The Chaplain: Rev'd Dr. Jonathan Arnold
In the College Stautes it states that the Governing Body must make "By-laws for the daily performance within the College of Divine Service", hence Worcester College has historically had its own Chaplain for these purposes. The Chaplain has a unique role in the College, being both a member of the College but also as a priest of the Anglican church. This means that he is part of the fabric of College life, responsible for the Chapel and spiritual life of the College but also sits on the edge of the community and is therefore an impartial and confidential ear to all you need it. The role of the Chaplain can be divided into three main areas.
Firstly is the saying of the divine office as laid down in the statues. Today this office is sung by the choir and the Chaplain works closely with the two Organ scholars and Chapel Music Consultant in the running of these services as well as taking an active role in them. The Chaplain also draws up rotas for reading at Chapel services and looks after the Sacristans who welcome the congregation and prepare the Chapel for worship. Outside of term time the Chaplain also conducts weddings and memorials for old members of the College and baptisms of current members. Twice a year there is also the Gaudy Evensong for old members as well as other occasional services for special events. The Chaplain also looks after the Chapel itself, ensuring that the linen is clean and liturgically correct, the flowers are fresh and the organ tuned.
Secondly, along with the Chapel itself, the Chaplain is naturally the focus of the spiritual life of the College. He therefore convenes a number of groups and events which consider matters of faith as well as selecting preachers for Sunday Evensong and the Chaplain preaches every Thursday at the Sung Eucharist. Whilst these are mainly Christian in content, the discussion groups God talk and the Woodroffe Society aim to encompass a wider understanding of faith and to be a forum to openly discuss spiritual matters.
Thirdly, the Chaplain is available to all the members of the College - of any faith, or none - for consultation on any pastoral matter. For this reason the Chaplain sits on a number of committees in a welfare capacity, including the Welfare Committee, Tutor's Committee and the Joint Consultative Committee.
Please do contact the Chaplain if there is anything you wish to discuss or ask.
About the current Chaplain
Jonathan was raised in Herefordshire, attending Hereford Cathedral School before coming up to Oxford to read Theology at St. Peter’s College in 1989, where he also took a keen interest in music, joining the choir of Magdalen College Chapel for two years. From Oxford he trained as singer a The Royal Academy of Music, from where he became a Vicar-Choral (singing bass-baritone) in the choir of St. Pauls’ Cathedral for eight years. Jonathan also performed as a soloist with many leading British and European orchestras and has sung with many fine vocal ensembles, including The Tallis Scholars and The Hilliard Ensemble. He was a regular member of The Sixteen for fourteen years, travelling all over the world and appearing on many recordings and broadcasts. This year Jonathan appeared in a five-part television documentary on sacred music with the actor Simon Russell-Beale and The Sixteen.
It was during his time at St. Paul’s, however, that he met and married Emma, and completed his doctorate in English pre-Reformation Church history at King’s College, London. He trained for ordination at Ripon College Cuddesdon from 2003 and was curate at Chalgrove, south-east of Oxford until 2008. He continues his interest in Church history by researching and publishing regularly. His last book, published in December 2007, was a biography of John Colet, Dean of St. Paul’s (1505-19). His next book, to be published in 2010, will be on Christian humanists of pre-Reformation Europe. In 2010 he was appointed Senior Research Fellow at Worcester College and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.