Situated south-west of Bingley, this is a united benefice and team ministry of four churches that are each at the heart of their respective village. .
These four parishes form an important joint benefice within the Bradford Episcopal Area and the Diocese of Leeds. The joint benefice came into being four years ago and in that time there have been some positive developments which have helped the team ministry to become established. In particular, new forms of worship have been started (Messy Church and Café Church at St Matthew’s, the Jesus 4 You service at Denholme) and good Alpha courses have been held in Wilsden and Denholme. Relationships with the schools in each village, and links with the various community and uniformed organisations in the villages, are good and there to be built upon. In Denholme this is in the context of an encouraging local ecumenical partnership.
Informal conversations welcome: Ven Dr Andy Jolley, Archdeacon of Bradford, 07973 458403, andy.jolley@leeds.anglican.org
Closing date for applications: 16th Nov 2018 Interview Date: to be confirmed
Enhanced DBS disclosure is required for this post
We are looking for a visionary and enabling leader who can work with the congregations to grow them, and also develop relationships within the villages in entrepreneurial and creative ways. (S)he will:
General Responsibilities:
Specific Responsibilities:
The Team Rector will be the senior Anglican priest in Harden, Wilsden, Cullingworth & Denholme with responsibility for overall leadership of a ministerial team which comprises a Team Vicar, Self-Supporting Priest, 3 Readers with Permission to Officiate, and retired clergy. (S)he will also be the Training Incumbent for any curate deployed to the parish.
Alongside this, there are four particular priorities for the incoming incumbent:
We are looking for someone with:
In this new diocese we are working with three core objectives:
Confident Christians: Encouraging personal spiritual renewal with the aim of producing clergy and laity who are confident in God and in the Gospel.
Growing Churches: Numerically, spiritually and in their mission to the wider world.
Changing communities: For the better, through our partnership with other churches and faith communities, as well as government and third sector agencies.
The Diocese came into being at Easter 2014 following the dissolution of the historic dioceses of Bradford, Ripon & Leeds and Wakefield. This followed a three-year process of debate and consultation driven by the Diocese's Commission. It covers a region whose economy is greater than that of Wales. Background papers to the reorganisation process can be read at www.wyadtransformation.org.
The Diocese comprises five Episcopal Areas, each coterminous with an Archdeaconry. This is now one of the largest dioceses in the country and its creation is unprecedented in the history of the Church of England. It covers an area of around 2,425 square miles, and a population of around 2,642,400 people.
Our vision as the Diocese is about confident clergy equipping confident Christians to live and tell the good news of Jesus Christ. In appointing to this post, we are therefore looking for someone who is a visionary and enabling leader for the next chapter in the life of the benefice, and has a joyful and confident faith which has inspired a track record of church growth, both numerically and spiritually.