St Ebbe's Church, Oxford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Ebbe's Church |
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| Location | Pennyfarthing Place, Oxford, Oxfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Conservative Evangelical |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Dedication | St Ebbe |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Oxford, St. Ebbe with Holy Trinity and St. Peter-le-Bailey |
| Deanery | Deanery of Oxford |
| Archdeaconry | Archdeaconry of Oxford |
| Diocese | Diocese of Oxford |
St Ebbe's Church is a Church of England parish church located in the heart of Oxford, England. It is known for its strong conservative evangelical beliefs within the Anglican tradition. The church is a part of the Anglican Reform movement. Many people from different countries attend St Ebbe's, including students from Oxford University. The current leader of the church, called the rector, is Vaughan Roberts. He is also a well-known author and speaker.
A Look at St Ebbe's History
St Ebbe's Church stands on a very old site. There was a church here even before the year 1005. This first church was named after a saint called St Æbbe. Most people think this was Æbbe of Coldingham from Northumbria. However, some believe it was a different saint, Æbbe of Oxford. The church's name was first written down around 1005. At that time, it was given to Eynsham Abbey and was already known as "ancient St Ebbe's."
The church building you see today was constructed between 1814 and 1816. It was later repaired and updated several times. These updates happened from 1862 to 1868, and again in 1904. A very old doorway from the 12th century, built in the Norman period, was carefully restored. It was then placed at the west end of the church. St Ebbe's is the main church for the local area, known as the parish church. Part of this parish was removed in the 1970s to build the nearby Westgate Shopping Centre. The church had more restoration work done in 2017. During this work, some old parts inside the church were sold. The church organ was moved to St Denys, York.
Over the years, St Ebbe's parish has grown. In 1957, another church, Holy Trinity, was taken down because it was unsafe. Its members then joined St Ebbe's. Later, in 1961, the parish of St Peter-le-Bailey also joined St Ebbe's. This happened when St Peter's College started using the St Peter-le-Bailey church as its own chapel.
St Ebbe's Today
St Ebbe's Church is still very active. They hold three services every Sunday. These services are at 10:00 AM, 4:30 PM, and 6:30 PM. The church also has many groups that meet during the week. They have special activities and groups for young people.
The church follows the Conservative Evangelical beliefs of the Church of England. This means they have made decisions that do not support the ordination of women as priests or in leadership roles. They receive special guidance from a bishop called the Bishop of Ebbsfleet, who is currently Rob Munro.
St Ebbe's serves the people living in its local parish area. However, many of its members actually live outside this specific area. The church also works closely with St Ebbe's Primary School, which is a school located within the parish.
