Incumbent - Balderstone, St Mary

Overview

Incumbent of Balderstone, St Mary (0.5)

Rochdale

Introduction

Vicar of St Mary Balderstone (0.5)

The Patrons and PCC of St Mary’s Balderstone are looking for a priest from within the conservative evangelical tradition who has a heart for evangelism and a passion for mission.

He will be a person of faith and prayer whose life is rooted in the authority of the bible and who

• is a good bible teacher and communicator
• has the ability to discern and nurture the gifts and skills of the congregation
• is able to connect with non-church goers and draw them into a life of faith
• can develop links with schools and engage effectively with young families
• can reach out with the gospel to the community and beyond

Main Responsibilities

Role Description signed off by:  The Archdeacon of Rochdale         

To be reviewed 6 months after licensing

1. Details of Post

Role Title:                  Incumbent (0.5)

Name of benefice:     Balderstone St Mary

Deanery:                    Rochdale

Archdeaconry:          Rochdale                     

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

1. 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

• Maintain St Mary’s tradition of bible based gospel ministry.
• Develop, with the PCC, the parish Mission Action Plan
• Nurture the skills and gifts of the church members.
• Maintain and develop  links with local schools.
• Maintain and develop links with mission partners.
• Reach out with the gospel to the community, and beyond.

      Key contacts

Generic

            The churchwardens and PCC of the Benefice

            The Deanery Chapter, Synod and Mission and Pastoral Committee

            The Staff at Church House

Specific

            St Mary’s Church of England  Primary School

            Lower Place Primary School

            Springhill Hospice

            Church Mission Society

            Christians Against Poverty

            Oak Hill Theological College

Supportive

The Area Dean                     Revd. Karen Smeeton

The Archdeacon                  Ven. Cherry Vann

The Suffragan Bishop        Right Revd. Rod Thomas (Maidstone)

The Ideal Candidate

Person Specification for the role of Incumbent of Balderstone, St Mary

E = Essential

D = Desirable

Spirituality and Tradition

• Conservative Evangelical.  (E)
• A person of faith and prayer whose life and ministry is rooted in the authority of the bible. (E)

Experience and understanding

• Good bible communicator capable of leading services that are real, relevant and organised.
• Has experience and ability to be a training incumbent. (D)
• Sound bible teacher , teaching traditional bible views, including that on sex and marriage. (E)

Skills and competencies

• Has the discernment to recognise his own skills and limitations, and is capable of nurturing the skills and gifts of the wider congregation. (E)
• Has the ability to connect with non-churchgoers, both those who come for baptisms, weddings and funerals, and in the wider context. (E)
• Is capable of co-operating across parish boundaries where possible or appropriate as good neighbours. (E)

General Attributes

• Male. (E)
• Have a heart for evangelism and a passion for mission. (E)

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

About us

Incumbent: St Mary Balderstone (0.5)

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, led by a ‘Strategic Implementation Team’ 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

Rochdale is a diverse deanery with a significant and growing Muslim community, mainly in the parishes close to the town of Rochdale, and an increasing number of people from various Eastern European countries. The town is the home of the Co-operative movement, and the ‘Rochdale Principles’ of 1844 established the principles on which co-operatives around the world operate today.

There are twenty one parishes in the deanery, served at present by nine FTE stipendiary priests alongside other ordained and lay ministers. The mix of mission and witness in town centre, urban and suburban communities, deprived estates and rural villages make this a particularly interesting and diverse deanery to be part of. 

The Deanery is committed to collaborative ministry and to sharing resources and gifting for the building up of God’s church. As in all other deaneries, parishes are expected to work in partnership with one another in mission and evangelism