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Part-time Incumbent St James, Congleton
Vacancy Reference cofe/TP/71161/9248
Introduction
Part-Time Incumbent of
St James the Great, Congleton
In consultation with the Bishop of Beverley, the Bishop of Chester is seeking to appoint a part-time incumbent to the parish of St James the Great, Congleton.
St James’s is a parish of the Society of St. Wilfrid and St. Hilda and is seeking to appoint a male priest affiliated with, or supportive of, the Society, who is dedicated to the continuation of the Catholic tradition which has been well established in the parish for many years.
The parish are praying for a new incumbent who will work with the currently small, but dedicated, worshipping community at St James to build on the excellent work and leadership during the ministry of Father Jonathan Roberts who has been seconded to them for the past 12 months. In that time, the congregation have welcomed many new faces into their beautiful building at reinvigorated services and events, and slowly but surely this has yielded positive results. The church has reconnected with local schools and would love to see this continue and bear fruit.
The congregation are eager to work alongside their new priest to continue this journey and to rejoice with them in spreading God’s word and fellowship to others.
The congregation are praying for a priest…
- With a genuine love for people and a desire to serve them, offering compassion, support and guidance. A good listener and wise counsellor with the ability to connect to people of all ages and backgrounds.
- Who is committed to the Anglo-Catholic tradition and can effectively explain its concepts in an understandable way, making it inclusive and accessible.
- Who emphasises the centrality of the Mass as the source and foundation of all our work in Christ’s name.
- Who is an approachable and relatable person who can lead the community in deepening faith and can grow the church by guiding the congregation in spiritual growth and encouraging participation in all aspects of ministry.
- Who works collaboratively, discerning the gifts of others and empowering them to live out their faith in everyday life.
- Who has a demonstrable commitment to fostering a strong and effective safeguarding culture in the parish.
So, if you are up for a challenge, this is a parish and congregation open to change. They are realistic but hopeful, certainly not perfect, but trying to be more like Christ. Might God be calling you to come and be among them?
In exchange for working part-time (2.5 days per week plus Sunday morning services) you will receive housing and 25% of a stipend.
Accommodation is currently offered in the recently purchased three-bedroom vicarage: 2 Newby Court, West Heath, Congleton, CW12 4JS
For a conversation about the post, please feel free to be in touch with The Bishop of Stockport, The Right Reverend Sam Corley, by email in the first instance: bpstockport@chester.anglican.org. The Bishop of Beverley, The Right Reverend Stephen Race, would also be pleased to have a conversation about the role and the parish: stephen@seeofbeverley.org.uk
Completed forms should be returned to: deb.toole@chester.anglican.org, and also copied to The Bishop of Stockport: bpstockport@chester.anglican.org.
- Closing date: Wednesday 19th November 2025
- Shortlisting: Tuesday, 25th November 2025
- Interviews: Friday, 5th December 2025
The Diocese of Chester will not shortlist candidates unless they can provide an assurance of up-to-date safeguarding training and a valid DBS check for their current post. Candidates are required to submit relevant training certificates with their applications.
Applications should by preference be made to the USING THE DIOCESAN APPLICATION FORM available on the website:
Diocese of Chester - St James, Congleton
About us:
The Diocese of Chester is in the province of York in the Church of England, part of the global Anglican Communion. For more information about our life, ministry and work please visit our website www.chester.anglican.org We are linked with the Anglican Church of Melanesia in the Solomon Islands and the Dioceses of Aru and Boga in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Diocese covers an area of 1025 square miles, approximately the old Victorian County of Chester, including parts which subsequently became absorbed into Merseyside and Greater Manchester. The Rivers Mersey and Tame approximately delineate the boundary with Liverpool and Manchester. There are areas of dense urban population, mainly in the north, stretching from Birkenhead to East Manchester. There are prosperous suburban regions of West and South Wirral, Chester and south of Manchester, with a mainly rural heartland, bounded by the Derbyshire Pennines and the Welsh Border. The overall population is around 1.6 million.
The Diocesan Bishop is Mark Tanner, Bishop of Birkenhead Julie Conalty and the Bishop of Stockport is Samuel Corley.
The Cathedral for the Diocese is in Chester.
The Diocese is divided into two archdeaconries:
Chester covering the western half and Macclesfield the eastern, each with nine deaneries. There are 273 parishes, about 100 of which can be described as rural. Compared with many dioceses, there are few teams, and few multi-parish benefices. There are approximately 231 stipendiary clergy. The ministry of Readers and Pastoral Workers is important, with over 400 licensed. The role of self-supporting ministers is increasing, with over 80 in post at present.
Roughly speaking, the Archdeaconry of Macclesfield covers that part of the diocese to the east of the M6, plus the area around Crewe and Nantwich. The Archdeaconry of Chester covers the rest of the diocese to the west of the M6. Each archdeaconry has a broad mix of urban and rural parishes. The Archdeacon of Chester lives in Chester, and the Archdeacon of Macclesfield lives in Congleton. Both now work from Church House, Daresbury.
