Archdeacon of Cleveland

Introduction

Archdeacon of Cleveland

Is God calling you to share in Living Christ's Story here in the Diocese of York?

The Archbishop of York is seeking a senior colleague who, working closely with the Bishop of Whitby, will share in the leadership, development and encouragement of the Archdeaconry of Cleveland and wider diocese.

The archdeaconry is large and varied. Increasingly multicultural urban Middlesbrough is full of local pride and history but also contains 7 of the 10 financially poorest council wards in the country, the highest rate of child poverty and lowest rate of employment in England. The costal churches of places like Whitby contain many of the origins of Christianity across the North East, with next year marking the 1,400 anniversary of Hilda’s baptism. The archdeaconry contains the whole of the beautiful North York Moors, with market towns like Thirsk and Kirbymoorside being key centres of rural life and tourism.  

Deeply collaborative, missionally audacious, fueled by prayer and the Holy Spirit, the Archdeacon will have a track record of excellence in creating and leading good process coupled with flexibility and creativity. You will embody a passionate commitment to parish revitalisation and encouraging new forms of church. You will be self-aware and undefended, instinctively able to draw out the best in different traditions with an enthusiasm for working across the breadth of the Church of England. You will be deeply committed to fostering a safer church for all and consider safeguarding a core part of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

You will be a spiritually grounded, resilient, and self-motivated priest who can work strategically and enjoys doing a wide variety of things in a wide range of contexts across the average week.  

About Us

The Diocese of York, led and guided by Archbishop Stephen Cottrell, takes in much of North and East Yorkshire. As the largest diocese in England, geographically, the area is very diverse, featuring a multitude of needs and opportunities. This includes the bustling urban centres of York, Hull and Middlesbrough, the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors National Park, and the incomparable Yorkshire Coast; as well as areas of deprivation in some of our urban and smaller rural and coastal communities.

Our mission and ministry relies on thousands of people – lay and ordained, volunteer and paid. Our diocesan teams provide a wide range of support services to our mission and ministry, including lifelong learning for ministry, the care of church buildings, and safeguarding. Together, we are striving to be a people who are ‘Living Christ’s Story’. We want to be a simpler, bolder, humbler church which in its diversity reflects the communities it serves. We are bringing renewed focus and fresh energy to achieving our aims:

• Becoming more like Christ
• Reaching those we currently don’t
• Growing in discipleship, influence and numbers
• Transforming our finances and structures

The Diocese of York welcomes applications from all qualified people, mindful of the desire for our leadership to better reflect the communities we serve and recognising that those of global majority heritage are particularly underrepresented in our current leadership teams.

To arrange an informal conversation please contact Barry Hill, Bishop of Whitby via his EA on BishopOfWhitbyEA@yorkdiocese.org

The Diocese of York is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders are expected to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to acceptable pre-appointment checks, including a satisfactory Enhanced DBS with Barred Lists check. Find out more here:  Safeguarding in the Diocese of York  

Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK.

Closing Date:

Thursday 8th October 2026 (midnight)

Interview:

Part 1 (chaired by Bishop of Whitby)  - Thursday 29th October 

Part 2 (with the Archbishop of York)  - Monday 9th November