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 ...

in central

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

, named after the seventh-century abbess

Æbbe of Coldingham Æbbe, also called Tabbs, ( – 683) was an Anglian abbess and noblewoman. She was the daughter of Æthelfrith, king of Bernicia from to 616. She founded monasteries at Ebchester and St Abb's Head near Coldingham in Scotland. Life Early ...

. The church is within the

conservative evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of the Christian go ...

tradition A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common e ...

and participates in the Anglican

Reform movement Reformism is a type of social movement that aims to bring a social system, social or also a political system closer to the community's ideal. A reform movement is distinguished from more Radicalism (politics), radical social movements such as re ...

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

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

. The rector is

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 Northumbria () was an early medieval Heptarchy, kingdom in what is now Northern England and Scottish Lowlands, South Scotland. The name derives from the Old English meaning "the people or province north of the Humber", as opposed to the Sout ...

n St Æbbe of Coldingham, but it has been suggested that

Æbbe of Oxford Æbbe is an Anglo-Saxon female name. It may refer to: * Saint Æbbe of Coldingham (c. 615–683) or Æbbe the Elder, abbess * Saint Æbbe of Oxford, saint venerated in Oxfordshire * Saint Æbbe of Minster-in-Thanet or Domne Eafe, 7th century abb ...

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 earlie ...

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 musician Jeremy Camp. It was released on November 16, 2004, by BEC Recordings. Track listing Standard release Enhanced edition Deluxe gold edition Standard Aus ...

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 (building), 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 com ...

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 Æb ...

, 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 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 he formed the partnership ...

. 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 10:00, 4:00 and 6:30. 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 emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of the Christian go ...

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

ordination of women The ordination of women to Minister of religion, ministerial or priestly office is an increasingly common practice among some contemporary major religious groups. It remains a controversial issue in certain religious groups in which ordination ...

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 w ...

from the

Bishop of Ebbsfleet The Bishop of Ebbsfleet is a suffragan bishop who fulfils the role of a provincial episcopal visitor in the Church of England. From its creation in 1994 to 2022, the Bishop of Ebbsfleet served traditionalist Anglo-Catholic parishes that reject t ...

(currently Rob Munro). 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 (also known as The Hall and 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" and was the last ...

* 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: The College of All Souls of the Faithful Departed, of Oxford) 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 me ...

* 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 (Catholic Church), ordinary of the Church of England Anglican Diocese of Norwich, Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers most of the county of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. Th ...

* 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; 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 Astro ...

* 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 List of ecclesiastical ...

* 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 29 January 1820 until his death in 1830. At the time of his accession to the throne, h ...

* 1868-1874: E.P. Hathaway * 1874-1877: Thomas Valpy French, later Bishop of Lahore * 1881: John Arkell * 1901-1909: P.W.G. Filleul * 1912-1926: John Stansfeld * 1947–1952:

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

, 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. Overview The College ...

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, 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 curac ...

* 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 * 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