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Vicar of St Francis of Assisi & St Mary of Nazareth Churches, West Wickham (United Benefice)
Vacancy Reference cofe/TP/48552/7447
The job has expired.
Number of Positions:
1
Contract Type:
Office Holder
Salary/Stipend:
£30,455
Location:
West Wickham, Kent
Closing Date:
03/11/2024
Vacancy Category:
Clergy: Archdeacon
Business Unit:
Diocese of Southwark
Organizational Unit:
Benefice
Introduction
Vicar of St Francis of Assisi & St Mary of Nazareth Churches,
West Wickham (United Benefice)
OVERVIEW
St Francis of Assisi and St Mary of Nazareth Churches serve the community in and around West Wickham, a suburb in the London Borough of Bromley. We are a community and family-based benefice; two separate and distinct churches working together in a United Benefice to achieve God’s aims in West Wickham.
We are in a Group Ministry with St. John The Baptist Church, West Wickham.
The vicar is supported by the shared Ministry Team (two Assistant Priests, two Readers, two Commissioned Pastoral Ministers and a Director of Music) as well as a group of volunteers undertaking various roles within the church.
The Vicarage, adjacent to St Mary’s, was built pre-war and is a lovely family-sized detached house, with five bedrooms, a large front garden, secluded rear garden, a garage and a driveway providing parking for three cars.
POST INTRODUCTION
Surrounded by the greenbelt, West Wickham, population approximately 15,000, is an attractive suburb popular with families. The town has excellent transport links. West Wickham High Street boasts an abundance of local, independent shops and is well served by larger supermarkets. The area is known for its good school catchment areas, with five state primaries and six secondaries in the locality, all with excellent reputations. There are also a number of leading independent schools in Bromley and Croydon, which is within easy reach by car and public transport, where there is also a well-respected Church of England comprehensive. For recreation, the area offers several green spaces including woodland and parks.
Our church worship is in the Central Anglican Tradition, based mainly on Common Worship.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
We are looking to appoint a committed and compassionate full-time Vicar for our United Benefice who will:
- Take a lead in mission outreach.
- Have experience of working in innovative ministries that have actively encouraged new membership of the church, including families, and who can help us to grow - both young and old, including involvement with and supporting the growth of our Messy Church.
- Recognise the importance of pastoral ministry, including the importance of home visiting, in developing the church to be an inclusive and welcoming place for people from all walks of life.
- Value the part that music plays in enhancing worship in both churches.
- Be supportive of lay ministry, willing to foster vocations and promote lay ministry training.
- Recognise the importance of working ecumenically with St John’s and CTWW (Churches Together in West Wickham).
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate will:
- Have a strong, prayerful, personal faith.
- Be a kind, caring and approachable person capable of sharing sorrow and joy with love and sympathy.
- Be a strong leader who is able to motivate and manage change with tact and diplomacy and is able to communicate well with all involved, taking into account people’s needs and differences of opinion.
- Be able to see the future for both churches, both as separate and joint entities.
- Have good communication and IT skills, willing to be a team leader but also sometimes a team member.
ABOUT US
Our United Benefice Vision is ‘To be a community and family-based benefice where each church has a distinct identity, working together to further God’s kingdom’. Each church has its individual strengths, traditions and needs, but by working together in joint worship and activities as a United Benefice, we are stronger in voice and action.
Each church takes the lead in areas where they have strength or expertise and supports the other to achieve God’s aims in West Wickham. We have worked and worshipped collaboratively for over 20 years and continue to develop joint activities and get to know each other better. We have a Vision Team consisting of members of both Churches. Our Mission Statement is ‘We are a community and family-based benefice united in faith and service’
St Francis’ Vision is ‘To be a community that is strong in our faith and able to reach out to
and serve the community’. Our Mission Statement, ‘We are a community of faith in touch with the wider community’, reflects our position in the centre of West Wickham enabling us to share faith through words and actions with people living, shopping, working in or just visiting our town. We work to provide space and opportunity for others who are not regular church attenders to come into St Francis’ and find space to become familiar with a church building. Our hope is that such visitors will feel the presence of God and be inspired to find out more about the church and Christian faith. Nurturing our own faith strengthens our ability to reach outwards.
and serve the community’. Our Mission Statement, ‘We are a community of faith in touch with the wider community’, reflects our position in the centre of West Wickham enabling us to share faith through words and actions with people living, shopping, working in or just visiting our town. We work to provide space and opportunity for others who are not regular church attenders to come into St Francis’ and find space to become familiar with a church building. Our hope is that such visitors will feel the presence of God and be inspired to find out more about the church and Christian faith. Nurturing our own faith strengthens our ability to reach outwards.St Mary’s Vision is ‘To grow our family and share the joy of having Christian faith at the
heart of our lives’. Our Mission Statement, “We are a welcoming family with Christian faith at the heart of all we do” reflects the distinctive feature of St Mary’s identity and engagement, expressing its intention to support members through good times and especially through bad, to serve God and to care for those around locally and in the wider world. We know that God cares for all people, and we are thankful that he cares for us.
heart of our lives’. Our Mission Statement, “We are a welcoming family with Christian faith at the heart of all we do” reflects the distinctive feature of St Mary’s identity and engagement, expressing its intention to support members through good times and especially through bad, to serve God and to care for those around locally and in the wider world. We know that God cares for all people, and we are thankful that he cares for us.Both churches are warm and welcoming. We look forward to working with you to achieve God’s aims and meet His needs as we move forward to a new period of development within our churches and faith.
For an informal conversation with the Archdeacon, please contact his PA to make an appointment by emailing Kathleen.bailey@southwark.anglican.org
Closing Date: Sunday 3 November 2024 (midnight)
Shortlisting: Monday 11 November 2024
Date of parish visit and formal interviews: Tuesday 26 November 2024
We have a policy in Southwark Diocese that to be appointed to an incumbent status post, a priest must have served a title post in an Anglican church in the British Isles. We aim to be a diverse and truly representative Diocese, and particularly welcome applications from women and people of UKME heritage. This post is subject to DBS enhanced disclosure.
Please note that your Pathways generated CV will be downloaded and reviewed alongside your application, so please do ensure this information is up to date.
