Pastoral Re-organisation 1

The Church of England Church Commissioners

Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011
Diocese of Saint Edmundsbury and Ipswich
Parishes of: Bentley; and Tattingstone
The Bishop of Saint Edmundsbury and Ipswich has asked us to prepare a draft Pastoral Scheme in respect of pastoral proposals affecting the above parishes.
I attach a copy of the draft Scheme and a glossary of terms used together with the Notice. I am sending a copy to all the statutory interested parties, as the Mission and Pastoral Measure requires, and any others with an interest in the proposals.
Anyone may make representations for or against all or any part or parts of the draft Scheme (please include the reasons for your views) by post or, preferably, by email to reach me no later than midnight on 26 January 2026. If we have not acknowledged receipt of your representation before this date, please ring or e-mail me to ensure it has been received. For administrative purposes, a petition will be classed as a single representation and we will only correspond with the sender of the petition, if known, or otherwise the first signatory for whom we can identify an address – “the primary petitioner”.
If we do not receive representations against the draft Scheme, we will make the Scheme and it will come into effect as it provides. A copy of the completed Scheme will be sent to you together with a note of its effective date.
If we receive any representations against the draft Scheme, we will send them, and any representations supporting the draft Scheme, to the Bishop whose views will be sought. Individual representors and the primary petitioner will then receive copies of our correspondence with the Bishop (including copies of all the representations). They and individual petitioners may comment further. Copies of all of the representations received and associated correspondence will normally be published on the Commissioners’ website if the matter needs to be considered by us.
Those making representations should indicate whether they would like an opportunity to speak to the Commissioners regarding their representations in the event the Commissioners decide a hearing should be held. Meetings are normally held at Church House, Westminster, but they may need to be held virtually via ‘Zoom’. If a hearing is held, we will let you know the arrangements for
Patrick Brown
Mission and Pastoral Services
Our ref: 33/233D
18 December 2025
Church House, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3AZ
Direct Line +44(0)20 7898 1599 Switchboard: +44(0)20 7898 1000
Email: patrick.brown [at] churchofengland.org
Website: www.ccpastoral.org
The Church Commissioners are a registered charity (number 1140097)
attending (in person or virtually) and details will also appear on our website. Otherwise, if a hearing is not to be held, the case will be considered in private and you will be informed accordingly.
When we acknowledge representations we will let individual representors (and the primary petitioner) know the next few dates of our Committee’s meetings. We will confirm the actual date of any hearing nearer the time. The Commissioners will decide if the draft Scheme should proceed when they consider all the representations on the basis of a paper prepared by their staff and any points raised at the meeting. If the Commissioners do so decide, any representor or petitioner against the draft Scheme may seek leave from the Privy Council to appeal against the decision.
You will be informed of the Commissioners’ decision and the reasons for it.
Please see www.churchofengland.org/consultation for further information about the procedure.
PCC Secretaries, incumbents/priests-in-charge/rural deans, persons taking services during the Notice Period and local planning authorities should refer to the relevant notes below for important additional information concerning them.
Patrick Brown
Notes
1. PCC Secretaries
The draft Scheme is sent to you as PCC Secretary. Please ensure that it is drawn to the attention of the other members so the PCC as a body is able to make any comments on the draft if it wishes.
You are required as soon as possible to:
i) print and display the Notice(s) (please display single-sided where possible) at or near the main door of every parish church, chapel of ease or licensed place of worship in your parish; (if you are unable to print the Notice(s) please get in touch with me and I will make arrangements for copies to be sent to you for display);
ii) make arrangements for the Announcement (see 2. below) to be made at as many services as possible at every parish church, chapel of ease or licensed place of worship in your parish where a service is held during the notice period (including any that are ‘streamed’).
Please e-mail or telephone me confirmation as soon as you have displayed the Notice(s) and made arrangements for the announcements to be made. Do not wait until the end of the notice period before confirming this.
Although the following are not legal requirements, to ensure that as many of those who habitually attend public worship, as is practicable, are aware of the contents of the Notice and draft Scheme,
you are also encouraged to take (or make arrangements for), where possible, such of the following steps as is appropriate in your parish:
i) arrange for copies of the Notice and draft Scheme to be posted to members of the worshipping community who are shielding or self-isolating (in accordance with the general advice to parishes this should be by the postal service and not hand delivered);
ii) insert the Notice in the parish magazine or newsletter;
iii) display the draft Scheme with the Notice at every parish church, chapel of ease or licensed place of worship in your parish;
iv) use Facebook/social media posts;
v) send emails; and
vi) spread by word of mouth, including pastoral telephone calls.
Please make a note of what you have been able to do regarding steps i) to vi) above in case the consultation process is queried.
If you are no longer the PCC Secretary, please pass this communication to the current Secretary and let me have a note of his or her name and email/postal address.
2. The Announcement
Anybody taking services (including those that are ‘streamed’) during the Notice Period should ensure that the following announcement is made.
PCC Secretaries – please note that it is essential that:
i) Notices are displayed; and
ii) arrangements are made for Announcements.
3. Incumbents/priests-in-charge/rural deans
Please ensure that the required Notices are displayed and Announcements made.
If a PCC Secretary is not able to carry out these requirements, please could you arrange for these matters to be dealt with as soon as possible. Please also let me know if there has been a recent change of Secretary in any of the parishes.
“A Notice giving the objects of proposed pastoral reorganisation affecting this parish has or will be displayed near the main door and on the Church of England website. The Notice includes the last date by which representations regarding the proposed reorganisation may be made to the Church Commissioners.”
4. Circulation List
The Crown
The Bishop of Saint Edmundsbury and Ipswich
The Archdeacon of Suffolk
The Rural Dean of Samford The Lay Chair of Samford
The Patron of the Benefice of East Bergholt and Brantham
Master, Fellows and Scholars of Emmanuel College in the University of Cambridge
The Patrons of the Benefice of Sproughton with Burstall, Copdock with Washbrook and Belstead and Bentley with Tattingstone
A Patronage Board consisting of:
The Bishop of Saint Edmundsbury and Ipswich The Saint Edmundsbury and Ipswich Diocesan Board of Patronage
The corporate body established for the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Christ
Canterbury
The Patrons of the Benefice of Capel Saint Mary with Little Wenham and Great Wenham
The Bishop of Saint Edmundsbury and Ipswich in her Corporate Capacity
The Society for the Maintenance of the Faith
The Patrons of the Shoreline Benefice
His Majesty in right of His Crown, exercisable by the Lord Chancellor on His behalf
The Bishop of Saint Edmundsbury and Ipswich in her Corporate Capacity
The Patrons of the Two Rivers Benefice
The Bishop of Saint Edmundsbury and Ipswich in her Corporate Capacity The Martyrs' Memorial and Church of England Trust
The Parochial Church Councils (PCC), c/o the PCC Secretary/Administrator or Churchwarden:
Amanda Males, Jackie Reeves; East Bergholt
Sally Wilden; Harkstead
Amanda Males, Jane Pavitt; Brantham
Maureen Coulson; Shotley
Ken Windsor; Belstead
Pamela Browne; Freston
Sandra Mehen; Bentley
Suzie Fiske; Holbrook
Gwen Runnacles; Burstall
Heidi Chartres; Stutton
Linda Sheppard; Copdock with Washbrook
Maggie Talmer; Wherstead
Philip Jones; Sproughton
Jennifer Young; Woolverstone
Lyn Tomlinson; Tattingstone
Jenny Hickey; Capel Saint Mary with Little Wenham
Diana Hunt; Great Wenham
Revd Liesbeth Oosterhof; Erwarton
Mr Gary Peverley, Diocesan Secretary
Ms Jane Sheat, Diocesan Director of Education
The Clergy instituted or licenced to the Benefices:
The Reverend Chris Willis The Reverend Natalie West
The Reverend Sally Letman
The Reverend Adrian Waller
The Revd Liesbeth Oosterhof
The Revd Jenny Seggar