Re-uniting Hemlington and Stainton

Updated 12th March 2021

The unification took place on Monday 1st March 2021 - see below for full details.

The benefice and parish of Hemlington was formed in 1993 from part of the area of the parish of Stainton. The church of St Timothy, Hemlington, the only  church in the parish, is subject to severe structural challenges and was the subject of a recent draft pastoral scheme for closure and demolition. The parish has struggled in recent years and the Diocesan Mission and Pastoral Committee's preferred way forward would be for the parish of Hemlington to re-unite with its mother parish of Stainton.

The Church Commissioners have published a Draft Pastoral Scheme which provides for:

• the termination of the plurality established for the benefice of Stainton with Hilton and the benefice of Brookfield;
• the union of the benefice of Hemlington and the benefice of Stainton with Hilton and their constituent parishes of Hemlington; and Stainton, but with the parish of Hilton continuing distinct;
• the transfer of the parsonage house of the benefice of Hemlington to the York Diocesan Board of Finance for diocesan purposes;
• the future patronage arrangements for the new benefice; and
• the new benefice of Stainton with Hemlington and Hilton and the benefice of Brookfield to be held in plurality by one incumbent, for the appointment of the first incumbent and her place of residence to be the parsonage house of the benefice of Brookfield and for the future patronage arrangements of the benefices so held in plurality.

Anyone may make representations for or against all or any part or parts of the draft Scheme (please include the reasons for your views) preferably by email or by post to reach the Church Commissioners no later than midnight on 15 February 2021. Full details of the proposals are available in the following documents.

A letter from the Church Commissoners about the draft Pastoral Scheme at this link and how to submit any comments you may have;

A formal Notice about the proposed Pastoral Scheme at this link (copies of the Notice have been posted on the notice boards in all three Churches in our Plurality);

A copy of the draft Pastoral Scheme at this link; and

A glossary of the terms used in the documents at this link.

The Pastoral Scheme to re-unite Hemlington with Stainton was "made" by the Church Commissioners on 25th February 2021 and comes into effect on Monday 1st March 2021, and on that day our Priest-in-Charge Revd Claire Todd becomes our Vicar. A copy of the "made" Scheme can be found at this link.