Lord Grey, patron of High Legh St John, is looking for a part time (25% stipend, 2.5 days plus Sunday) Priest in Charge for this rural parish on the edge of Greater Manchester. St John’s is very much focused on the parish and local community and have a congregation who are hospitable and want the church to be a beacon of hope, light and joy for the years to come. They are enthusiastic and have a wealth of skills to support their new Incumbent.

The church is situated in a rural area but also, due to it’s proximity to larger cities, has a lot of housing for commuters meaning that the congregation is very diverse.

We are seeking:-

• A minister who enables and encourages people to grow and develop their gifts and talents to support the life of the church to the benefit of all.
• someone who will challenge, nurture and inspire us;
• someone who can lead our ministry, bringing new ideas and innovative thinking but who can manage change sensitively, with a sense of clear direction.
• someone energetic with a sense of spirituality who can be a supportive leader to enable our team to develop.

• We are praying about the future and know that we need to make some changes in order to continue to be relevant and to serve our community

• We have resources in terms of people’s talents and gifts; we need help to channel these to best effect and to inspire others to join us

• We see our lay ministry as a strength at St John’s and, going forward, as a way of supporting a part-time vicar by ‘sharing the load’

If you think you could lead us forward we would love to hear from you!

The Archdeacon of Macclesfield, The Venerable Ian Bishop is available for a conversation should you wish. Tel: 01260 272 875 or email ian.bishop@chester.anglican.org

Applications should by preference be made to theUSING THE DIOCESAN APPLICATION FORM available on the website. Part time Priest in Charge for High Legh - Diocese of Chester (anglican.org)

Closing date: 26 July 2022

Interviews: 16 August 2022

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.