Vicar of St John The Baptist, Croydon W St George's, Waddon

Introduction

The Acting Bishop of Southwark with The Archbishop of Canterbury wish to appoint a 

Vicar of Croydon, St John The Baptist W Waddon, St George

We seek to be a church at the heart of Croydon, welcoming and open to the whole community—churched and unchurched—where people find life, joy and belonging in Christ. We faithfully offer worship and witness to God, compassionately serving the human needs around us as Christ serves us. Our open, liberal, catholic tradition is at the heart of who we are and what we do, underpinned by the work of our musical foundation.

We are one parish with two churches and three priests. Some of us live in the immediate locality, others a little further away, but all of us cherish the liturgy, music, buildings and heritage of our two churches. Croydon Minster serves as the primary civic church for Croydon, offering affirming and inspiring worship that nurtures the Anglican choral tradition through our choirs of boys, girls and adults. We support the Christian education of young and old through our links with local schools and care homes, and we work to provide for those in need through local homeless charities and the Separated Child Foundation.

We hope that the next priest to lead us in our mission and ministry will be:

• A compassionate and attentive pastor with extensive parochial experience, an interest in thought-provoking preaching, broad liturgical sensitivity, and effective administrative skills.
• Collaborative and unifying, able to develop a rapport with people of all ages and backgrounds, listen well, and show they have listened.
• Collegially minded in leading a close-knit team, able to prioritise key issues and delegate effectively while managing their own time.
• Confident in decision making and inspirational in leading the congregation into active discipleship.
• Passionate about youth and children's ministries, working naturally with children, young people, and families.
• Comfortable in partnership with other churches, faith communities, local groups, charities, and civic organisations.
• Resilient and energetic, possessing the spiritual stamina to grasp the opportunities and cope with the challenges of this unique and demanding role.

We know it sounds like a lot, but we are here to work together, guided and strengthened by God. If you think you might fit this description, we very much look forward to hearing from you.

To find out more, please review the Parish Profile and Bishop’s Statement, attached.

If you would value an informal discussion with the Archdeacon about the role prior to application, please contact his PA to arrange an appointment: Kathleen.bailey@southwark.anglican.org 

• Closing Date: Sunday 8 November 2026 (midnight)
• Parish Visit and Interviews: Tuesday 1 December 2026

To be appointed to an incumbent status post in the Diocese of Southwark, a priest must have served a title post in an Anglican church in the British Isles. We aim to be a diverse and truly representative Diocese, and particularly welcome applications from women and people of UKME heritage. 

The Diocese of Southwark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders are expected to share this commitment, as outlined in the A Safe Church manual. Appointments are made according to the Church of England's Safer Recruitment Guidance, including a satisfactory Enhanced DBS with Children and Adults Barred Lists check. Our whistleblowing and recruitment of ex-offenders policies can be found here. Please review our Privacy Notice detailing how your personal data will be processed during the recruitment process. Applications are evaluated and shortlisted against the essential criteria contained in the role description.