|
The church of St Nicolas Berden is joined with St Mary the Virgin Manuden, St Simon and St Jude Quendon and All Saints Rickling in a benefice that is in the Deanery of Saffron Walden within the Diocese of Chelmsford, the second largest Diocese in the Church of England. This new parish arrangement came about in 2006 when the Deanery of Newport and Stansted was dissolved, and the parishes were subsumed into either Saffron Walden or what is now the Dunmow and Stansted Deanery.
All our churches date back some 700 years or more and each church in the Benefice has its own character and beauty, they cannot really be compared with each other. St Nicholas like Manuden and Quendon but unlike Rickling lies in the centre of the village, and has recently undergone a complete programme of re-decoration. As the four churches share a Priest there is a weekly programme of church services, those at Berden being a 6 pm Evensong and Communion on the first Sunday in the month, an 11 am Prayer Book Communion on the second Sunday in the month, a 3 pm Children’s service on the third Sunday in the month, and a 9.30 am Common Worship Communion on the fourth Sunday in the month. When there is a fifth Sunday in the month the 11 am service visits one of the four churches in rotation. Not only is the church used for worship but there are occasions when other activities take place such as Food Fairs, Concerts, and Suppers, and there have also been local theatrical presentations held in the church as well. The Priest in Charge is the Rev’d Canon Chris Bishop who is also Industrial Chaplain at Stansted Airport, and the Church Wardens are Mrs Kate Harrison and Dr Ken Strafford.
|
Haze (30oF • -1oC)