The Benefice of Wormingford with Mount Bures & Little Horkesley is currently in interregnum. That is it is without a Vicar, following Henry Heath’s retirement in September 2012.
If you wish to speak to someone regarding the church, its services or your needs, please contact your Churchwardens in the first instance:
Wormingford - Mike Crisp (01787 227325) & Tim Bird
Little Horkesley - Meriel Sparkes (01787 227196) & Christopher Orme (01206 271841)
Mount Bures - Charlie Alexander (0207 9514420 email: cpalexander@uk.ey.com) & Andrew Colchester (01787 228159)
Biography: Henry Heath (last ‘House for Duty Priest in Charge’ in the Benefice of Wormingford with Mount Bures and Little Horkesley).
The Vicar in his study
I was born in Kingston upon Hull in 1940. Dad tested cranes manufactured by Priestman Brothers and taught the purchasers how to use them, while Mum looked after Dad, me and Grandad.
I was educated at Mayberry Road Junior School and won a scholarship to Hymers College, Hull. After O-levels I went to Kingston upon Hull Technical College to study A-levels, followed by a place at Leicester University to study Maths.
After university I decided to take up the offer made by Legal & General Assurance Society, for a post in their office in Aldwych, London. After 2 years they posted me to their Leeds branch as an Inspector, helping brokers sell insurance policies. In 1967 I was offered a job in the Frinton branch of an insurance brokerage whose head office was in Chelmsford, and in 1977 I set up my own business.
In 1976, my parish priest asked me if I had ever considered ordination. I had to own up that I had, so he set the ball in motion for me to be interviewed for selection for ordination, culminating in the Bishop of Chelmsford offering to ordain me if I completed a theological course.
In the same month that I started my business, I commenced studying theology at the very evangelical Oakhill Theological College (one night a week, one weekend a month, one week a year, plus lots of reading and essays to complete at home).
I worshipped and served in a training post at All Saints with St. Barnabus, Cressing (very Anglo-Catholic), and was made a Deacon in Chelmsford Cathedral in 1980. After ordination, I served as non-stipendiary (unpaid) curate at St. Leonard’s Lexden, St. Andrew’s Halstead and St. Peter & St. Paul West Mersea before being appointed as full-time Rector of St. Albright’s Stanway in 1995.
After 7 years in Stanway I retired, but I was kept so busy helping out parishes with an interregnum that I decided to suspend retirement and I was inducted into the post of ‘House for Duty Priest in Charge’ in the Benefice of Wormingford with Mount Bures and Little Horkesley on 2nd March 2005.
I retired from this position on 30th September 2012.
I met my wife Linda at Legal & General, and we married in 1965. We have three children: Vanessa (married to George) who has Charlie and Verity who live and worship very close to us; Victoria (married to Phil) has Cecily, Lottie and Freddie and they live in Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire and worship at St Michael’s; and Nicholas (married to Fiona) has Amelia, Olivia and Florence and they live in Wandsworth but worship at Chelsea Old Church as they used to live nearby. I have had the privilege of baptising all eight of my grandchildren in their parish churches.
The Benefice is now looking for another House for Duty, Self Supporting Minister. Could it be you?
