The Bishop of Chichester seeks to appoint a Priest-in-Charge who will offer a pastoral and liturgical ministry across the Parishes of these Benefices.

The Benefices of Northchapel with Ebernoe and Lurgashall are situated in the beautiful South Downs National Park in the Deanery of Petworth and the Diocese of Chichester.

We are three rural parishes, across two Benefices, in West Sussex, in the Deanery of Petworth, Diocese of Chichester. Our churches are all in the South Downs National Park and we have Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a unique nature reserve. The villages are about four miles North of Petworth and approximately 20 miles from the beautiful Cathedral which is the Mother Church of our Diocese.

We are looking for a Priest who will enjoy living and working in our community. We would like him or her to be as active and visible as possible in the life of our three villages. We do realise that as a House for Duty parish priest there will be limitations of time and the need for prioritizing aspects of ministry across the three Parishes enabling them to focus as well as to relish living across our communities. We believe the demands on the Parish Priest will be compensated for by the support which he/she will receive and by the joys of living in this part of the country.

The Priest will be a central figure in each of our distinct and socially diverse communities.

We are praying for a priest who will:

• Be faithful in prayer and diligent in preparing for worship, with an overriding desire to be a loving pastor to God's people across these parishes.
• Lead worship that is broadly middle of the road with a focus on reaching out to the community and involving them in gatherings and family friendly services.
• Be open hearted and welcoming to all.
• Demonstrate good communication skills.
• Be a pro-active leader, with energy, vision and enthusiasm to engage with our village communities.
• Understand and delight in the challenges and opportunities of contemporary rural life.

In 2025 the Diocese of Chichester celebrates the 950th anniversary of witness and evangelisation from a mission base in Chichester, building on the earlier mission founded by St Wilfrid at Selsey.

2025 also marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea with its reminder of the formative claim upon us of the catholic creeds.

These anniversaries are more than historical footnotes. They speak powerfully about the richness of faith and mission that is our inheritance locally and universally.

Inspired by that inheritance, we seek to be a household of faith that is endlessly curious about how the Holy Scriptures and the sacraments of the New Covenant enable us to know, love and follow Jesus Christ in today's noisy and distracted world.