Press Releases - two clergy geography graduates

Press Releases

Two Notts clergy - both geography graduates - receive grants for study-leave abroad

Two Nottinghamshire clergymen have been awarded a total of £6,000 to help support study leave and research in South Africa and the USA, funded through bursary money from Ecclesiastical Insurance.

The Revd John Bentham, Chaplain at the University of Nottingham, and the Revd Vivian Enever, Team Rector of the Newark Team Ministry, who both studied geography at university, have received grants towards three months spent away from their regular posts in the form of sabbaticals.

John Bentham, who received £3,000 towards his study leave will be travelling around universities in the UK and the United States. He will be looking at the ethics of scientific research across a range of educational institutions.

John (49), is a geography graduate from Loughborough. He went on to work in local libraries in London as well as time spent as a youth worker. He studied theology at St John’s College, Bramcote and after being ordained into the Church of England, worked in two parishes in Leeds as a curate, before becoming vicar of St Saviour’s church in the Meadows from 1990-1998. He has been Chaplain at the University of Nottingham since 1998.

He said: “Universities are increasingly international communities and I’m looking forward to discovering the way different universities go about their research.”

John, who is married to Marianne, has four children – Alice (14); Henry (12); James (9) and Rosie(6). Alongside his role as chaplain at the university, John has worked in a co-ordination role for the Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham as the Area Dean for parishes in the Nottingham West Deanery.

He is also looking forward to visiting New York with his family during his three months away.

Vivian Enever (46) received £3,000 and will spend three months, from June to August, in South Africa in the partner .Diocese of Natal, where he will be researching other culures, loooking at how Christianity is alive and thriving in different contexts.

Vivian graduated from Durham University with a BA in geography and went on to qualify as a teacher at Cambridge University. He studied theology at Westcott House in Cambridge, and once ordained, served in parishes in the dioceses of Liverpool and Worcester. He took up the post of Team Rector at St Mary's Magdalene, Newark in 2003.

He will be travelling to South Africa with his wife and two children, Francesca (8) and Cassian (6), and is looking forward to the informative and educational opportunites, ranging from the discovery of a rich culture, learning about townships, the political struggles and visiting game reserves.

He said:”I am delighted to have this opportunity to travel abroad with my family for an extended period of study leave, after completing 17 years of ordained ministry and five years as Team Rector of Newark. I look forward to engaging with another culture, seeing what can be learned and finding out what will be useful here.”

He explained:”I've never been to South Africa, but because of the partnership link, there was already an established route. I've certainly wanted to visit other countries and see how the Christian faith is alive and thriving in different contexts. I studied the theme of inculturation at Manchester University during my second curacy for a BPhil. I am planning to conduct a series of guided in-depth interviews with key people both in the South African church and outside it. “

Vivian’s wife Olivia, who is currently attending a two-year course in horticulture at Brackenhurst College, near Southwell, is looking forward taking the opportunity to study the very different flora and fauna in South Africa.

Altogether 36 members of the clergy from 20 dioceses received awards this year from the Ecclesiastical Insurance bursary awards

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