The Benefice Ministry Team

Our Rector

We have begun our search for a new rector and the advertisement and prospectus will be available in September.

Please pray for the search and for those who will apply and the person who will be our Rector in a few months time.

The Associate Rector

The Revd Canon Dr Phil Groves

Phil is celebrating 10 years in our benefice. He leads the congregations in Cuddington, Stone and Dinton. He loves storytelling for people of all ages.

Phil is dyslexic and a founder of the Diocese of Oxford Neurodiversity forum. He serves on the Church of England Neurodiversity Working Group.

In addition to 20 years in parish ministry, Phil taught in a Tanzanian Theological College and worked for ten years at the Anglican Communion Office, initially enabling listening to LGBTQI+ people and latterly in reconciliation. He edited The Anglican Communion and Homosexuality and co-authored Living Reconciliation – a book highly commended by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

He continues to write and has published chapters two books this year: Evangelical and Inclusive and an upcoming book in honour of Archbishop Thabo Makgoba. He also blogs at Via Media and is a regular contributor to The Preacher.

Revd Jonathan Hawkins:

Jonathan, a retired Chartered Surveyor is an Associate Minister living in Haddenham with a focus on Kingsey and Haddenham and has served across the benefice since Sept. 2010. He is currently also Area Dean for Aylesbury.

Revd Trish Mander:

Trish and her husband Alan have lived and worshipped in Haddenham since 1979, and have raised their family here. Trish went on to work in education and later to be ordained in 2013. Since ordination her ministry has been mainly focussed in Haddenham and Kingsey. She is trained in spiritual direction and is passionate about the power of listening, both to God and one another, and letting God’s word inform and nourish the realities of everyday life, it’s changes and challenges.

Revd Nigel Featherston:

Nigel was ordained in 2017 and priested in 2018 having previously been a licensed lay minister in the benefice. Now retired from secular work, Nigel is an Associate Minister with a focus on Dinton where he lives, Stone and Cuddington.

 

Ven Dr Gordon Kuhrt retired to Haddenham in 2012. He regularly takes services and preaches in Aston Sandford, Cuddington and Haddenham.

Olive Kuhrt: is retired but is an active LLM based in Haddenham who also regularly plays for services within the benefice.

Authorised Preachers: We have four authorised preachers: David Pickup;  Andy Hardy;  Graham Carr; and Prof Markus Bockmuehl. We also have a number of more occasional preachers and service leaders who are members of the preachers group.

Benefice operations management

Wychert Vale Benefice has a large volunteer ministry team and highly enabled lay people serving in every aspect of the churches’ ministry. Youth ministry, Fresh Expressions, ministry to elderly people, healing ministry and many other areas are lay-led. This creates a dynamic situation and also one that needs considerable nurture and management.

The Wychert Vale Benefice office provides support to all the parishes in the benefice and operates out of St Mary’s Centre, Haddenham.