Jarvis, Judith Mary (née Aldrich)
1940 -

ConferenceVice-President of the Conference in 2003-4, she was born in Redditch in 1940, daughter of the Rev. Kenneth Aldrich (e.m.1934). She was educated at Portsmouth High School for Girls, Queen Mary's High School, Walsall and Southlands College where she majored in divinity and in speech and drama. She married Eric Jarvis in 1962. Her career as a teacher included work with children with special needs and a period as head of The Meadows School, High Wycombe. In 1989 she became a staff member of the Division of Education and Youth first as Training Secretary, specialising in child protection issues, then as Children's Secretary (1995-2004) continuing in that role when the Connexional Team was established in 1996. She initiated the publication of the ecumenical children's workers' training programme 'Kaleidoscope' (1993) and the ecumenical song book Big Blue Planet (1995) and in 1998 helped to initiate the publication of the ecumenical worship resource 'Roots', becoming chair of the editorial group (2000-2008). From 2000 to 2011 she was chair of the publication committee of Christian Education and from 2004 to 2008 a board member. She became a member and later moderator of the Churches Group on Ministry Among Children (1992-2004) and was a founder member of the Churches' Agency for Safeguarding (2001). She was a member and later chair of the European Methodist Youth Council (1990-2004) and of the European Conference in Christian Education (1990-2004). She became a local preacher in 1961 and was a member and later chair of the connexional Local Preachers' Committee (1973-87). She represented the British Conference in Sri Lanka(1995) and Upper Myanmar (2002). After retirement she became chair of the Ecumenical Council of the Church of Christ the Cornerstone in Milton Keynes (2006-10).

Her other publications include Under-fives Alive (1997) and Under-fives Alive and Kicking (1999) (both with Jane Farley and Eileen Goddard), It's a Very Special Day (1998) (with Elliott Hall and Mary Jefferson), Companion to the Revised Common Lectionary, All Age Worship, Year B 1999 (with Donald Pickard) and At the Breaking of the Bread (edited) 2001 (illustrated version of the Methodist Worship Book).

Sources
  • Methodist Recorder, 19 June 2003