Clergy
The Rector
David was born in Birmingham but brought up in Droitwich, where his parents still live, and he has family farming roots in The Vale of Evesham.
After Grammar School in Bromsgrove he trained as a School master at St.Paul’s C of E College in Cheltenham, and read for a degree from Bristol University. He taught in a boys Prep. School near Portsmouth and became a Reader in 1975.
After reflection on his ministry he was encouraged by others to move towards full time ordained ministry and so studied at The Queens Theological College, Edgbaston.
Between 1979-1981 he was Curate of Ludlow and from 1981-1984 team vicar in the newly formed Ludlow Team Ministry, responsible for Ashford Carbonell -where he lived, Ashford Bowdler, Caynham, and Richards Castle. This was an exciting time as the church began to grasp the ministry of all the baptised, and many people were trained and deployed in the ministry.
From 1984-1991 he was vicar of Marden near Hereford, but also, during this time, he had Diocesan jobs:-Field Officer for Lay Ministry; Director of Clergy In service Training, and of Post Ordination training.. He taught on the Ordination Course, now called WEMTEC.
From 1991-1994 he returned to teaching at a Day Prep. School near Marlborough, where he acted as Head.
Between 1994-2000 he was Chaplain to Frenchay Health Care Trust in Bristol. An acute hospital with neuro-surgery, accident and emergency, and Psychiatric Secure Unit (PSU). During his time there he taught at his old university in the School of Medicine, as well as contributing to clergy training in the diocese of Bristol.
Between 2000-2004 David was Ministry Development Adviser, Diocese of Lincoln, and was responsible for clergy in-service training, fostering Local Ministry and teaching on the ordination course. He acted as Parish Development Adviser- consultancy work encouraging parishes in their ministry.
In 2004 David was appointed Rector of Pontesbury I and II. He had not been a parish priest for 13 years, and he has found it to be a revealing and invigorating experience. He is attempting to gather all the resources God has given to serve this community. David has recently been elected to the Bishop's Council.
David's hobbies are cricket ( more a religion!), and he used to be a soccer referee. He now gets obsessive with his camera.
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Curate
Carolyn Chadwick was ordained deacon in Hereford cathedral by Bishop Anthony on Sunday 1st July to serve as non-stipendiary assistant curate at St. George's, Pontesbury.
There was a formal welcome for her at the Parish Communion Service on Sun July 15th 2007 at 10:30. Please pray for her and for John, her husband, as she begins her ministry here.
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Reader
Brought up in Broadstairs (‘Seven miles of golden sands’!) David (DC to avoid confusion with the other David) was nicknamed ‘Tub’ during his schooldays. Following an unsuccessful early attempt to join the navy, DC gave in to his fate, as evidenced by his surname, by studying forestry and then gaining a wood science doctorate. Since then his entire career has been in the forest products industry in the UK. Never staying in one place too long, he has worked in the pulp and paper sector, both hardwood and softwood, in sawmilling (including Ransfords at Bishop’s Castle) and panelboard manufacturing at Chirk and elsewhere.
Since 1992 he has been with the country’s leading wood by-products company, A. W. Jenkinson Forest Products, and is now Company Secretary. Amongst other things, the company supplies all the bark and peat-free compost stocked by B & Q stores nationwide. Outside his normal job, DC is also President of the United Kingdom Forest Products Association. Work is based in Penrith, but also involves regular visits to subsidiary companies at Tetbury and Cirencester. DC hopes to ‘retire’ to a day a week in June 2007, and thus not have to drive quite so much as at present (and, of course, to do more in the Parish).
DC has always been a churchgoer, and as a choirboy and server this was often four times on a Sunday. Invited to become a Reader while living in Wales in the 1980’s, work precluded training, a situation that persisted when asked again in the 1990’s. Finally, Bishop John Saxbee arranged for him to study with Philip Harratt, Rural Dean, and DC was licensed and admitted as a Reader in St. George’s Church in September, 2001. Affected by the example of Philip Dickinson, DC was attracted mostly to pastoral visiting rather than preaching, and this is helped by being able to empathise with the elderly. However, he also finds it a wonderful privilege to be able to preach and try to get over to congregations large or small (and himself) just what it is that makes Christian faith relevant in the 21st century.
DC could not undertake his role as Reader without the support of his wife, Alison. They were married in 1968, and have two children, now in their 30’s, and two grandchildren. Although son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren live in Melbourne, Australia, this has at least meant that there are regular visits downunder to see them and their wonderful country. DC’s main outside interest is just that, hill walking, and most holidays involve getting up mountains, accompanied, usually willingly, by Alison.
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Ordinand Trainees
Shirley Small from St. George's congregation has been accepted for training as an Ordinand.
Shirley leads the Palm Sunday procession with her donkeys
Shirley has worked as a hospital nurse and midwife, and then moved into the pharmaceutical industry, where she eventually managed medical information and drug safety departments.
She now works from home, providing medical/clinical information on drugs via a telephone helpline to clinicians, pharmacists, nurses and patients – as well as preparing reports, abstracting clinical papers and drug safety reporting.
At home, Shirley and husband David, foster donkeys from the Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth, Devon – as well as looking after their dogs and family horses. She occasionally works on a scoring team for British Eventing.
Shirley and David have married children and grandchildren in New Zealand and the Netherlands, a son and daughter and grandchild in Wales, and a daughter living in Pontesbury. Shirley is training for the priesthood with the West of England Ministerial Training Course [WEMTC], based in Ludlow, Shropshire.
Caroline Wright
Caroline has always been a regular churchgoer and was secretary of the Deanery Synod at 22! She was brought up in rural South Bucks and moved to
Shropshire
in 1974. She was involved in farming until her marriage breakdown in 1990. Caroline then managed the reduced farm and accommodation business whilst bringing up four children and running a small bed and breakfast business.
Since 1997 when she moved to her present home, between Dorrington and Picklescott, Caroline has carried out a variety of jobs, including being PA to a Financial Advisor, various secretarial jobs, cleaning and being a waitress in her local pub, and is currently working three days a week looking after her grandson Ziggy who is a regular member of Little Dragons.
She has been an organist in her local church, and worked extensively with
Junior
Church
and Children’s Holiday Bible Club.
Caroline runs a thriving Bed & Breakfast business and is training for the ordained ministry at WEMTC alongside Shirley.
She has four grown up married children and a number of grandchildren, all of whom are strongly supportive of her vocation.
One son is about to move to
Brazil
with his wife and family while her other son and two daughters live in
England
.
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