Situated in the Deanery of Westbourne, in the heart of the South Downs The Stansted Park Foundation and the Bishop of Chichester seek to appoint a half-time Incumbent for this rural Benefice.

We are looking for someone who will offer an evangelistic, pastoral and liturgical ministry, as we seek to keep the love of Christ and his Church at the heart of our community and in so doing draw people of all ages into the family of Christ.

A leader who will help us develop a nurturing church where people of all ages and backgrounds can belong.

A priest who welcomes newcomers of all ages and stages of life and prepares those who come to take their place in the life and worship of the Church.

We are praying for:

• A prayerful and collaborative parish priest, comfortable with rural village life and happy to draw on the talents of the laity and lay ministers in the parish.
• A pastor who will show compassion and empathy to both church and non-church people.
• A preacher who can engage with and relate the Bible to everyday life and our spiritual growth.
• Someone who has the energy and flexibility to lead worship regularly across our different churches.

The Octagon Parish is part of the Deanery of Westbourne in the Diocese of Chichester.

Five former parishes were combined into a benefice in 2011 and is now well-established as a single parish. The parish comprises five parish churches and two chapels of ease with the eighth church (St Paul's, Stansted) now closed for regular public worship and maintained by the Stansted Park Foundation.