Learning and Development Manager (Curates and Ordained Ministry Focus)

The Diocese of Liverpool is nurturing leaders (lay and ordained) for the church of the future to ensure that many more people are able to know Jesus, encounter an active discipleship journey and engage in bringing more justice in to our communities. 

This particular role is focussed on the learning, development, support and key transition times for ordained leaders. Set in a complexity of competing demands with a backdrop of certain change, we are committed to envisaging our church of the future as focussed on mission with all of the appropriate systems and support to ensure creative mission is made possible in every place. Our leaders will be part of engaging in developing accountability structures that bring support and clarity to roles, enabling clear support and the flourishing of particular gifts of leaders working in complementary teams to ensure that all aspects of mission and ministry are attended to by leaders who are fulfilled, engaged, equipped and highly supported. Commitment to team at every level will be essential to enliven the significant gifts of lay people, ensuring that mission is a creative, collaborative endeavour with all of the gifts God has provided to our communities.

This is a significant post at a time of whole-system change in the Diocese of Liverpool, set within the FFM strategy across the Diocese. https://liverpoolcofe.org/fitformission This role represents our Liverpool commitment to the training and development of ordained leaders within the context of significant investment in lay leadership and the relationships between ordained and lay leaders. 

This role offers the successful candidate the opportunity to work closely with cohorts of curates and those supporting their training locally to continue to develop a model of curacy that provides the widest experiences of ministry, ensures successful completion of curacy for the appropriate category of ministry and supports individuals in to vocationally appropriate first posts. The post holder will ensure supported transition for leaders through the First Base programme, Changing Posts Programme and through a variety of existing developmental and well-being opportunities including the oversight of the MDR process, Study Leave programme and other small programmes.

You will join a small, creative vocations team who work closely in collaboration on all areas of lay and ordained vocational development through our ‘lifecall’ brand www.lifecall.uk . 

Our aspiration is that curacy pathways sit within a coherent, programme of contextually aware training and development to equip those charged with the leadership of worshipping communities, both inherited and church plants. Our Fit for Mission strategy, is working towards Larger Single Parishes characterised by team working and portfolio ministry alongside a rooted pastoral, teaching and liturgical ministry and the missional oversight of a worshipping congregation(s). Curates are trained in a variety of contexts within LSPs and within Single Parishes and deaneries where appropriate collaborative team training contexts can be provided. We are looking to develop a culture of high support, high expectation and high accountability. You will initially deliver, embed and strengthen current practices with a view to being part of integrating curate training pathways in future developments for a learning and development framework for all ministerial leaders.