Berkswich

• Parish Church: Holy Trinity, Baswich
• St Thomas, Walton on the Hill
• All Saints, Brocton

Training Incumbent
Fr Graham Adamson

Trained: Trinity College Bristol . Deaconed: 2014 St Albans

Vicar of Berkswich, 2017-date As a priest, I see myself as someone who longs to share God’s love with everyone; recognizes the value that parish life has in the mission of the church (while trying to be imaginative with it); and seeks to safeguard the wellbeing of all – clergy & laity, friends & strangers.

Born and raised in Scotland, but serving my working and ministerial life in England, I have had quite a journey through different traditions of church (presbyterian upbringing, charismatic evangelical training college, and anglo-catholic curacy parish) and recognise and cherish the value in each while being true to my own spirituality.

The context

While the parish defines itself as liberal catholic, with a Eucharistic Tradition at the heart of its worshipping life, it still includes and embraces worshipping members who have a wide understanding and expression of faith and worship.

Three very different church buildings have enabled us to be flexible in how we express and share God’s love – a beautiful Victorian church for weddings, baptisms, Choral Evensong (with a dedicated choir of volunteers) and afternoon-tea in stunning surroundings; a parish church which is adaptable enough to be used for a thriving mental health craft café, Place of Welcome, and more ‘interactive’ family worship; and a lovely village church perfect for quiet Taizé-style evening worship and a monthly poetry club.

Use of the creative arts to connect us with God and each other is a particular passion of both parish and incumbent – creativity in worship, art exhibitions, craft fairs and concerts all being regular occurrences and something which helped us get through the pandemic together.

In the parish we have one secondary school, several primary schools (all popular), a care-home, a retirement housing complex, shops and businesses, and a close relationship with Stafford’s Hospice, providing any potential curate with the opportunity to experience pastoral connections in the different “sectors” required for a ministry in the 2020s and beyond.

The western edge of the parish is defined by the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, and we are fortunate enough to include a sizeable part of Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, allowing plenty of space for recreation and connecting with God’s created world. We are located approximately three miles south east of Stafford, with a mixture of ancient and modern housing, new developments sitting alongside established properties, with recent new estates being advertised as London commuter housing.

We would be looking to use the Prayers of Love and Faith as part of our ministry here at Berkswich.

Mission statistics (2023)