Vicar of St John the Divine, Felbridge in The Diocese of Southwark

Introduction

We are prayerfully seeking a vicar who will lead, take forward and further develop the ministry and mission of this thriving conservative evangelical church situated in a growing community on the edge of East Grinstead, West Sussex. Underlying all aspects of church life at St John’s is our desire to proclaim the gospel of God’s grace to all ages, and to apply the authoritative message of the Bible to all areas of life. Our aim is to ‘Gather, Grow, and Go’ as disciples of Jesus Christ and witnesses to his kingdom.

POST INTRODUCTION

The parish of St John the Divine, Felbridge is a single church benefice  situated at the south-east border of  Surrey with West Sussex. Felbridge is mainly a residential community which, although relatively small in itself, is closely conjoined with the town of East Grinstead and adjacent to the community of Crawley Down to provide a much larger ‘catchment population’. (Upwards of 32,000). This situation is reflected in our Electoral Roll with over 70% of regular church attenders residing outside the parish, perhaps also because St John’s is the only evangelical Anglican church in the East Grinstead area. Felbridge and East Grinstead are well served by local primary and secondary schools, a hospital, shops and supermarkets, rail and other public transport links, including to London and Gatwick, and cultural, sporting and recreational facilities.

St John’s is a conservative evangelical parish church with a strong emphasis on an expository Bible teaching ministry. We believe in the final authority of Scripture in all matters of faith and conduct and seek to proclaim and apply its truth to our society in the 21st century. We seek to adhere to the orthodox teaching of the Church of England, as is summarised in the 39 Articles of Religion which provide an Anglican understanding of how the scriptures shape the life, doctrine and worship of the Church. 

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

• To be a faithful pastor-teacher of the whole church family; loving, leading, encouraging and challenging all members to grow in grace and in the knowledge of God. 
• To work in cooperation with paid staff and volunteers to develop and maintain a leadership team whose desire is to see others turn to Christ, serve him and grow in faith.
• To promote an every-member ministry where all are encouraged to serve the church family as members of Christ’s body.
• To challenge us all with a desire to serve our local communities, our families and networks as Christ’s disciples and as witnesses to his love and compassion.
• To collaborate with and encourage fellow Christian leaders and churches in the area to demonstrate unity in the truth of the gospel.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

• Someone who loves and trusts Jesus Christ and is committed to serving him in word and action. 
• Someone who believes the Bible is the Spirit-inspired, authoritative word of God. 
• Someone with the ability to expound and relevantly apply the message of the Bible. 
• A gifted humble communicator who will relate well to a variety of people and organisations. 
• A person who has a heart for evangelism and mission, encouraging individuals to come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 
• A person of prayer who will teach and lead us as a church in the necessity of prayer. 
• A person with experience of collaborative servant leadership of a like-minded team.
• A person who supports and grows every member in their ministry in the church family. 

ABOUT US

We are an active, friendly welcoming church family aiming to minister to all age groups from pre-school children to seniors. Our regular Sunday meetings comprise morning and evening services, with a separate group for children in the morning and one for older youth (11-18) in the evening. Over 110 adults and over 25 children and young people regularly attend in person each week. The Sunday morning service is also available online, enabling engagement by over 40 people each week. There is also a St John’s online group that meets on Monday evenings, with an attendance of over 20 people, including a few overseas.  

In addition, there is a weekly gathering for seniors on Monday afternoons and a social group for teens on Friday evenings. We have a network of small groups meeting regularly in homes or online, for mutual encouragement, prayer and Bible study. We run occasional courses including some of the CE ministries courses, the Bible Course plus some parenting and caring for those with dementia courses. We host a number of community meals and social events open to friends, family and neighbours. In common with many non-urban churches and those in non-university towns we have a relative lack of students and young adults in our congregation, and some movement if younger families move into and out of the area for work related reasons.

We have good links with the local primary school where we run a weekly lunchtime club during term time – XTB. (i.e. ‘explore the Bible’).

We support CPAS/Ventures, and a number of our young people attend ‘venture camps’ each year. We also encourage church members to take the opportunity to attend conferences and larger gatherings such as the annual Keswick Convention and the southeast annual ‘Bible by the Beach’ event in Eastbourne. We are a member church and supporter of the Sussex Gospel Partnership, as well as being active members of the Tandridge deanery and Churches Together in East Grinstead. 

The incumbent will work with many people including a Curate, a Reader, a full time Associate Minister (Youth and Children), a part time Children’s Worker, a part time Discipleship Leader (for Small Groups) and a part time Church Administrator. 

Further details about church life, activities and contacts can be found on our website stjohnsfelbridge.com

Attached you will find our Parish Profile and a statement from the Bishop of Croydon. 

For an informal conversation with the Archdeacon of Reigate, please email her PA Kathleen.bailey@southwark.anglican.org for an appointment.

Closing Date: Sunday 14 April 2024 midnight

Shortlisting: Monday 22 April 2024

Interviews & Parish Visit: Thursday 2 May 2024

We have a policy in Southwark Diocese that to be appointed to an incumbent status post, a priest must have served a title post in an Anglican church in the British Isles. We aim to be a diverse and truly representative Diocese, and particularly welcome applications from women and people of UKME heritage.

This post is subject to DBS enhanced disclosure.