Marshfield Benefice

If you live in one of the Marshfield Benefice parishes, including St Mary’s Marshfield, you are entitled to be married at any of the four Benefice Churches providing you are legally eligible. 

You may also be married at St Mary’s if you are a regular worshipper and are on the church’s electoral roll.

You may still get married at St Mary’s even if you don’t live in the parish if you or your fiancé(e) can demonstrate a Qualifying Connection.

A person has a Qualifying Connection with a parish if that person:

• Was baptised in the parish. (This does not apply where the baptism formed part of a combined service of baptism or confirmation); or
• Had his or her confirmation entered in a church register book of a church or chapel in the parish; or
• Has at any time had his or her usual place of residence in the parish for at least 6 months; or
• Has at any time habitually attended public worship in the parish for at least 6 months;

Or a Parent of that person has at any time during that person’s lifetime:

• Had his or her usual place of residence in the parish for at least 6 months; or
• Habitually attended public worship in the parish for at least 6 months;

Or a Parent or Grandparent of that person was married in the parish.

If you or your partner have been married before you will need to speak to the Rev. Sally Wheeler to discuss your application and talk through the options.

A divorce does not rule out marriage in church.  Each case is decided individually.

A helpful website for planning your church wedding is www.yourchurchwedding.org.

If you want to find out which parish you live in, please visit www.achurchnearyou.co.uk.

If you are interested in getting married at St Mary’s or any of the other churches in the Benefice, please contact the Rev. Sharon to arrange a first meeting to discuss.

Rev. Sharon Roberts. Tel. 07903 011030.

Banns

If you live here but are getting married in another church you will need to have your banns read here.

Rev. Sharon Roberts. Tel. 07903 011030.

Thanksgiving for Marriage or Renewal of Marriage Vows

Please contact the Rev. Sally Wheeler is you would like to mark a special anniversary in your marriage or would like to renew your marriage vows to each other.

Rev. Sharon Roberts. Tel. 07903 011030.

A Christening or Baptism is a very special service and usually the first ‘formal’ event in a child’s life. It provides an opportunity for families and friends to come together to celebrate and with a young child, it marks the parents’ decision to bring them up within the Christian Faith.

For an older child or adult, it marks an important decision to follow Jesus in their own lives.

Christening or baptism, is the first step in a life-long journey of faith. It acknowledges God as our Father,  made known to us in Jesus Christ and through his Holy Spirit.

It is expected to be followed by Confirmation (when someone ‘confirms’ their Christian belief) once they are old enough, usually around aged 12 or older.

We hope that your child’s christening, or your own baptism, will be a memorable occasion to mark the beginning of a new relationship with God and an ongoing connection with our church.

If you are interested in having your child baptised, or being baptised yourself, please contact:

Rev. Sharon Roberts. Tel. 07903 011030

We will gladly talk through with you what baptism or confirmation involve.

All of our churches are available for funeral services and our ministry team are available to officiate for funerals, for cremations at local crematoria, and for burials of ashes. 

The churchyards at Cold Ashton, Tormarton and West Littleton are available for burials of those who lived in those parishes, and burials for Marshfield take place in the village Cemetery.

It is possible for cremated remains to be interred in the grounds of all the benefice churches, for those who lived in our parishes.

The ministry team will be happy to discuss this with you.

Rev. Sharon Roberts. Tel. 07903 011030