Father Jonathan Sibley vicar at St Mary’s Church, Long Sutton to retire following 23 years of pastoral care
A vicar who has served a community’s pastoral needs for 23 years will continue to live in the parish he calls ‘home’ when he retires - and has exciting plans ahead.
Father Jonathan Sibley, incumbent at St Mary's Church, Long Sutton was inspired by The Right Reverend Rowan Williams - a former Archbishop of Canterbury - to be ordained in the Church of England.
When he retires next month, Father Jonathan has been invited to become a member of the International Order of St George and he and his wife Jeanne, who have two children, will leave the vicarage and remain living in the town.
Father Jonathan said: “Long Sutton is home.
“We have been here for 23 years and they have really made us feel part of the community.
“I am still getting used to the idea of retirement.”
In 1978, at the age of 22, he was tutored by The Right Reverend Williams at Westcott theological college, Cambridge (the future archbishop even took part in the couple’s wedding). But Father Jonathan felt he was too young to join the ministry at that point.
Father Jonathan describes the invitation by Professor Richard Parish to join the International Order of St George, a voluntary organisation of men and women supporting charity work worldwide, as ‘terribly exciting, quite daunting and humbling’.
He said: “They do a lot of work for humanitarian purposes, in this country and internationally,
“I was asked to be a member and I said yes.
“I am still thinking ‘wow’.”
Prof Parish said: “I have enormous respect for the time Father Jonathan gave to the community and sponsored the petition for him to become a member.
“His retirement is well deserved and I would welcome his support in trying to support a northern branch of the Order.
“Although his membership status is not official yet I am confident that someone of his standing will be accepted.”
A large part of the Order is to fundraise for less fortunate or war torn countries and to support education for women and girls.
Last year fundraising totalled £100,000 which benefitted Ukraine and Tanzania.
St Mary’s has a link to St George — with its medieval stained glass window inside the church depicting the knight, dressed in full armour, and a dragon.
The church also boasts the tallest and oldest wooden spire in Europe with major repairs starting in March to make the timber structure safe having been riddled with woodworm and deathwatch beetle.
It is an architectural project that Father Jonathan is pleased to have seen through - holding fundraising events towards the £50,000 repair costs - before his retirement service on Sunday, March 23.
He said: “Finding a contractor was a difficult process.
“It will be a really good feeling and nice to have closure.”
It was at the Church Commissioners for England that he met Jeanne where they both worked in admin roles before getting the calling to become a clergyman.
Having completed a history and theological degree in Newcastle he subsequently trained at Cuddesdon theological college and was ordained in 1987.
Father Jonathan’s ecclesiastical career as a clergyman has been both demanding and rewarding.
He said: “Jeanne and I both worked for the church commissioners on the admin side which was a good foundation.
“I couldn’t be the priest I am today without that broadening of experience.
“It was at Easter when we both felt God was speaking to us, to follow him and be ordained.”
Following theological college he became curate at Waltham Cross where he stayed for four years.
He has worked in large parishes with 16,000 parishioners and as a chaplain to Thames Valley Police before coming to Long Sutton in 2002.
He said: “I have been involved in vocational work and youth work in a big way.
“It can be quite a demanding job coordinating volunteers.
“I also inspired the building of a church hall.”
As a keen historian and fulfilling a lot of his ambitions in the local and wider community Father Jonathan would have followed a different career had he not become a vicar.
He said: “I think I would have been a train driver!”
What is the International Order of St George?
The International Order of St George promotes and pursues the timeless traditions of chivalry by compassion and supporting works of charity.
The Order focuses on supporting charities that work with current and former service personnel, and with Christian communities suffering religious persecution.
St George is the patron saint both of soldiers and of many countries and communities around the world, particularly in the Middle East.
True to this heritage, work is focused on supporting vulnerable communities in the Middle East and Africa, and in the welfare of NATO and Commonwealth armed forces personnel and veterans.
The Order of St George is a worldwide confraternity of men and women who seek to support, in a modest way, the timeless social virtues of compassion, charity, faithfulness and courage — in a word, chivalry.
They take inspiration from the original Order of St George established in 1326 in Hungary, which was the very first royal and military order of chivalry.
It is a membership organisation with a separate but associated Charitable Trust under the name of The United Kingdom Grand Priory of the International Knightly Order Valiant of St George.
