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St John's Anglican Church
In 2001, The Glastonbury Tales featured Rev Patrick Riley, vicar of St John’s Anglican church on Glastonbury High Street, preparing to leave Glastonbury.
In the summer of 2002, Rev. Maxine Marsh became the vicar of St.John’s.
Originally from Bristol, Maxine Marsh was a teacher for around 20 years, then decided on a fairly radical change of career. She finished her theological training at Westcott House, Cambridge, just as ordination for women in the Anglican Church came through, and went to work in Birmingham for 10 years. When Maxine saw the advertisement for the Glastonbury job in the Church Times, her first thought was that Glastonbury ‘would be such a fun place to be’. However, Maxine was unsure whether they would want a female vicar for ‘such a prestigious place’, and she realised that the exclusion of women priests from the annual Anglican Pilgrimage might be an issue. Thus, when she was offered the job, Maxine says ‘you could have knocked me down with a wet kipper’.Reverend Marsh’s Induction Service took place in August 2002 – on the same evening as the opening ceremony of the Glastonbury Goddess Conference! She was rather touched that over the next few days, a number of women attending the Goddess Conference called in to congratulate her. The URC and Methodist ministers in Glastonbury are also women; Maxine feels that it somehow seems ‘natural’ to have women church leaders here.
Maxine Marsh has been most appreciative of the very warm welcome she feels she was given, not just by her congregation but by other denominations in the town; she has preached both in the United Reformed Church and in Our Lady St Mary of Glastonbury, the Roman Catholic church. Maxine suspects that some people were worried that a female priest might be rather ‘strident’, but although a few people left St John’s because they were against the ordination of women, others ‘gave me a chance’ and stayed. A Team Ministry approach is flourishing with greater contact between the three Anglican churches in and around Glastonbury.
Maxine cannot officially take part in the Anglican Pilgrimage on account of their decision not to admit women priests, but she and some volunteers keep St John’s open on that afternoon and serve tea and coffee in the Church. Ironically, in 2003 Maxine was invited to participate in the Roman Catholic Pilgrimage as a symbol of Christian unity! Rev. Marsh is involved in ecumenical activity in Glastonbury, and ultimately would like to see an Ecumenical Pilgrimage, with Christians working ‘closely and realistically together’. She feels it is a good time to be in Glastonbury, with other Christian clergy and laity of various denominations, and the ecumenical Quest Community, actively wanting to work together and many also wanting to be involved with the wider community in Glastonbury (through such ventures as the Robert Barton Trust).
Rev. Maxine Marsh suspects that one either loves or hates Glastonbury. For her, for now
It’s fun to be here. It’s hard work, but the people of the church and the town have been so supportive, friendly and open. It’s so stimulating. It’s good.’Find out more about Christian Glastonbury »
St. John's Church website »