We are delighted to confirm that Philip Andrews and Revd Jenny Jeffery from Bath and Wells are this year’s recipients of 'Maundy Money'. The annual Royal Maundy Service takes place on Thursday 28 March. Her Majesty The Queen will distribute the Royal Maundy gifts on behalf of His Majesty The King at Worcester Cathedral.
Each year on Holy Thursday, The Monarch presents members of the Church of England with special 'Maundy' coins. The number of men and women always matches the Monarch's age – in 2024. The Queen will present 75 men and 75 women with specially-minted silver coins to the value of 75p - signifying King Charles's age - to thank them for their service to their local communities.
Both Jenny and Philip say they were honoured to have been nominated. Philip says he was, “Absolutely astounded and humbled” when he learnt the news.
Philip, who was a teacher and Deputy Head at Fairmead Special Needs School in Yeovil for many years before he retired, served as an Elder at St Cleers Chapel (an Independent Evangelical Church) in Somerton for over 30 years.
Rob Walrond, Deanery and Parish Development Adviser in Bath and Wells, says of Philip, “His sense of faithful Christian service to the community is phenomenal (including helping to run Christian Summer Youth Camps for over 40 years) and he has impacted many lives (mine included!) with his selflessness and generosity of time and spirit.”
When he retired Philip started collecting scrap metal from folks, processing it and then selling it for charity. To date, he has raised over £40,000 for Mpongwe Hospital in Zambia. For the last 10years, having moved to South Petherton, he now serves on the PCC of St Peter and St Paul’s and continues, with others, through a variety of activities to help fund new initiatives.
“None of this was achieved on my own and I owe a great deal to my wife and friends for all their help and support.”
Philip says his faith is central to all that he does, “It's been part of my whole life really, certainly from a teenager onward, it was something which I thought, well, you can pay lip service to it or do something about it. And it’s been the foundation of life.”
Revd Jenny Jeffry, was a primary school teacher in London and a deputy headteacher in the south west before she answered her spiritual calling to ordination. On top of her parish ministry Jenny sat on the Diocesan Board of Education and became one of the very first formally recognised chaplains to a large state primary school. She shared her thoughts with us about the news that she too is to be a 'Maundy Money' recipient
What a surprise, if not shock, when a letter arrived from Buckingham Palace, informing me that I had been nominated to receive the Maundy purse, in recognition for service to the church and community.
To be recognised in this way is undoubtedly an honour but my ministry and service has always been based on humility.
One of my favourite prayers is by Ignatius Loyala.
Teach us good Lord
To serve you as you deserve
To give and not to count the cost
To fight and not to heed the wounds
To toil and not to ask for any reward
Save that of knowing that I do your will.
My service to the church and community began at an early age. I grew up in rural Dorset. My father was a Baptist lay preacher and my mother a Sunday school teacher at the local Anglican church. The Parish Church was one of the focal points of the village.
When I was younger I taught in the East End of London and loved the challenges of the inner city. I am still in touch with some of my former pupils. When we moved to the West Country, as a family we were all very involved in the life of our local church – music and drama, children’s work, pastoral care, healing ministry, worship and outreach. I had always been fully supportive of lay ministry.
A visit to the Holy Land, and an excursion on the Sea of Galilee, led me to hear God’s voice clearly calling me to “get out of the boat” ( not literally like Peter!) and to trust and to be obedient to the call of God to pursue his call to explore ordination, which I think I had been ignoring for years!
After a year spent on placement at the Mister in Ilminster, and training at STETS, I was ordained in 2002 and served my curacy at St George’s Church Wilton.
During this time Bishop Peter price introduced us to a Diocesan initiative “Changing Lives – changing churches – changing communities”
My heart lay in linking these areas and whilst continuing to serve as Associate Vicar at St George’s, I was licensed, in 2007, as chaplain to Bishop Henderson school in Galmington – a ready made community of over 420 pupils, staff, parents, extended family and governors. A community within a larger community. There was so much potential to forge deeper links between the church and school, and this wider community and to challenge and discover new ways of “being church”
The role has grown over the years with so many different initiatives. A few memorable times were our Lent “Lend a Hand” project which is repeated over Lent each year. Local shop keepers, the doctors surgery, hospital and emergency services were all moved to receive cards of appreciation delivered by the pupils for serving the community, and received an invitation to the Easter Service. The church also invited staff to a soup lunch each week.
The playground is a good place to be, especially before and after school, when there is a very valuable time to chat with parents and carers. I remember one 4 year old pupil running up to me in the playground and asking “Rev Jenny are you God?”
I am so fortunate to be able to continue my links with the school, as I help out at other local churches as a semi retired priest. There is so much need for support and pastoral care in schools at the moment as they face the challenges of these times.
I look forward with excitement to Maundy Thursday in Worcester it will be a little different than usual but God is a God of surprises………