These three rural village parishes are located 5 miles from Richmond, in the northern part of North Yorkshire and close to the A1 and A66 near Scotch Corner. They are looking for an incumbent (0.5 post) who can exercise leadership with confidence and compassion, and who will bring life, energy and creativity to worship, while honouring traditions and customs. Their new priest will nurture a prayerful Christian faith in all age groups across these rural communities, will ensure pastoral care, and engage with local schools. The new incumbent will supported by lay colleagues.

For an informal conversation please contact the Archdeacon of Richmond and Craven, Jonathan Gough, Tel: 01677 427286 or email his PA, Mrs Chloe Drummond, chloe.drummond@leeds.anglican.org

Closing date - Sunday 5th November 2023

Shortlisting date - Tuesday 14th November 2023

Interview date - Thursday 30th November 2023

• To nurture and develop a prayerful Christian Faith in all age groups in our three parishes made up of rural communities
• To promote mission in the local community through outreach and service
• To ensure people receive support, pastoral care and services including a range of weekly worship and services for festivals and baptism, weddings, and funerals.
• To engage with the local primary schools at Eppleby Forcett (CofE VC) and Melsonby (Methodist) Primary to maintain strong links between church and schools and involve children in church activity.
• To work closely with lay colleagues to develop their knowledge and skills in their lay ministries.
• To help develop the use of church buildings in jointly supporting church and community activity and demonstrating environmental concerns.
• To manage time with wisdom, care and consideration: to achieve the 0.5 timing requires a careful balance and help is available.

• We value experience in managing the opportunities and challenges associated with a diverse rural parish;
• Experience in leading and developing lay teams with diverse talents;
• Demonstrable results working with young people in developing their faith and church activity;
• An appreciation of musical skills and contributions to both traditional and contemporary worship.
• Ability to work alongside church members and non members, and people of different traditions to establish links and cooperation.
• Creative and flexible approach to teaching and demonstrating faith through presentations and worship, using a range of media and technologies eg Zoom, live-stream, PowerPoint with technical support.
• Ability to communicate, delegate and motivate appropriately
• Having an insight into self , demonstrating resilience and the ability to say “no”
• Ability to demonstrate visibility and involvement in parish life, encouraging those of faith and no faith.

The Diocese of Leeds

The Diocese of Leeds was formed at Easter 2014. It is one of the largest dioceses in the country covering an area of around 2,425 square miles, and a growing population of around 2,642,400 people. The diocese comprises five Episcopal areas, each served by a suffragan (area) bishop. Each Episcopal Area is coterminous with an Archdeaconry.

The Diocesan Vision, informed by the values of ‘loving, living, learning’ is: ‘confident Christians, growing churches, transforming communities and so helping share the Good News of Jesus Christ across our Diocese’. This Vision is embedded into the Diocesan Strategy and Goals and expressed in meaningful ways across the episcopal areas.

The Diocese is a blend of urban and rural in all their diversity. This includes the major cities of Bradford, Leeds and Wakefield; the large industrial and post-industrial towns of Halifax, Huddersfield and Dewsbury; the market towns of Harrogate, Skipton, Ripon (classed as a small city), Richmond and Wetherby; and the deeply rural area of the Yorkshire Dales. It covers several civic and parliamentary boundaries.

The Diocese is unique in having three cathedrals; Bradford, Ripon and Wakefield. The Deans of the Cathedrals work together and continue to look to fresh ways of sharing ideas and engaging in projects of mutual interest.