Vicar of Heapey St Barnabas and Withnell St Paul

Overview

Heapey with Withnell is a rural benefice between Chorley and Blackburn set in the West Pennine Moors. It consists of two churches and three congregations. Its villages have a strong sense of identity and community with valued links between their churches and schools.

The benefice is seeking a new Vicar in the evangelical tradition with a heart for engaging with young people and families, gifted in biblical, expository preaching, able to draw the two parishes closer together in their gospel mission and who will be a shepherd to the congregations and community.

You will find both St Barnabas and St Paul’s to be welcoming, friendly, evangelical churches of all ages, committed to growing in discipleship as followers of the Lord Jesus and prayerfully working together to make him known within our own community and through our mission partnerships.

There is able lay leadership across the benefice as well as a SSM curate. Whoever God chooses to lead us forward we trust they will do so prayerfully, humbly and with a love for God’s Word.

Our location provides good motorway links to the rest of the North West.

A letter of request is in place from St Paul’s PCC seeking a male priest on theological grounds. St Barnabas’ PCC decided not to hold a vote on such a resolution.

Main Responsibilities

• to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, to worship Him, to witness in the community through example and service and to nurture Christian belief.
• to present the Lordship of Christ to every person living in our parishes through word and deed, so that all may see God's love and hear His call to repent and grow in the Christian faith.

The Ideal Candidate

• A prayerful, mission-minded evangelical who, recognising the differing theological views among the PCCs and congregations will encourage mutual respect and fellowship, whilst nurturing and supporting the contribution of both parishes in the leadership, operation, and mission of the Benefice.
• Someone who can lead in bringing the Benefice closer together and unite them in Christ, so that we see spiritual growth across all age groups.
• Someone firmly grounded in biblical truth and prayer, teaching with theological integrity in a way that is relatable and relevant to the congregations in their daily lives.
• Someone who will be a shepherd both to the congregations and in the community, showing love, care and pastoral support, including visiting the elderly, long term sick, hospitalised and providing bereavement care, in a way that puts the churches at the heart of their Parish.
• A leader who will help to equip and grow new leaders from within our church family and who will encourage, motivate and develop opportunities for both men and women to flourish in the many varied leadership roles, both lay and ordained, that God has called them into.
• A leader of the church who will organise the staff teams to ensure that all diocesan policy and legal requirements are fulfilled.
• Someone to lead in developing the vision and work with the support of each PCC to take us forward in all areas of ministry and worship whilst recognising the nature and traditions of the different congregations, and that all are welcome.

About us

Closing date: Tuesday 2nd April 2024

Interviews will be held on: Monday 22nd April 2024

For an informal conversation about the post, please contact the Patron, Revd David Whitehouse on 01772 492766 or vicarage@standrewsleyland.org.uk

For information about Blackburn diocese please follow this link https://jobs.churchofengland.org/blackburn/vision-2026/

For information on making an application through Pathways please follow this link https://jobs.churchofengland.org/HELP/candidate-faq/