Thurstable and Winstree Team Ministry

serving the parishes of Tiptree with Tolleshunt Knights and Great Braxted, Copford, Easthorpe, Messing, Inworth,
Layer de la Haye, Layer Breton with Birch, and Layer Marney

The 'Layer' Parishes: Layer de la Haye • Layer Breton with Birch • Layer Marney

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The Benefice of Thurstable and Winstree

The Benefice of Thurstable and Winstree came into being on 1st October 2013, when nine parishes of three former benefices were brought together in one new benefice.

Under the provisions of the Pastoral Scheme for the creation of this benefice, each of the parishes retained its distinct identity and each of the churches retained its status as a parish church.

With effect from 1st January 2024, the two parishes of 'Tolleshunt Knights with Tiptree' and 'Great Braxted' were merged to become the single parish of 'Tiptree with Tolleshunt Knights and Great Braxted'.

Members of the benefice's Ministry Team are licensed and authorised ministers, both clerical and lay, led by the Team Rector.

The Parishes and Churches of the Benefice

With effect from 1st January 2024, these became:

Tiptree with Tolleshunt Knights and Great Braxted - St Luke, Tiptree, and All Saints, Great Braxted
Copford - St Michael and All Angels
Easthorpe - St Mary the Virgin
Messing - All Saints
Inworth - All Saints
Layer de la Haye - St John the Baptist
Layer Breton with Birch - St Mary the Virgin
Layer Marney - St Mary the Virgin

Deanery Re-organisation

In January 2025 the benefice's parishes were consulted about future ministry and mission in the Witham Deanery. Following a consultation meeting held at Tiptree, the Deanery Synod met the following month, on 11th February, and voted overwhelmingly in favour of forming a new Team Ministry made up of the 18 parishes in the middle of the deanery, including the parishes in the Thurstable and Winstree benefice.

The 18 parishes will be grouped into 4 clusters, each with a full-time priest to lead it. As at June 2025 no decisions had been made on names for the new team and for the clusters, but the four clusters will be:

Cluster 1: Kelvedon, Feering, Copford and Easthorpe – led by The Revd Canon Simon Garwood, Witham Area Dean.
Cluster 2: Tiptree with Tolleshunt Knights and Great Braxted, Messing, Inworth, Layer Marney and Layer Breton with Birch – led by the Team Rector at Tiptree.
Cluster 3: Wickham Bishops with Little Braxted, Great Totham, Little Totham and Goldhanger.
Cluster 4: Layer de la Haye, Tolleshunt Major, Tolleshunt D’Arcy, Tollesbury and Salcott.

In spring 2025 advertisements were placed for two additional priests, one to lead cluster 3 and one to lead cluster 4.