Major Parish Churches - place, people, building?

The at the invites you to Major Parish Churches - place, people, building - a one day consultation specifically held for Major Parish Churches, sponsored by . The event is the culmination of a current 2 year project supported by the through its Buildings for Mission stream.

The consultation day will be held at St John the Evangelist, Iffley Road, Oxford on Tuesday 26 May 2026.

The day will give those attending from Major Parish Churches the opportunity to hear from those whose work contributes to the sector - but will also allow your voice to be heard by those helping to define and resource Major Parish Churches in the future. We welcome all clergy and lay members involved in the day-to-day running to attend.

Our keynote speaker will be the Reverend Fergus Butler-Gallie. Fergus is a writer and priest who has ministered in parishes in Liverpool, Central London and Oxfordshire. He grew up amidst a large family of maniacs, was then educated at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and has spent time living and working in the Czech Republic and South Africa. He is the author of the bestsellingTimes andMail on Sunday Book of the YearA Field Guide to the English Clergy and the Spectator Book of the Year Priests de la Resistance!

His latest book, Twelve Churches: An unlikely history of the buildings that made Christianity, is a bestseller, and acknowledged by The New Yorker on its 2025 'Best Books' list.

He speaks regularly on radio, has written numerous articles forThe Times,Independent,Guardian, Church Times, The Critic andThe Fence, and won the 2022 P. G. Wodehouse Essay Prize. He is currently Vicar of Charlbury in the Diocese of Oxford.

The day will include sessions led by noted practitioners working across this new sector, including representatives from Historic England, Historic Religious Buildings Alliance, Ecclesiastical Insurance and others with experiences of working with Major Parish Churches.

This event is free to enable as many churches as possible to attend, but places are limited so if you find you cannot attend after booking, please let us know so we can offer the space to someone on the WaitList.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

St John the Evangelist Church, Iffley Road, Oxford, United Kingdom

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