Charles Jefferson - our new Vicar

Post date: Mar 4, 2017 5:34:54 PM

‘Who Do You Think You Are?’

As we prepare to leave South Northamptonshire, Cathryn and I are looking forward very much to being part of the community and making our home in the vicarage. But perhaps I could first share a little about myself. My name is Charles Jefferson and for the last 35 years I have been a vicar serving in a variety of parishes including mill town, market town, suburban and rural in the Dioceses of Chester, Gloucester and Peterborough. I have also been a school chaplain, head of department, and rugby and cricket coach in two junior and senior Independent schools in Gloucestershire and Suffolk and have enjoyed captaining three diocesan cricket teams in the Church Times Cup cricket competition.

However, none of this was anticipated when I was growing up. My parents did not go to church and I was more interested in playing football (preferably for Nottingham Forest!) or perhaps rugby (having been spotted by a scout for Wakefield Trinity). All of that changed when at a time of difficulty in my life I spoke with my school chaplain at Uppingham School and he gave me two Bible passages Proverbs 3:1-6 and Hebrews 13:5-6. These had a profound effect on me but knowing very little about the person of Jesus, I began reading the Good News Bible with some Bible reading notes and began to discover who he was and what God in Christ had done for me.

Leaving school, and having become a Christian, I worked on a kibbutz in Israel before reading Theology at St. Peter’s College, Oxford University. During two long vacations I travelled to India and Pakistan on behalf of The Bible and Medical Missionary Society and following university spent two years in Everton working at Shrewsbury House, a church-led open youth club and community centre. It was there that I met Cathryn and, after a further two years of ministry training at Ridley Hall in Cambridge, we were married a month before I was ordained. Cath has been an enormous support and encouragement to me over the years and we have two sons Edward and William who both live in Bristol.

In my ministry I have always been passionate about preaching and teaching, seeking to present the good news of Christ as clearly, faithfully, practically and attractively as possible, especially for those who may be unsure of the Christian faith and unfamiliar with Christian worship.

So, believing that Together Everyone Achieves More, I hope that as TEAM Mellor, Balderstone and Samlesbury we will aim to Know God Personally, Share Christ Faithfully and Serve Others Joyfully and so grow the kingdom of God in our three communities.

Thank you for your best wishes, prayers and support. They are greatly appreciated by both Cathryn and my self, particularly during the next few weeks as we move. Thank you also for the warm welcome we have already received and we look forward very much to meeting you all.

Charles Jefferson