Incumbent St Leonard's, Middleton and St John's, Thornham

Overview

                                     Incumbent of Middleton and Thornham

                                St Leonard's Middleton and St John's Thornham

Introduction

The PCCs of St Leonard’s Middleton and St John’s Thornham are looking for an inspirational team builder who is spirit-led, forward looking, with a heart for mission and evangelism. S/he will stand in the open evangelical tradition and be keen to see the churches grow and church members to become whole-life disciples.

The new Rector will be someone who is

• A prayerful person, open to the Holy Spirit
• An inspirational leader who can bring people with them
• A confident and experienced team player with strong collaborative skills
• Open and flexible to a variety of styles of worship
• Keen and able to identify and nurture people of all ages in their gifts and ministries
• Passionate about mission in the benefice schools, local businesses and the civic life of Middleton

Main Responsibilities

Role Description signed off by:  The Archdeacon of Rochdale  

To be reviewed after 6 months

Details of Post

Role Title:                   Incumbent

Name of benefice:    Middleton and Thornham

Deanery:                    Heywood and Middleton

Archdeaconry:           Rochdale                               

Initial point of contact on Terms of Service:           The Archdeacon of Rochdale

Role Purpose

General

1. To exercise the cure of souls shared with the bishop in this parish in collaboration with your colleagues
2. To have regard to the calling and responsibilities of the clergy as described in the Canons, the Ordinal, the Code of Professional Conduct for the Clergy and other relevant legislation.
3. To work to advance the Kingdom of God through servant leadership, collaboration and example, and with particular regard to the current diocesan mission priorities
   1. for growing churches
   2. for increasing giving
   3. for serving the wider community
   4. for nurturing vocations
4. To share in the wider work of the deanery and diocese as appropriate, for the building up of the whole Body of Christ

Specific

1. To develop, with the PCCs, a vision for the united benefice
2. To lead the parishes in their planning for mission
3. To explore possibilities for outreach and evangelism
4. To develop and sustain a shared leadership for the parishes
5. To discern and encourage vocations to lay and ordained ministries
6. To nurture and encourage ‘whole life discipleship’ amongst all church members
7. To ensure good stewardship in its widest sense
8. To engage effectively with the civic life of Middleton
9. To strengthen links with the local schools

 Key contacts

Generic

            The churchwardens and PCCs of the Benefice

            The Deanery Chapter, Synod and Mission and Pastoral Committee

            The Staff at Church House

Specific

Middleton Parish Church School

St Anne’s Academy

Boarshaw Community Primary School

St John’s CE (Aided) Primary School

Ecumenical partners

Supportive

The Area Dean                      Revd. Frances Guite

The Archdeacon                    Ven. Cherry Vann

The Suffragan Bishop           Right Revd. Mark Davies

Role context and any other relevant information

There are no plans for further pastoral re-organisation of the benefice. The new incumbent will have a key task, with others, of developing the emerging mission cluster with the benefices of Castleton, Langley and Tonge cum Alkrington.

The Ideal Candidate

Person Specification for the role of Incumbent of Middleton and Thornham

E = Essential

D = Desirable

Spirituality and Tradition

Applicants for the post should be

            a)a person of prayer; open to the Holy Spirit (E)

             b) a priest with a heart for mission (E)

c) comfortable with a breadth of styles of worship (E)

d) a bible based preacher (E)

Experience and understanding

Applicants should be able to demonstrate the following:

a) experience of working collaboratively with other ordained and accredited  lay ministers (E)

b) proven skills in leadership (E)

c) experience of Mission Action Planning (D)

d) an ability to discern and encourage the ministries of others (E)

e) experience of working effectively with schools (D) 

Skills and competencies

Applicants should be able to show:
            a) proven skills in building, leading and managing effective teams (E)

            b) excellent communication skills with all age groups (E)

            c) an ability and a willingness to delegate (E)

            d) an ability to relate to and engage with children and young families (E)

General Attributes

Applicants should be

            a) a confident and inspirational team player (E)

            b) a person of vision who can bring people with them (E)

            c) an encourager (E)

            d) approachable and empathetic (E)

            e) secure in themselves (E)

For more information about this application process, please use this link

About us

Rector of Middleton and Thornham

DIOCESAN STATEMENT OF NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS

1. DIOCESE

The Diocese of Manchester extends over most of Greater Manchester and Rossendale and is characterised by its extraordinary diversity of communities and cultures. The vibrancy that this gives to life makes it a joyful and hopeful place to pursue God’s mission. The overall vison of the Diocese is to establish

‘a worshipping, growing and transformative Christian presence at the heart of every community’

and we firmly believe there is an opportunity to do so at this point on our journey of faith.

We have a specific missionary vision, values and goals:

• Our Values

Faith, Hope and Love

• Our Inspiration

We run with perseverance the race that is set before us… with our eyes fixed on Jesus

• Our Mission Goals – to be a Church which is
• Growing
  • growing new disciples in missionary church communities which are younger, more diverse, active and spiritually engaged
• Nurturing
  • increasing vocations, nurturing new and existing disciples, increasing financial giving
• Serving
  • present for all, speaking and acting prophetically for justice, supporting pastorally especially the vulnerable, deprived and excluded

Guided by this vision, the Diocese is engaged on a process of strategic planning for the future, shaped by our vision to become Church for a Different World. The Fit for Mission programme is the tool by which we seek to make this vision a reality. It is led by a Steering Group that includes the three bishops and others with specific gifts in this area.

The Bishop has the resolve to appoint in this Diocese only clergy who have a clear sense of calling to the particular post and are committed, under God, to the Diocesan vision, and its values, inspiration and goals. We believe that mission and ministry are properly undertaken collaboratively, working with neighbouring parishes, specialist and sector ministries, and ecumenical and wider community partners.   Clergy will be expected to work collegially with other ordained ministers and lay people to encourage and sustain the wider mission and ministry of the church. Clergy and parishes are strongly encouraged to undertake a process of ‘Mission Action Planning’.

Clergy are expected to encourage and enable the gifts and ministries of all God’s people and especially to help individuals explore any possible call to ordination (including Ordained Local Ministry), Reader Ministry or Authorised Lay Ministry.

Education is a major factor in the life of the diocese and its mission to young people. There are 192 church schools and a growing number of academies. Unless there is very good reason, where there is a Church School in the parish the minister of that parish is expected to carry out conscientiously the role of ex officio Governor, as part of a wider ministry in the school, although in the case of benefices with several schools no member of the clergy should act as Governor of more than two schools.

We are committed to promoting the well-being of clergy, and in a 2015 survey 91.6% of all the clergy who responded either strongly agreed or agreed with the statement, ‘I enjoy ministry in the Diocese of Manchester’.

It is normal for a priest to have a ministerial interest wider than the benefice itself that takes something in the region of 10% of their working time.

Except where required under the terms of the Priests (Ordination of Women) Measure 1993 or the House of Bishops Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops and Priests 2014 we are committed to ensuring that the Diocese does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of criteria unrelated to their ability to function as a priest in the benefice.

All ministerial appointments in the Diocese are subject to enhanced DBS Disclosure and we are obliged under the requirements of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 to request documentation which will satisfy its requirements of proof of eligibility to work in the UK.

1. DEANERY

Heywood and Middleton Deanery is part of the Borough of Rochdale with the two towns of Heywood and Middleton giving the deanery a natural focus. Alongside some fairly affluent areas, there are some poorer pockets, including the Langley estate. The deanery is blessed with a large number of church schools which bring opportunity for mission, not least amongst those families who come to church in order to qualify for places at Church of England Secondary Schools. There are no churches in the deanery that have passed resolutions in relation to the ministry of ordained women. The clergy chapter works well and goes away twice a year for spiritual nourishment and mutual support.

There are 8 benefices (11 parishes) served by stipendiary priests working collaboratively alongside other ordained and authorised lay ministers. As part of the Fit for Mission programme, the deanery is shaping itself around two mission clusters of four benefices each and is developing ways of engaging in mission together, sharing resources (including lay and ordained ministries) and making better use of the church buildings that are fit for purpose.

An external evaluation of the Fit for Mission programme has taken place which captures learning from the pilot deaneries and offer some pointers and recommendations as we seek to make the vision of being Church for a Different World a reality across the diocese.