The Church of England in London is growing, vibrant and at the heart of communities throughout the capital. At the London Diocesan Fund we seek to do everything we can to support this mission and growth, using our resources to help our parishes and chaplains to serve over 4 million people.

The Diocese of London (LDF) is seeking a Kensington Lead Area Director of Ordinands (ADO) to play a key role within the Kensington Area team, based from Regal House, Twickenham.

This is a ministerial role and the post-holder will be an ordained priest in the Church of England. Diocese of London stipend and housing within easy reach of Twickenham will be provided.

Informal enquiries: Revd Cara Lovell (Director of Ministry) cara.lovell@london.anglican.org

• Closing Date: 23^rd November 2023
• Interviews: 7^th December 2023

The Kensington Episcopal Area team has accompanied some 35 candidates for ordination through their discernment journey in 2023. This is among the highest number from any Diocese or Episcopal Area in the Church of England, and includes many candidates from under-represented groups, especially through the Peter and Caleb Streams.

The new post of Lead Area Director of Ordinands offers the opportunity to play a key role in leading this exciting ministry of discernment and preparation of ordinands. The post is funded for three years by Church of England Capacity Funding and reports to the Area Director of Ministry (ADM), working with an existing 0.5 time Area Director of Ordinands and a team of volunteer clergy and lay vocations assessors.

• Acting as Lead Area Director of Ordinands for the Kensington Area:
  • To liaise with new candidates, their referring incumbents and sponsors.
  • To recruit, train and support the team of Assistant Area Director of Ordinands, including arranging termly AADO meetings.
  • To develop and deliver Discernment Groups which will guide, resource and inform those exploring a call to ordained ministry.
  • To liaise with National Ministry Team about arrangements for selection panels, and sensitively and pastorally debrief candidates following panel attendance.
  • To work closely with the Kensington Area Director of Ministry and Ministry Team Administrator to advise on candidate’s formational and ministerial development in light of panel recommendations.
  • To work with the ADM, Area Administrator and IME2 Tutors to plan and coordinate IME2 training for curates serving their Title Posts in Kensington Area.
  • To work with the ADM to identify opportunities to foster vocations to lay and ordained ministry (eg through preaching/teaching, providing ministry resources for clergy, offering Quiet Days or retreats focusing on calling).
• Working with individual candidates:
  • To meet with individual candidates for one-to-one conversations involving prayerful discernment of whether they inhabit the Qualities for ordained ministry.
  • To prepare sponsoring papers, where appropriate, to the high standard expected by both the National Ministry Team (NMT) and the Diocese.
  • To keep comprehensive, appropriate, up to date records for each ordinand, in line with Diocesan GDPR policy.
  • To liaise with candidates’ ‘sending’ incumbents, including making the necessary arrangements when candidates need to gain further ministerial experience or to experience a different church tradition.
  • To work with candidates discerning a call to ordained ministry on the Peter Stream and Caleb Stream pathways, including sensitively and pastorally identifying and overcoming any barriers to selection.
  • To offer informed advice to the sponsoring Bishop(s) on candidates’ sense of vocation and evidence for this calling.
  • To help ordinands explore suitable training options in consultation with the ADM, Vocations Officer, and sponsoring Bishop.
• Personal Development:
  • To keep up to date with national and Diocesan policies, and with National Ministry Team practice regarding selection.
  • To take up opportunities for training and personal development in the role.
  • To take part in an annual review of this ministry with the Area Director of Ministry.
  • To pay attention to your own faith and ministerial development and personal wellbeing.

This is a ministerial role which requires the post-holder to prayerfully discern with others God’s calling and to offer pastoral sensitivity in conversations with candidates and others. The post-holder will be an ordained priest in the Church of England, having a lively faith in Jesus Christ that finds expression in prayer, public worship and in manner of life.

The appointed person will also have the following experience, knowledge and skills:

• Experience in the areas of vocational discernment and pastoral care, and in sensitively working with individuals in depth.
• Experience in interviewing and assessing the vocational calling and suitability of those who present themselves as candidates for public, professional ministry.
• Experience of working in a consultative way with colleagues, whilst also having the ability to be self-directed in undertaking core tasks, including an ability to set priorities between the important and the urgent.
• A commitment, shown in past ministry, to work with widely different theological traditions and approaches within the Church of England.
• An ability to write clear personal reports and to work within the frameworks of policy laid down by the Church of England.
• The ability to communicate clearly and effectively a theological understanding of vocation and ordained ministry.
• Experience of working with people from backgrounds which have been historically under-represented in ordained ministry is desirable.

The LDF is the employment body that serves and supports the Diocese of London and Church of England. The Diocesan of London comprises of c400 parishes north of the River Thames and within the M25 motorway. You can find our Diocesan 2030 vision, which outlines our priorities for the next 10 years here: london.anglican.org/our-2030-vision

EDI

The Diocese of London is committed to creating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workforce which represents our context and wider community

We are aware that those of Global Majority Heritage/United Kingdom Minority Ethnic (GMH/UKME), women, and disabled people are currently under-represented among our clergy and workforce, and we particularly encourage applications from those with the relevant skills and experience that will increase this representation.

Benefits

The LDF offers a supportive working environment, opportunity for career development and the following financial benefits:

• Competitive remuneration package
• 27 annual leave days to rise to 30 after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays
• 15% employer pension contribution and salary sacrifice available
• Death in service benefit x3 of basic gross salary
• Enhanced maternity leave of six months full pay, after 12 months’ of employment
• Season ticket loans of public transport
• Access to Benenden Health Insurance
• EAP counselling through Health Assured
• Up to £100 for eye test and contribution to spectacles
• Two additional paid days for community volunteering