Benefice Information

A Deanery reorganisation in 2011 put St Mary's Twyford and St James Ruscomber into one Benefice with St Nicholas, Hurst. It worked fine overall, however, when the previous incumbent left in 2022 the PCCs of the three churches decided to make the courageous and faithful decision to separate, allowing for the appointment of a Full Time Vicar at Ruscombe and Twyford and a House for Duty priest at Hurst.

Therefore, from the 1st April 2024, St Marys Twyford and St James Ruscombe together make up the Benefice of Ruscombe & Twyford.

The parish of Ruscombe & Twyford is also in a, long standing and fruitful, Local Ecumenical Partnership (LEP) with the Twyford United Reformed Church (see more information on the LEP below).

We share one church office which is the first point of contact for all enquiries about the two parishes and the LEP. It is also the place to make first enquiries about baptisms, weddings and funerals.

Twyford LEP

The Anglican parish of St Mary the Virgin, Twyford, and St James the Great, Ruscombe (which is one Anglican parish with one PCC), and Twyford United Reformed Church form a Local Ecumenical Partnership (LEP). An LEP is an agreement by local churches to work together as much as possible.

Our LEP is somewhat unusual as we have maintained our separate buildings. Most weeks we hold services in all three churches, coming together to worship in united services approximately twelve times per year. We no longer have separate meetings, but share together in all decisions for planning and mission. The Church of England Ministers and the United Reformed Church Minister work as a team, along with a Children's and Family Worker. We retain our own pastoral responsibilities, but the Ministry Team are all able to take services in all three churches, including presiding at Holy Communion.

Both churches are still part of the structure of their respective denominations:

• St Mary's and St James is in the Sonning Deanery, which is part of the Diocese of Oxford within the Church of England

• Twyford URC is in the Wessex Synod of the national United Reformed Church