign. It is thought to
be symbolic of rule.
Finally, the mitre worn by a Bishop and said to resemble
the headdress of the Jewish High Priest, signifies the helmet of
salvation. It is "cloven in the midst" like the tongues of fire
which fell on the Apostles and shows that the wearer shares with
them the Pentecostal gift.
M.¥.
CHURCH FIHMCES J^^^&H_THS_J\GES
It is difficult to determine ?/hen Christianity first reached
this country. It seens probable that it was introduced from Gaul
in the second or third century, i.e. during the Roman occupation,
for Alban, the first English martyr, was put to death at Verulamium
during a religious persecution in 303 A.D.. There is, however, a
popular legend that Joseph of Arinathea carried the Holy Grail to
Britain about 63 A.D. and settled at Glastonbury, which claims to
be the only Christian sanctuary of Roman Britain to survive when
the Romans gave place to the pagan Saxons about 442 A.D..
T.Tiat happened during the next 150 years is obscure, but in
597 A.D. St. Augustine, despatched by Pope Gregory, landed in
England and conaenced his task of converting the Angles, the Saxons
and the Jutes. In 601 A.D. he consecrated under the name of Christ's
Church a church said to have been used formerly by Roman Christians,
and this, enlarged and rebuilt, became Canterbury Cathedral.
The pagan invaders had brought with them a custom which endure'd.
From time immemorial Saxon landowners had been obliged to maintain
a temple find priest on their properties, and for these a tenth
(tithe) of the produce of the land was set apart. ¥hen paganism
was superseded, the Christian Church and Priest were maintained in
similar manner. By the tine of the Norman conquest, bishops and f
monasteries were liberally endowed with land and tings and great
nobles could be relied upon for large gifts for such purposes as
cathedral building. In all probability there were appeals for funds
as in our days, for when Bishop Poore started Salisbury Cathedral in
1220 he sent his canons to raise money in other dioceses. In addition
there were offerings at shrines. A feudal lord might maintain a
church within his domain and might endow it. There are parishes
today which benefit from endowments.
In many cases, the endowments of a church would consist of
tythe offerings made by parishioners and glebe 5 the latter being
land given for the support of the encumbent. Today the modern encumbent
is unlikely to engage in faming and so the tendency is to
sell the glebe and invest the proceeds. Today there are about some
164,000 acres of such land as against 659}000 acres in 1887.
In the primitive economy of an \nglo-Saxon village, a levy in kind
on the products of the village by way of trthe was the natural way of
raising funds for the church.
Many attenpts were made to adjust the system to the current structure
of society but for years it was a constant source of friction between
the Church and agriculture. Finally the Tithe Act was passed in 1936
compelling the Church to surrender its income from tithes in return for
£70,000,000 Government stock - an arrangement not in favour of the Church.
About 7,000 benefices were affected and the average loss of stipend was
Until 1535 the entire first year's profits of all spiritual preferments
- and after that, one tenth of the annual profits - were paid to
the Papal exchequer. Among the amounts collected i.i 1460 and remitted
to Rome was 3s. Id. from Amersham Church and the original "Peter's Pence
Chest" is on view at St. Mary's, our Parish Church. In 1535 Henry VTII
stopped the payment of "first fruits" and "tenths" as they were then
dgQ_led, to the Pope and annexed them to the Crown. This continued until
1703 when Queen Anne, moved by the poverty of many of the clergy, surrendered
the first fruits and tenths and created a fund, which became known
as "Queen Anne's Bounty", the object of which was to improve the maintenance
of the poorer clergy.
By 1836 the incone and expenditure of the Church had become very
uneven and that year the Ecclesiastical Commissioners were set up to take
over the revenue of the bishoprics and chapters and redistribute the
income so as to provide for the "cure of souls in the parishes"
Queen Anne's Bounty and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners were merged
in 1943 as the Church Commissioners and future articles will deal with
the work of the Church Commissioners, other sources of Church income and
the finances of our own .church of All Saints in particular.
(Compiled from an article by Mr, G-. Creber, information supplied by
the S.P.C.K. and other sources^).
MEW ARRIVALS
On January 8th, to Mr. and Mrs. N, H. Niaholls - a
On January 13th, to Mr. and Mrs. E. Bolton - a son
Infill someone with a good sized washing machine please volunteer
to wash a large linen cover, now used to protect the Altar frontals
in the chest?
Anyone prepared to do this is asked to communicate with Miss
¥illians .
jgOM .MAG-IIA HOSPITAL
Sister Edith Francis sends many grateful thanks for the Christmas
present sent to Peter. ¥ith the money she bought toys and a new
pair of shoes. She says that all the children were taken to Church
on Christmas Day and behaved very well. Peter is well and growing
into a comical little boy who is in every mischief.
There are now 17 motherless babies in the Hospital - five under
six months and twelve between six months and three years.
FORTHCOMING BVriMTS
Thurs. Feb 2 Mobile Library Van - Coleshill
Tues. 7 Parish of Anersham-with-Coleshill Annual General
Meeting at 8p.m. in the Church Rooms, Aaershan
7 • 'Sisterhood. Open meeting and Bring and Buy stall
(postponed from January 31st)
Thurs. 9 "W.I. - Mr. R. J. V/oolacott
Thurs. 16 Mobile Library Van - Coleshill
Mothers' Union. Parish Room, Coleshill. General
discussion with Bring and Buy stall
Sat 18 Musical Recital - the Parish Church of St. Mary 7p.n.
Collection for the Restoration Fund.
Tues. 21 Sisterhood - Mrs. L, Gamston
0? PRAY3R
Women's ¥orld Day of Prayer will be celebrated by a united serviceat
All Saints Church Coleshill o:,i Friday February 10th at 2. 30p.ru.
The object of the service, vhich is held annually, is to unite
women all over the world in prayar on a thene selected by a different
country each year. For 196? the thene will be "And of His Kingdom
there shall be no end" (Luke 1;33) end was chosen by the late Queen
Salote.
ALL SAINTS , AMUAL &3NEBAL MEETINGThe
Rector, the Revd. Allan Canpbell M.A., presided at this
meeting on January 23rd and said how pleased everyone was to see Mr.
Holder present.
The Hon. Treasurer, Mr. G-.T.Creber, reported that there was a
small surplus of income over expenditure and that the covenanted income
remained a substantial source of funds. The bulk of the proceeds
from the Church Fete had been added to the Church Fabric Fund in view
of heavy expenditure which would be entailed by uegent repairs and
renovations .
The Rector stressed the importance of the Treasurer being able
to budget the income for the coning year. To assist bin to do this
it was agreed to see if the envelope scheme for free will offerings
could be extended throughout the parish. This scheme enables members
of the Church to plan their giving on a regular basis.
The pro-churchwardens, Mr. C.Saunders and Mr. N.W.Nicholls, and
the Hon. Treasurer, Mr.G-.T.Creber, ?/ere re-elected. Mr.Nicholls agreed';
to continue as Hon. Secretary and Mrs. Raymond Pusey was elected to :
the Committee.
Finally it was agreed to hold the Church Fete on Saturday July 8th •
and to commend to future committees that the Fete should be held on a
corresponding date each year.
COI^SHaL _YOpTH _G LUB
An adjourned meeting was held on January 19th to discuss the
future of this Club when the welcome announcement was made that Mr.
Keedle of the "6l" Club, Anershaa had secured a leader, Mr .W.Faulkner
of Newlands Park College and that the club v/oulcl re-open under his
leadership on January 23rd.
Mr. W.H.Hu .-ton agreed to act as chairaan, Mr. Ruperti as Hon.
Secretary, Miss Kendal as Treasurer with a committee of 7, together
with 6 members of the Youth Club,
SERVICES
ALL SAINTS. GOLESHILL THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. MARY
AMERSHAM
Eve1 r"y— S—u—n—d*ay• no .nOnO a.a.T T H_oly Communion
9.00a.n. Parish Connunion 10.00a.m. Children's Church
10.00 a.m. Stmday School • ll.OOa.n. Matins and Sernon
2on dj # o 4i t-huu Sou ndja ys (•N .B.j. i_ Onxu th-ei ^ 1st Sunjd aynn in each ——J-:—————j—•*— nonth the lOa.n. and lla.n.
6.00p.n. Evensong services combine for a Family
Conaunion at lO.OOa.n.)
6.00p.D. Evensong and Sernon
BAPTISMS. MARRIA&ES.. BURIALS
Arrangeuents for any of the above are to be nade direct with
the Rector, the Revd. Allan Canpbell, M.A. at the Parish Office or
Beaumont, Hervines Road, Anersham.
' Please telephone Anershau 1135 and give as nuch notice as possible.
PRIEST-Bf-CHAHGE: Revd. ¥.L.Holder, The Parsonage, Coleshill.
(Tel. Anershan 722)
PRO-CHURCHWJJJDEN: C. Saunders, Chapel Cottage, Coleshill.
PRO-CHimCHWARDEN & HON. SECRETj'JlY: N.N.Nicholls, Orchard House,
Coleshill. (Tel. Anersham 18J4)
HON. TREASURER: G-. Creber, Applecroft, Meadowcot Lane,
Coleshill. (Tel. Aaershan 3350)
Published by All Saints Local Church Cozmittee, Coleshill.
