Rector of Congleton

Overview

Congleton Calling for a new Rector……… The Parish of Congleton, generally open evangelical, is undergoing a time of great change, following new staffing structure and retirement of the Rector while transitioning to a new Pastoral Scheme for which the legal status is currently being finalised. In recent years the Rector led us in developing our '2020 Vision' and we are now transitioning from our current team of four parish churches to the new Pastoral Scheme of one parish comprising two parish churches - St. Peter’s in the town centre and St. Stephen’s near the town centre, with two chapels of ease; Holy Trinity in Mossley and St. John’s in Buglawton.

Our 2020 Vision identified the following key priorities:

• To have one worshipping community at the heart of our parish.
• To grow a younger church through mission to children, young people and families.
• To find new and alternative ways of using our other church and community buildings for the sake of mission.
• To continue to provide pastoral care to our church members as well as the wider community, especially at a time of significant change.

Our mission is to nurture our current congregations and to reach out with the love of Christ to those not yet part of our church community; engaging with them wherever they are, bringing them into a relationship with God that will enrich their lives and help build God's Kingdom in our town.

Closing date: midnight 23 February 2020

Visit and interviews: 13 March 2020

Introduction

Congleton is a small friendly market town in Cheshire on the edge of the Peak District, with a population of 26,000 which is growing. It is well served by good road and rail links and is a 40-minute drive from Manchester Airport.  There is a strong civic life and good links with The Congleton Partnership, a community based, volunteer organisation.  The housing stock is mostly owner occupied, with significant areas of local authority and privately rented housing.

Another Church of England parish to the west of the town maintains a distinctive Anglo-Catholic churchmanship.  There are several other Christian churches providing mutual support and shared activities through Churches Together in Congleton.

Our Parish serves an expanding population of 17,000 with an electoral roll of 194 and an average Sunday services attendance across the four churches of 140.  A network of home and fellowship groups supports our learning and growth and we have an established youth and children’s ministry.  Under the new pastoral scheme our two parish churches will be St. Peter’s in the town centre, St. Stephen’s near the town centre and with our chapels of ease at St. John’s in Buglawton and Holy Trinity in Mossley. We have thriving community centres in Buglawton (St. John’s Community Centre) and in Mossley (The Village Hall and The Chappell Centre). St. Peter’s site also includes the Parish Rooms where the Parish administrative office is located and a usable outdoor space. The Parish is also blessed with a very active team of Readers and lay leaders, supported by the parish administrator, churchwardens, a Parish Evangelist, study groups and children and youth leaders. In addition to the Rector we have two paid posts for a Parish Administrator and a Children and Families Missioner.  Clergy will comprise the Parish Rector and potentially a 'house for duty' minister supported by our lay staff and leaders.

Main Responsibilities

The priority of our 2020 Vision is undoubtedly mission orientated: we are charged by Jesus to “Go and make disciples” and for the Church of England to have an active presence in Congleton we need to grow numerically as a church community. Primarily that mission needs to be focussed on a younger generation by engaging with, welcoming and including children and their families. In addition, our activities with teenagers, young adults and the elderly will be made both in our churches and in our community buildings, sometimes in partnership with other churches or social agencies.

At this time of change there is a significant opportunity for the new Rector to further shape our vision and development into 2020 and beyond. It is a vision for the coming years, and it will take time, imagination and effort to turn the vision into reality.

The Ideal Candidate

• A clear Bible based ministry, guided by the Holy Spirit
• A personal demonstration of faith, through witness and testimony, that is inspirational to others to deepen and apply their own faith
• Competent and dynamic leadership through prayer and action to motivate, delegate to and empower others to achieve the key principles of our 2020 Vision
• An ability to develop new and traditional worship styles to enable spiritual development for Christians of all ages and backgrounds
• A passion to engage with those who do not come to church with a focus on families, the vulnerable and the poor
• Gifted communication skills with the experience of managing change sensitively with tact, diplomacy and determination

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

About us

Simeon's Trustees, one of the patrons of Congleton, is a leading and long-standing Church of England patronage trust, with patronage interests in nearly 200 parishes in over 40 dioceses.

For more information see www.simeons.org.uk or contact Ann Brown  

If you wish to have an information conversation with either the Archdeacon or the Simeon's Trustee directly involved please read the Information Letter for contact details.