St Ebbe's is a

Church of England parish church A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within each Church of England parish (the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative unit; since the 19th century sometimes ca ...

in central

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. The church is within the

conservative evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exper ...

tradition A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

and participates in the Anglican

Reform movement A reform movement or reformism is a type of social movement that aims to bring a social or also a political system closer to the community's ideal. A reform movement is distinguished from more radical social movements such as revolutionary mo ...

. It has members from many nations, many of whom are students at

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. The

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

Vaughan Roberts Vaughan Edward Roberts (born 17 March 1965) is a Church of England clergyman. Since 1998, he has been the rector of St Ebbe's, Oxford. In 2009, he became Director of the Proclamation Trust. Early life Roberts was born on 17 March 1965 in Win ...

who is also an author and conference speaker.

History

The church stands on the site of one dedicated to St Æbbe before 1005. Most sources suggest that this was the

Northumbria la, Regnum Northanhymbrorum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Northumbria , common_name = Northumbria , status = State , status_text = Unified Anglian kingdom (before 876)North: Anglian kingdom (af ...

n St Æbbe of Coldingham, but it has been suggested that Æbbe of Oxford was a different saint. The name was first recorded in about 1005 when the church was granted to

Eynsham Abbey Eynsham Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Eynsham, Oxfordshire, in England between 1005 and 1538. King Æthelred allowed Æthelmær the Stout to found the abbey in 1005. There is some evidence that the abbey was built on the site of an ea ...

by Ealdorman

Æthelmær the Stout Æthelmær the Stout or Æthelmær the Fat (died 1015) a leading thegn from the 980s, ''discðegn'' (dish-bearer or seneschal) to King Æthelred the Unready, and briefly ealdorman of the Western Provinces in 1013. He was the founder of Cerne Abbey ...

, when it was already recorded as the "ancient St Ebbe's". The present church was built in 1814–16. It was

restored ''Restored'' is the fourth studio album by American contemporary Christian music musician Jeremy Camp. It was released on November 16, 2004 by BEC Recordings. Track listing Standard release Enhanced edition Deluxe gold edition Standard ...

between 1862 and 1868, and again in 1904. A Norman doorway of the 12th century has been restored and placed at the west end. The church is the

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

for the parish of

St Ebbes St Ebbes is a district of central Oxford, England, southwest of Carfax. St Ebbes Street runs south from the western end of Queen Street. __TOC__ Overview The area takes its name from the parish church of St Ebbe's, dedicated to Saint Æ ...

, a portion of which was demolished to make way for the nearby Westgate Shopping Centre in the 1970s. The church underwent further restoration in 2017 under the direction of

Quinlan Terry John Quinlan Terry Order of the British Empire, CBE (born 24 July 1937) is a British architect. He was educated at Bryanston School and the Architectural Association School of Architecture. He was a pupil of architect Raymond Erith, with whom ...

. During this restoration some internal fittings were sold as architectural antiques. The organ was transferred to St Denys, York. In 1957, the church of Holy Trinity, Blackfriars Road, was demolished having been deemed unsafe. This was merged into the present parish. In 1961, the parish of St Peter-le-Bailey merged with St Ebbe upon the foundation of St Peter's College (formerly St Peter's Hall) and its use of the church as its college chapel.

Present day

St Ebbe's continues to be highly active, with three meetings each Sunday at 9:45, 4:30 and 6:30, with the additional of a fourth 11:45 service during the university term. There are also a range of mid-week groups and youth work. St Ebbe's is within the

Conservative Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exper ...

of the Church of England, and it has passed resolutions to reject the

ordination of women The ordination of women to ministerial or priestly office is an increasingly common practice among some contemporary major religious groups. It remains a controversial issue in certain Christian traditions and most denominations in which "ordina ...

and/or female leadership. It receives

alternative episcopal oversight A provincial episcopal visitor (PEV), popularly known as a flying bishop, is a Church of England bishop assigned to minister to many of the clergy, laity and parishes who on grounds of theological conviction, "are unable to receive the ministry of ...

from the

Bishop of Maidstone The Bishop of Maidstone is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Canterbury, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name after the county town of Maidstone in Kent. Canterbury suf ...

(currently

Rod Thomas Rod Thomas (born 11 January 1947) is a Welsh former professional footballer who represented Wales at International level. During his career Thomas played for Gloucester City, Swindon Town, Derby County, Cardiff City, Gloucester for a second ...

). The church has a ministry among the remaining part of the parish, although most of its members live outside the parish. The church is a partner church of St Ebbe's Primary School, a school within the parish.

Ministers

Rectors

* 15??-1550: Thomas Dobson * 1550-1553: Ralph Rudde; Principal of

St Edmund Hall St Edmund Hall (sometimes known as The Hall or informally as Teddy Hall) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. The college claims to be "the oldest surviving academic society to house and educate undergraduates in any university ...

* 1553-1576: ''Vacant'' * 1576-1585: John Paule * 1589-1593: William Singleton * 1593-1604: John Hilliard * 1604-1631: Jacob Yate * 1631-1641: Edward Wyrley * 1643-1648: Hugh Boham; Chaplain of

All Souls College All Souls College (official name: College of the Souls of All the Faithful Departed) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become fellows (i.e., full members of t ...

* 1664-1666: Richard Tapping * 1690-1691: Thomas Shewring * 1695-1696: Josias Dockwray * 1696-1697: Henry Hellier * 1697-1707: William Baker; later the

Bishop of Norwich The Bishop of Norwich is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers most of the county of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. The bishop of Norwich is Graham Usher. The see is in the ...

* 1707-1714: John Knott * 1714-1719:

Matthew Panting Matthew Panting (1682–1738) was a clergyman and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford. Education The son of Matthew Panting of Oxford, the young Matthew entered John Roysse's Free School in Abingdon (now Abingdon School) and was scholar of Pem ...

; Master of Pembroke College * 1719-1727: Bernard Peisley * 1727-1734: Thomas Hillman * 1736-1742:

Nathaniel Bliss Nathaniel Bliss (28 November 1700 – 2 September 1764) was an English astronomer of the 18th century, serving as Britain's fourth Astronomer Royal between 1762 and 1764. Life Nathaniel Bliss was born in the Cotswolds village of Bisley i ...

; later the fourth

Astronomer Royal Astronomer Royal is a senior post in the Royal Households of the United Kingdom. There are two officers, the senior being the Astronomer Royal dating from 22 June 1675; the junior is the Astronomer Royal for Scotland dating from 1834. The post ...

* 1742-1753: Thomas Camplin; Vice-Principal of

and later the

Archdeacon of Taunton The Archdeacon of Taunton has been, since the twelfth century, the senior ecclesiastical officer in charge of the archdeaconry of Taunton in the Diocese of Bath and Wells (in the Church of England). The archdeaconry includes seven deaneries. Hist ...

* 1753-1771: Robert Ewings * 1771-1809: Henry Richards * 1808-1868: William Hambury; later Chaplain to

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

* 1868-1874: E.P. Hathaway * 1874-1877:

Thomas Valpy French Thomas Valpy French (1 January 1825 – 14 May 1891) was an English Christian Missionary in India and Persia, who became the first Bishop of Lahore, in 1877, and also founded the St. John's College, Agra, in 1853.

, later Bishop of Lahore * 1881: John Arkell * 1901-1909: P.W.G. Filleul * 1912-1926:

John Stansfeld John Stedwell Stansfeld (; 16 December 185517 December 1939) was a doctor, Anglican priest and philanthropist in Oxford, England, who founded the Oxford Medical mission in Bermondsey, London, and the Stansfeld Oxford & Bermondsey Club Footbal ...

* 1947–1952:

Maurice Wood Maurice Arthur Ponsonby Wood, (26 August 1916 – 24 June 2007) was an Anglican bishop in the Evangelicalism, Evangelical tradition. He was a Royal Navy commando chaplain in World War II and later the Bishop of Norwich. Early life and education ...

, later Principal of

Oak Hill College Oak Hill College is a conservative evangelical theological college located on Chase Side in Southgate, London, England. Its aim is to prepare men and women from the Church of England and Independent churches for ministry in the real world. Ove ...

and

* 1952–1964: Basil Gough * 1964–1985: Keith Weston * 1986–1998: David Fletcher * 1998–present:

Curates

* 1816: John Penson * 1822-1824: William Wilson * 1825: Henry Bliss * 1826-1831: Henry Bulteel * 1831-1837: William Champneys * 1837-1842: H.B. Whitaker Churton * 1847-1860: G.T. Cameron * 1860-18??: S.Y.N. Griffith * 1934-1936: Pat Gilliat * 1950-1952: Edward Saunders * 1952-1956: Michael Farrer * 1955-1958:

David Pytches George Edward David Pytches (born 9 January 1931) is a bishop of the Anglican Communion and the former Bishop of Chile, Bolivia and Peru. Pytches was also vicar of St Andrew's, in Chorleywood England. He is the author of many books, including ...

, later Bishop of Chile, Bolivia and Peru * 1957-1960:

Peter Dawes Peter Spencer Dawes (5 February 1928 – 10 November 2022) was the fifth Church of England Bishop of Derby from 1988 to 1995. Dawes was educated at Aldenham School and Hatfield College, Durham, and ordained in 1955. His career began with cur ...

* 1958-1960: Brian Ringrose * 1960-1963: Patrick Harris * 1961-1964: James Spence * 1963-1966: Anthony Baker * 1964-1968: Gilbert Gauntlett * 1966-1972: Simon Starkey * 1968-1971: John Wesson * 1971-1974: Robert Hope * 1973-1976: Anthony Burdon * 1974-1976:

Peter Toon Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

* 1976-1980: Robert Key * 1980-1983: David Banting * 1983-1986: Kevin Scott * 1988-1991: Timothy Hastie-Smith, later Director of Scripture Union (England & Wales).Passing the baton - Scripture Union
/ref> * 1991-1998:

, later Rector * 1995-2001: David Gibb * 1999-2003: Anthony Jones * 2002–present: Pete Wilkinson * 2003-2008: Julian Bidgood * 2008-2012: Phil Jack * 2009–present: David Reid * 2010-2014: Suresh Menon * 2013-2018: James Fletcher * 2013-2017: Alistair Gibbs * 2017–2019: Matt Pope * 2017–2021: Joel Knight * 2021-present: Glenn Nesbitt

Non-stipendiary ministers

* 2005-2008: Sam Allberry * 2012-2013: Phil Jack * 2015–present: James Poole * 2016–present: John Miller

Deacons

* 1979-1991: Jean Ritchie * 1991-1993: Patricia Whelan