Ministry Team

Revd Patrick Angier: Vicar

I have been vicar here since 2006 as vicar of St Peter's; my task is to oversee the ministry and mission of the parish. This means encouraging, training and equipping lay and ordained paid and volunteer ministry – for ministry is the role not of a few, but of the whole people of God. With the Parochial Church Council – the governing board of the parish (not to be confused with the Civil parish council) – and other staff members, we seek to be faithful to both that mission and the values that underpin it. Our aim is to equip God's people through Word, Sacrament and Spirit to live out their Christian calling in their everyday lives.

You may wonder what sort of a church we are, one of our joys is to try not to fit too easily into any boxes or be labelled as one type of church or another perhaps a way of describing Church is "mixed economy". We aim to provide a variety of worship, prayer and teaching so that all are included. We are a church with activities for children and young people, there are choirs and a music group, we sing psalms and canticles, but also choruses and songs, we use traditional language, common worship and have whole family worship. We are a growing church in a time of change, and this is always a challenge, but my prayer is that as we seek God's will and are faithful to His lead, we will become all that He wants us to be.

My role, therefore, at St. Peter's is to lead and support the people of this faith community in growing closer to God, following the teaching and example of Jesus Christ allowing the Holy Spirit to change challenge and transform us all, so that as we deepen our faith we grow closer to God and to each other, and our surrounding community is transformed.

For those who want to know a bit about the vicar, I was born in Solihull in Warwickshire & grew up in Gloucestershire. Studied sciences at University then after graduating and further studies worked as a Youth Minister in Guildford, Lichfield, Norwich and Coventry Diocese, and then, after theological college, I served my title at Holy Trinity Stratford. Beverley and I have been married for sixteen years and have four children, when not involved in church life we like getting out into the wonderful countryside that surrounds Prestbury, and are into growing our own vegetables and keeping chickens. Over the years I have written a number of books on youth work and also on liturgy and worship. Over the last year this has included an introduction to Times to Seasons published by Grove books and Connecting with Baptism by Church House publishing.

Elizabeth Briggs: Pastoral Worker

I went away to school and then studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge, followed by four years at Guy’s Hospital studying for a PhD in Biochemistry. On marrying David in 1959, we came to live in the parish, and we have worshipped at St Peter’s ever since. I have been a Christian all my life and while at Cambridge went on two Missions with the Cambridge Pastorate to Walthamstow and Plymouth. I was licensed as a Pastoral Worker in 2005, and I have the Bishop’s permission to preach which I find very stimulating, and also value my other roles in the parish: taking funerals, involvement in Baptism services, devising Special Services, taking Home Communion and singing with the choir.

Revd Sue Hawkins: Retired Priest

I was born and brought up in North Wales where I met my husband, David. We have two children and two grandchildren.

My association with Prestbury goes back to 1984 when we joined St Peter’s and helped to set up youth groups for the 11 to 18 age range. Reader training and ministry followed before David’s work took us overseas and I served as a Reader in both Istanbul and Bangkok – both a tremendous experience and a privilege. Whilst living in Turkey my call to ordained ministry was crystallised.

Following Ordination in 1999 my curacy was here at St Peter’s, and included being on the chaplaincy team at the East Cheshire Hospice. I then served jointly as Priest in charge at All Saints Church Marthall and Chaplain to the David Lewis Centre for seven years, before retiring from full time ministry in 2009. I am now back officiating at occasional services in Prestbury Parish.

Other acknowledgements:

We also thank Revd Lesley Lewis and Mr David Jenkins (Reader Emeritus) for their continued support to worship in the churches of Prestbury Parish.

Revd Avril Ravenscroft: Deacon

I grew up in Surrey, have lived in Morocco, London, Toronto and Oxfordshire before moving to Prestbury in 1990. Like Keith, my background is in advertising where I worked as a designer and writer. We have four children and three small grandchildren.

Over the years my Christian faith has grown and deepened immeasurably – nudged along through worship, conversation, study groups and several yards of books! I was licensed as Reader in 2008 and have just completed training for ordained ministry at St Stephen’s House, Oxford. My Ordination as Deacon was at Chester Cathedral on 3rd July 2011.                                                          

David Briggs: Reader

I was away at school from the age of 9 until I was 18. I then did two years National Service as a field gunner, mainly in Germany, followed by 3 years at Cambridge reading Economics and Law.

After this I trained as a Chartered Accountant with Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co in Manchester, became a partner and remained with the firm, now called KPMG, until I retired in 1990.

I have been a Christian all my life and became a reader in 1973. We have three daughters and six grandchildren.

Anne-Marie Naylor: Reader in training

I’m a Lancashire lass, married to Andy with two school age children. As well as being a mum, I‘ve always worked, for the last 11 years in my own business in Macclesfield. I became a Christian in the 1990’s. Since then, it has been a challenging, but life-fulfilling journey: connecting spirituality with everyday living, letting God change me for the better and gradually finding more sustainable ways of living and being.

I’m currently training to be a lay Reader which will enable me to lead worship and preach, and am grateful for the huge amount of support and encouragement I am receiving.

As well as loving music of all kinds, in my spare time I enjoy the challenge of garden and interior design using reclaimed materials and junk-shop finds.

Revd Stephen Callis: Deacon

I have been a Baptist Minister since 1973 but for the last twelve years have been worshipping at The Church of the Resurrection and for the last eight of those have had permission to officiate at the Church. Recently I felt that it was right to take the plunge and become a proper Anglican priest. I have now completed my course and was ordained Deacon at the same time as Avril in July 2011 and am now  part of the Prestbury team.

For those who do not know me I was born in Leicester and have been living in Macclesfield for just over thirty years. I am a part time  chaplain at Macclesfield Hospital, am married to Val and we have  three daughters and three young grandchildren.

Keith Ravenscroft: Reader

Avril and I have four children and three small grandchildren. Having had a career in advertising and communication in the UK and North America, I still do some consultancy work, helping to recruit students for universities. I read English Literature at Cambridge and have recently begun studying for an MA in Theology.

For a large part of my life I was an atheist, and only became a committed Christian in the mid 1990s, so I feel a strong sense of urgency and ‘payback’ for those lost years. The preaching and teaching aspects of being a Reader are what most enthuse me.

Margaret Tate: Reader Emeritus

I was licensed as a Reader on 30 September 1972 after a period of training - a correspondence course that ended with 3 exams taken at the dining room table with the curate acting as invigilator.

My hands-on training consisted of taking matins/evensong at various churches in the deanery, when they requested help from Canon Rogers.

Later, when Prestbury no longer had a curate, I was asked to be the face at St John's to provide continuity. That continuity is still in progress!

As from 16 October 2010 there is one change - my new licence will include the word Emeritus. That merely refers to age!