Heslington Church
Encyclopedia
Heslington
Heslington is a suburban village and civil parish within the City of York, in North Yorkshire, England, south-east of the centre of York. Prior to 1974, it was a village in the Derwent Rural District, which was part of the East Riding of Yorkshire...
, near York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. As well as the village and some more modern housing estates, the church also serves some outlying farms. The Heslington campus of the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
is also in the parish.
It is a local ecumenical partnership
Local ecumenical partnership
In England and Wales, a local ecumenical partnership is a partnership between churches of different denominations. First piloted in 1964, over 850 now exist to promote unity between different Christian denominations....
between the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
and the Methodist Church, making it one of few joint Methodist/Anglican churches. It was formed from Saint Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
's Church, Heslington and Heslington Methodist Chapel in 1971, the name of the combined church being "Heslington Church", though some people still incorrectly refer to it as "St Paul's". The old Methodist Chapel is now the village meeting room.
The building looks much like a Victorian parish church from the south. It was originally constructed in 1858. However, the north wall was removed during rebuilding in the 1970s, and the building was extended by the ecclesiastical architect Ronald Sims
Ronald Sims
Ronald Sims was a distinguished ecclesiastical architect who redesigned many English church interiors. His style combined modernism with a respect for tradition and particularly the arts and crafts movement. He graduated in 1952, when he joined the practice of George Pace, the ecclesiastical...
. Sims added a modern suite of meeting rooms, vestry and kitchen on the north side. The old choir and sanctuary now form a separate chapel, and the congregation sits in a semicircle facing the new altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
to the north. The building is now a Grade II listed building.
Each denomination in the ecumenical partnership is represented by a member of clergy; the Anglican vicar is Rev. Nancy Eckersley, while Rev. Rory Dalgleish, Methodist chaplain to the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
, represents the Methodist Church. Rev. Rowan Williams, Anglican chaplain to the university, frequently worships at the church, although the church and the university chaplaincy are officially separate. Nancy Eckersley retires in January 2011. Services are conducted from a combined liturgy, written by the church.
Sunday services take place at 9.00am (traditional) and 11.00am (contemporary), though the 6.30pm service has recently stopped meeting. Aside from the usual midweek meetings, the church also plays host to various university groups throughout the week.