Ditton Priors (St John the Baptist) with Neenton, Burwarton, Cleobury North, Aston Botterell, Wheathill and Loughton and Chetton.

This is the Benefice of Brown Clee – Rural Shropshire at its beautiful best

Set in the beautiful rolling countryside of south Shropshire the united benefice consists of five parishes and seven churches in the Diocese of Hereford

This role offers a fine opportunity for the new priest-in-charge to exercise a wide-ranging and fulfilling ministry, working together with friendly and supportive people in a beautiful part of south Shropshire, among communities who are keen to support their new priest.

This post could be combined with a paid half-time diocesan Mission Enabler role enabling people to live out their faith through social action and/or environmental issues or it can be a standalone half-time priest-in-charge post, depending on applicants' experience and interest.

IF YOU WISH TO APPLY FOR BOTH THE PARISH ROLE AND THE MISSION ENABLER ROLE, YOU WILL NEED TO COMPLETE SEPARATE APPLICATIONS FOR EACH, AND TO MENTION IN EACH APPLICATION THAT YOU ARE ALSO APPLYING FOR THE OTHER ROLE.

To discuss the parish role please contact the Archdeacon of Ludlow, The Ven Fiona Gibson Fiona.Gibson@hereford.anglican.org or 01588 673571.

Details of the Mission Enabler role and how to apply for it can be found at https://www.hereford.anglican.org/xdb/vacancies/show/mission-enabler-ndash-environment-and-society If you are interested in this role and want more information about how it could be split to work alongside the parish role please contact The Revd Dr Elizabeth Wild - Elizabeth.Wild@hereford.anglican.org

Closing date date for diocesan role 19th January. Closing date for parish post 2nd February. Interviews for diocesan role 3rd February. Parish visits 8th March. Parish interviews 9th March.

We believe that future growth lies in:

• extending connections with the local area primary school where Open the Book has been received enthusiastically.
• developing relationships with younger families through Messy Church based in a community space.
• reinvigorating our youth work and after school youth club.
• making Christian life more accessible for those unfamiliar with liturgy and tradition.
• developing patterns of worship that are relevant to all our community and to offer all age worship.
• pastoral care.
• welcoming new community members to encourage them to get involved in church and community life.

The responsibilities of this post will include:

• Leading mission, pastoral, and spiritual ministry in the benefice.
• Leading worship in the benefice.
• Working collaboratively with the Reader and lay leaders of worship, including the Local Ministry Group, across the parishes.
• Overseeing the training and development of lay leaders including among young people.
• Further developing and supporting ministry to children and young people, including through Brown Clee CE Primary School.
• Serving on the school’s Governing body to support challenge and further develop the school’s Christian distinctiveness.
• Carrying out pastoral visiting to those in need, with support and involvement from members of the church.
• Chairing and supporting Group PCC meetings and Annual Parish Church Meetings across the benefice.
• Chaplaincy to Burwarton & District Agricultural Society, including annual show.

We are praying for a priest-in-charge who is:

• A prayerful person of deep Christian faith who is an effective and inspiring Bible teacher who preaches the gospel.
• Able to lead the people of God in the parishes in mission and outreach in the villages.
• A person with a pastoral heart and a willingness to be visible in the communities which he/she serves.
• Enthusiastic about working with Brown Clee CE School and the children, families, and young people of the parishes.
• A collaborative leader, keen to work with, train, and encourage our lay leaders, including the Local Ministry Group.
• It is essential that the person appointed is able to travel around the benefice and wider area on hilly country roads without public transport.

Open and friendly, our worship style is informal and does not vary widely between the churches. Our beliefs reflect the Christian faith summarised in the Apostles Creed.

We prefer teaching that is biblically based, preaches the Gospel, and is related to the world we live in.

Visitors and newcomers usually describe a friendly welcome and we try to be open to all, whatever their age or belief. We are seeking ways to make church more welcoming, sociable and suitable for younger families and people of all ages and cultures to attend church regularly.

Since the pandemic our regular congregations vary in size between 5 and 25 depending on the church, with the largest congregation at Ditton Priors. As we are the only denomination with churches in the benefice, people come from a mix of Anglican traditions.