What is a United Benefice?
The Church of England works through the parish system: a geographical division of our country into small units, each containing one or more parish churches. In times gone by every parish would have its own Vicar, or Rector, but as rural populations shifted to the cities, parishes began to join together in order to share their clergy. Such a union of two or more parishes which remain distinct legal entities is called a benefice.
St Thomas' St Martin's Brambleton Hall All Saints Tilford
The Benefice of The Bourne and Tilford consists of the larger parish of The Bourne, with its three churches, and the smaller village parish of All Saints, Tilford. Legal responsibility for both is vested in the Vicar, though Tilford has a resident priest who works part-time and is the primary pastoral contact for the people of Tilford.
Events and small group courses such as Lent groups are shared across the benefice, while the parishes have separate Parochial Church Councils and operate as independent entities.
The Parish of Tilford
Tilford is part of the United Benefice of The Parish of the Bourne and the Parish of Tilford.
All Saints church is located in Tilford, a village of around 700 people, three miles south east of Farnham, and a Conservation Area with most of the surrounding area designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The church was consecrated in 1867 and remained an independent church with its own vicar until 1997 when it joined with St Thomas on the Bourne to form the United Benefice of the Bourne and Tilford. Since the unification, a house for duty priest has occupied the vicarage primarily to provide services to All Saints.
In 2006, new Parish Rooms including a kitchen and toilet were built to provide a dedicated space for the Sunday School and for parish and social gatherings.
All Saints holds weekly services on Sunday at 8 and 10am with a Sunday School. The 10am service is a communion service being designated a family service on the third Sunday of each month.
For more information, please click here to go to the All Saints, Tilford website...
Contact Details for the Tilford Churchwarden:
Sue Small 01252 782211