serving the parishes of Tolleshunt Knights with Tiptree, 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
The Benefice of Thurstable and Winstree
Following the retirements of the Revd Martin Clarke and the Revd Dr Chris Garland in November 2012, the Diocese of Chelmsford decided to incorporate the parishes for which they were formerly responsible, together with two other parishes, into a new benefice covering nine parishes. The Pastoral Scheme providing for the creation of this new benefice, the Benefice of Thurstable and Winstree, came into operation on Tuesday, 1st October 2013.
Practical Implications of the Reorganisation:
Our three parishes of Layer de la Haye, Layer Breton with Birch and Layer Marney are now part of the new Benefice of Thurstable and Winstree.
The other six parishes in the new benefice are the parishes of Tolleshunt Knights with Tiptree, Great Braxted, Copford, Easthorpe, Messing and Inworth.
Each of the nine parishes retains its distinct identity and each of the nine churches retains its status as a parish church.
The benefice will normally have two full-time stipendiary priests, a Team Rector and a Team Vicar, leading a Ministry Team.
The Revd Anne-Marie Renshaw is Team Rector. She has overall responsibility for leading the Ministry Team and day to day responsibility for the parishes of Tolleshunt Knights with Tiptree, Great Braxted, Messing and Inworth. She lives in the Rectory at Tiptree.
The Revd Lydia Smith has been appointed to the post of Team Vicar and is expected to take up her new appointment in early autumn (2016). The Team Vicar has day to day responsibility for the parishes of Copford, Easthorpe, Layer de la Haye, Layer Breton with Birch and Layer Marney.
The Ministry Team includes other licensed and authorised ministers (clerical and lay), including the Revd Julia Russell Grant who is an Assistant Curate.