Team Vicar for Ashford Town Centre Mission Area

Introduction

Role summary

A rare opportunity to combine confident parish ministry with the shaping of new forms of church life in a growing urban context.

Ashford Town Parish is implementing an ambitious Mission Plan focused on growth in faith, discipleship and community engagement across a population of over 80,000 people. We are seeking a Team Vicar who will provide confident priestly leadership in the Town Centre Mission Area, centred on St Mary’s Ashford, while contributing fully to the life and leadership of the parish as a whole. This is a role that brings together parish church ministry, civic presence and mission among those on the margins in a single, coherent context.

The role

You will lead ministry in the Town Centre Mission Area, including St Mary’s Ashford, Christ Church and Ignite — a midweek worshipping community engaging those on the margins. The role includes:

• leading worship and preaching within a sacramental and choral tradition
• providing pastoral and sacramental care
• holding together different expressions of church life with confidence and sensitivity
• enabling growth in participation, discipleship and local leadership
• supporting and developing Local Leadership Teams, working with established and committed lay leadership
• building relationships with schools, community organisations and civic partners

Alongside this, you will contribute to parish‑wide mission planning and implementation, working with clergy and lay colleagues in a collaborative team ministry.

The context

Ashford is one of the most significant growth areas in the Diocese of Canterbury, with a rapidly expanding and increasingly diverse population. The Town Centre Mission Area brings together:

• a strong civic and parish presence centred on St Mary’s Ashford
• established patterns of sacramental and choral worship
• committed engagement with people experiencing social and material need
• opportunities for new forms of outreach and growth

The parish is working to a clear and ambitious Mission Plan, supported by diocesan partnership and funding.

About you

We are looking for a priest who:

• is confident in sacramental and pastoral ministry
• can lead in a complex urban context, including areas of deprivation
• is able to hold together tradition and innovation with integrity
• values collaborative working and shared leadership
• can contribute to shaping and implementing mission in a strategic context
• is committed to seeing people come to faith and grow in faith

What we offer

• A supportive and collaborative clergy team
• Strong and developing lay leadership across the parish, including Local Leadership Teams
• Clear direction through the parish Mission Plan
• Opportunity to help shape the future of a large and developing parish
• A four-bedroom house close to St Mary’s
• Strong diocesan engagement and support

Further information

For an informal conversation, please contact: The Revd Canon Dr Jeremy Worthen (Team Rector) - jeremy.worthen@ashfordchurches.co.uk. You're also welcome to contact the Archdeacon of Ashford, the Ven Darren Miller through his PA, Louise Mills (lmills@diocant.org or 01233 712649).

Closing date: 28 June 2026

Interviews: 22 July 2026

Why this role?

This is not simply a role to sustain what exists. It is an opportunity to help shape what comes next — bringing together sacramental ministry, civic presence and mission among those on the margins in a context of clear vision and real opportunity.