Rev. Martin Smithson
Superintendent Minister
Churches: Wantage, Childrey, Grove
Rev. Richard Bittleston
Churches: Trinity, Spring Line
Rev. Peter Bennett
Churches: Peachcroft Christian Centre, All Saints, Milton
Rev. Dr. David Rankin
Churches: Didcot, Wallingford
Rev. Martin Smithson is the Circuit Superintendent Minister. He also has pastoral charge for Wantage, Grove and Childrey churches.
Martin comes from Bedford, graduated from Durham University and trained for the ministry at Wesley House in Cambridge.
He began his ministry in 1981 in Manchester and has since served in two of the Leicester Circuits, North and Trinity, the latter as Superintendent for eight years, before moving to Wantage in 2005. He sees this as an exciting time for the Wantage and Abingdon Circuit as a number of churches adapt their premises to enhance our service to the community and our worship of God and as the Circuit sets out its priorities for the next few years. He also serves the District in a number of capacities.
Martin is married to Judith, who is a teacher. They have three adult children. He is interested in politics and tries to combine concern for the environment with enjoyment of cars!
Rev. Richard Bittleston joined the circuit as Minister of Trinity, Abingdon in June 2008 and now also has pastoral charge of Spring Line Church.
Richard's background includes teaching, as a musician and computer scientist - training on the Oxford & St. Albans Ministerial course in 1987. Ordained in 1991, and spending the intervening years in part-time ministry in St. Albans and Woking, this is his first full time ministry. He's delighted to be part of the team, especially one with many lively ideas and new opportunities.
Richard is married to Anne, who is a teacher. They have five adult children. Music is both his passion and his therapy.
Revd. Peter Bennett has pastoral charge of All Saints, Milton and Peachcroft Christian Centre.
Peter was born and raised in Coventry before moving to Chippenham in Wiltshire where he worked for a number of years in an engineering company. He is married to Chris.
Peter has held many offices in the church and been involved in planting a new congregation in Chippenham. He trained in Bristol before starting work as a circuit minister in the Somerset Mission Circuit based in Castle Cary, coming to this circuit in 2008.
As well as preaching and teaching from the Bible Peter has a desire to encourage and release every person to share in the ministry that we are all given from God and to see every church serving its community and sharing the Good News of hope and purpose to be found in Jesus Christ.
Peter enjoys cycling and walking in the countryside and is interested in industrial history.
Revd. Dr. David Rankin has pastoral charge of Didcot and Wallingford Methodist Churches.
David was born in Melbourne, Australia in September 1952 of Christian parents and educated at a Methodist boys school in Melbourne. Much of his early social life revolved around teaching Sunday school and the local church youth group. He preached he first sermon at the tender age of 15!
He entered university at the age of 17, taking an honours degree majoring in ancient history and then a PhD in classical studies. He worked for a time as a graduate entrant in the State Electricity Commission and applied to become a candidate for the Ministry of the Word at the time of the formation of the Uniting Church in Australia out of the Congregational, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches in 1977.
He trained at the UCA Theological Hall in Melbourne and during that time met and married his wife Julie in 1980. He was ordained later that year - having already served in two parishes during his college days as a student pastor - and began his ordained ministry in the brown coal power generation region of the Latrobe Valley in the eastern region ofthr southern state of Victoria in 1981.
After serving for 5 years there, the church in Victoria sent him to study for another doctorate, this time in early church history, in the UK (1987) at Wesley House in Cambridge. David and his family returned to Australia at the beginning of 1988 and he was appointed to another rural parish, this time in north central Victoria, while he completed the doctorate (in 1991).
In 1992 he was appointed to the theological college (Trinity) in the northern state of Queensland as Principal Lecturer in Church History and became Academic Dean of the college in 1993 (serving in that role for 10 years) and then Principal from 2004 to 2010. He has been actively involved with the parishes in which he had membership in Brisbane and was Associate Minister at Centenary Uniting Church.
Julie was diagnosed with a very serious illness in 1996 and died in June 2002 at the age of 41.
In 2008 his daughter Nicole moved to the UK where she now lives in Luton and David, with his son Michael, moved to the UK and joined the Circuit Ministry Team in September 2010. He hopes to be joined in due course by his new partner, Julie, who has to remain in Australia for the time being because of work and family commitments.