Team Rector of Ashford

Overview

Set in the heart of Kent, Ashford is an exciting place, full of innovation; and changing to reflect life in the twenty-first century. The parish of Ashford Town reflects this with its own changes, uniting seven parishes into one and exploring innovative ways to minister in today's world. The Team Rector of Ashford is also particularly important in our diocese, as we are one of the largest parishes nationwide and seen as a pathfinder for what is possible. We are looking for someone with vision and able to lead collaboratively to help us take the next steps in developing our parish and ministry.

Closing date: 26/04/2020

Interviews:  11/05/2020

Any queries to the Archdeacon of Ashford’s PA, Louise Mills: louise.mills@archdeacashford.org

Introduction

With nine churches and chapels, a congregation meeting in a village hall, five church schools (and 26 others), a range of traditions along with able colleagues and people who are eager to be Loving God, Serving Ashford, being Team Rector means being a priest in our community; but also someone who can lead as we work with all we have inherited; and enable change to happen appropriately so that we can to minister effectively to our communities today and plan for tomorrow.

We want to give our new Team Rector the chance to explore how building on foundations needn’t be more of the same, but exploring new models for a church in a changing world. There is a need to feel confident and comfortable in exercising episcopé and enabling ministry in others. We look forward in excited anticipation of what the new
Team Rector will bring to this role within the parish.

Main Responsibilities

The Team Rector will be a parish priest, exercising that ministry alongside colleagues. He or she will take the lead in developing the parish's ministry going forward and, exercising oversight, will need to work collaboratively and be able to delegate.

Our new Team Rector will also be the lead for liaising with the Borough Council, developers, other churches and agencies to ensure we provide ministry to new developments in and around Ashford.

Working with colleagues, the Team Rector will support our church communities in their daily lives while discerning and enabling everyone to fulfil their potential in God's ministry - letting Changed Lives - Changing Lives be a reality across the parish.

The Ideal Candidate

Our ideal candidate will:

• have experience of leading and managing others
• be able to minister across different contexts
• be a person of vision and an innovator
• be able to delegate
• be able to make difficult decisions and manage expectations
• be able to communicate well
• be excited about Team ministry and collaborative working
• be eager to develop lay ministry and encourage vocations
• Love God and his people - in church and beyond

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

About us

Founded in 597 by St Augustine, Canterbury Diocese is the oldest diocese in England and has a special place in the life of the national and worldwide Church. With its iconic Cathedral it forms a focal point for the life of the whole Anglican Communion, offering a spiritual home and place of pilgrimage for people from every nation and walk of life.

The County of Kent is renowned as the ‘Garden of England’ and this rural heart is core to our identity - yet the communities we serve are very diverse. Situated in East Kent, our Diocese stretches from Maidstone to Thanet, from the Isle of Sheppey to the Romney Marsh. We have 350 miles of coastline with historic ports and seaside resorts, alongside rural communities, market towns and commuter-belt urban developments. Affluent areas often sit alongside pockets of major deprivation, offering an exciting and challenging mission context.

At the heart of all we do is a vision of transformation for ourselves and our communities: no one can encounter God and remain unchanged. In the Diocese of Canterbury, we want to increasingly become a Christian community transformed through encounter with Christ, growing and overflowing to transform and bless the families, homes and communities we serve in East Kent: Changed Lives, Changing Lives.