St Ebbe's is a Church of England parish church in central Oxford, named after the seventh-century abbess Æbbe of Coldingham. The church is within the conservative evangelical tradition and participates in the Anglican Reform movement. It has members from many nations, many of whom are students at Oxford University. The rector is Vaughan Roberts 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 Northumbrian St Æbbe of Coldingham, but it has been suggested that Æbbe of Oxford was a different saint. The name was first recorded in about 1005 when the church was granted to Eynsham Abbey by Ealdorman Æthelmær the Stout, when it was already recorded as the "ancient St Ebbe's".Victoria County History of Oxfordshire: Medieval Oxford.
The present church was built in 1814–16. It was restored between 1862 and 1868, and again in 1904. A Norman doorway of the 12th century has been restored and placed at the west end.Alden's Oxford Guide. Oxford; Alden; 1958; p. 125. The church is the parish church for the parish of St Ebbes, 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. 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 tradition of the Church of England, and it has passed resolutions to reject the ordination of women and/or female leadership. It receives alternative episcopal oversight from the Bishop of Ebbsfleet (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 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 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 1707-1714: John Knott 1714-1719: Matthew Panting; Master of Pembroke College 1719-1727: Bernard Peisley 1727-1734: Thomas Hillman 1736-1742: Nathaniel Bliss; later the fourth Astronomer Royal 1742-1753: Thomas Camplin; Vice-Principal of St Edmund Hall and later the Archdeacon of Taunton 1753-1771: Robert Ewings 1771-1809: Henry Richards 1808-1868: William Hambury; later Chaplain to George IV 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, later Principal of Oak Hill College and Bishop of Norwich 1952–1964: Basil Gough 1964–1985: Keith Weston 1986–1998: David Fletcher 1998–present: Vaughan Roberts
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 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 1991-1998: Vaughan Roberts, 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
References
Further reading