| St Ebbe's Church | |
The Norman west door
|
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| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Low Church |
| Website | St Ebbe's |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Ebbe's |
| Deanery | Oxford |
| Archdeaconry | Oxford |
| Diocese | Oxford |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Clergy | |
| Rector | Vaughan Roberts |
St Ebbe's is a Church of England parish church in central Oxford which is in the conservative evangelical tradition. It has members from many nations, many of whom are students at Oxford University. The Rector is Vaughan Roberts, author and conference speaker.
The church holds Sunday morning and evening services both in central Oxford and in Headington, and holds an additional morning service during Oxford University terms. The church also organises a range of small groups, meeting midweek, including a Christianity Explored group aimed at those wanting to find out what Christians believe.
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,[1] 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.[2]
The present church was built in 1814–16. It was enlarged and improved in 1866 and 1904. A fine Norman doorway of the 12th century has been restored and placed at the west end.[3] The church is a 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 has a ministry amongst the remaining part of the parish, although most of its members live outside the parish.
Former rectors include Thomas Valpy French, John Arkell, Maurice Wood, John Stansfeld, Basil Gough, Keith Weston and David Fletcher.