Situated in the heart of Cheshire, St John’s is on the edge of the market town of Macclesfield and is in a suburban area which includes the St John Aided Primary School. The congregation offer a friendly welcome to the community and are part of the Cheshire East Connected Community Scheme in the way the building is used.

Henbury is 4 miles to the west of the town. It is a small, more rural village reaching out to the community with the various groups, meetings and events held at the church. There are good links with the local Primary School.

The two parishes are committed to working together

The Benefice are looking for someone who is:-

• An inspirational leader
• Innovative, creative and collaborative
• An effective communicator and good listener
• Growing and deepening their own faith
• Approachable, inclusive and encouraging. They must have strong people skills across the full age range

If you think this could be you, then we’d 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 ttps://www.chester.anglican.org/part-time-priest-in-charge-for-macclesfield-st-john-and-henbury-st-thomas.php

Closing date: 11 December 2022

Interviews: 18 January 2023

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.