Like every organisation, spiritual or ortherwise, the Benefice of Newport Pagnell with Lathbury and Moulsoe needs a structure to manage its activities. There are three parishes in the Benefice and the Rector (another term for a vicar) has overall responsibility for the worship, the churches and the spiritual welfare of everyone who lives in the benefice. He is supported by two Licensed Lay Ministers, Churchwardens, two Parochial Church Councils and an Administrator, plus numerous other teams who look after specific areas such as Events or Parish Visiting.
The Ministry Team
All baptised Christians exercise some way of ministering the Good News to friends and neighbours but some are licensed by the Bishop for particular tasks. The Rector is the parish priest and team leader who conducts Communion, baptism, funeral and wedding services. He is assisted by two Licensed Lay Ministers who can lead other services and can preach.
The Rector Nick Evans
Nick doesn’t want to be and never has been a remote priest and welcomes contact from anyone who is exploring their faith, has a theological question or is troubled in some way and wants to chat.
Revd Nick Evans has been ordained for 39 years. He trained at Queen’s College Birmingham before his first curacy in the Hereford Diocese. Since then he has served his priesthood in the London, Guildford and Birmingham Dioceses, taught R.E. at a secondary comprehensive school as well as being an Army Chaplain for several years with tours in Bosnia and Northern Ireland. He has been involved in Christian Healing Ministry for many years and encourages the development of this gift in others. Married to Moira with three adult children and three dogs, Hektor, Basil and Willow. In his spare time Nick is an ardent football fan, supporting Aston Villa as his team of heart but locally attends many MK Dons and Northampton Town matches. If you'd like to get in touch with Nick his email is nickevans49@outlook.com or call 01908 612244 / 07769550204.
The Licensed Lay Ministers (LLMs)
Karen Goff
Karen recently retired from work as a primary schoolteacher and has been involved in the church since moving to Newport Pagnell in 1980. She spent her childhood years in Hayes, Middlesex and her teenage years in Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire before studying at Westminster College, Oxford for her teaching degree. She is married to Stephen and they have 2 married daughters and 3 small grandchildren. She has been involved with Sunday school, Youth work, baptism preparation, church community events and has served on the PCC for many years. She felt the call to Lay Ministry many years ago and after juggling family, work and studying was licensed in November 2015 in Christchurch Cathedral, Oxford. She enjoys all forms of worship and is delighted to be part of the ministry team at St Peter and St Paul’s. Now she has a bit more time she loves to go to the theatre to watch musicals and spend time with her family. If you’d like to contact Karen, email her on karengoff_2000@yahoo.co.uk
Mervyn Evans
Mervyn, and his wife Lynda, have lived in Newport Pagnell since 1992 having settled here after eighteen years in the RAF, flying operational tours on the Jaguar, instructing on the Tornado and spending nine years as a test pilot at Farnborough and Boscombe Down. On leaving the RAF, he joined Monarch Airlines flying airliners around Europe before retiring in 2015. Licensed as a Lay Reader in 1995, he has worked in the churches of Newport Pagnell, Moulsoe and Lathbury and has at various times been Churchwarden, Chair of Churches Together in Newport Pagnell and Chair of the Parish Fabric Committee. Having been involved in maintaining the bricks and mortar of the Parish Church for some years, Mervyn is now working with others to look at how the Parish Church might be updated to better meet the needs of the community in coming years. Mervyn can be contacted via the Parish Office or by email smevans@me.com
Churchwardens
These are lay people elected by parishioners at an Annual Vestry Meeting and admitted to office by the Archdeacon on behalf of the Bishop. They, with the parish priest, are responsible for the day-to-day functioning of the parish that elected them. In addition they each take care of one of the church buildings. The Canons of the Church of England states that:
"Churchwardens shall be foremost in representing the laity and in cooperating with the incumbent; they shall use their best endeavours by example and precept to encourage the parishioners in the practice of true religion and to promote unity and peace among them. They shall also maintain order and decency in the church and churchyard, especially during the time of divine service. The property, in the plate, ornaments and other moveable goods of the church, is vested in them, and they should keep an up-to-date inventory of these items, and deliver them to their successors.”
Jenny Frost
Jenny Frost was born not far from Newport Pagnell and attended school in the town but moved around a lot before finally settling here in 1966. She was baptised at St Peter's in Astwood where her parents were married. She attended Sunday School in Astwood and after moving to Newport Pagnell went to church either at St Peter & St Paul or the United Reformed Church. As a teenager church attendance stopped but after marrying in St Peter & St Paul in 1978 she has been involved in the parish one way or another over many years, mainly at St Luke's which is her regular place of worship. She enjoys needle crafts (but not patchwork!) and is hopeless with flowers and plants which do not stand a chance! If you wish to contact Jenny please email jenny_frost@hotmail.com
Jennifer Mazzone
Jennifer Mazzone was born and educated in Newport Pagnell and at The Radcliffe School in Wolverton. She was baptised in St. Luke’s Church (where she also attended Sunday School) and confirmed and married in the Parish Church. She is married to Ralph and for several years Jennifer was the organist and Ralph the Choirmaster at St Peter and St Paul’s Church. They have one daughter, Sarah who is married to Johnny.
Following her Teacher Training at Keswick Hall in Norwich, Jennifer taught in Bletchley and Newport Pagnell for 30 years, a job she loved. She is also a qualified Piano Teacher. She has been a regular worshipper at the Parish Church all her life and her faith means everything to her.
Jennifer is Branch Leader of the Mothers’ Union, an organisation about which she is passionate. Her great love is music, playing the piano and the theatre. She enjoys accompanying the U3A Choir, lacemaking and reading amongst many other hobbies.
You may contact Jennifer by email
Sarah Hoskins
Sarah Hoskins should have known what she was letting herself in for when she became churchwarden at St Mary’s in Moulsoe in 2005, since her father, two aunts and a grandmother had all held the role at their respective churches for long periods. Sarah herself was born and brought up in the Midlands but had spent 15 years or so working abroad before settling in Moulsoe in 1998 and becoming a member of the PCC.
While a very different church from the cathedral in Durham, where Sarah was at university, St Mary’s has the same ‘prayer-soaked’ atmosphere that has been such an essential part of nurturing people’s faith over the years, through good times and bad.
Sarah sees the church in Moulsoe very much as part of the warp and weft of village life; an essential presence in such a small community. St Mary’s has traditionally been keen to celebrate the key occasions in the farming year as a way of reflecting this – the words of the popular harvest hymn “We plough the fields and scatter the good seed on the land, but it is fed and watered by God’s almighty hand” have always been particularly resonant there. While such traditions remain important, Sarah and the team now have to move with the times and face the challenges – and opportunities – presented by the major development of Milton Keynes East, a large proportion of which, as things stand at present, will one day form part of the parish of Moulsoe.
You can contact Sarah on moulsoe.church@gmail.com
The Parochial Church Councils (PCCs)
These are groups of lay people elected at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting by people who attend church regularly and are on the electoral roll.
Churches have charitable status and the members of the PCC are the trustees of this charity as well as sharing the responsibility to support the ministry team. The amended Parochial Church Council Measure states that:
"the principal function of the PCC is “promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.”
Administrator
Malcolm Godwin
Malcolm Godwin is the administrator for the Benefice supporting the Rector and all three parishes as required. One of his tasks is to update the church calendar and he is often the first point of contact if you need to make a booking.