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05.02.11MAKING CHURCH IN TODAY’S WORLD: NEW PATTERNS OF SUSTAINABLE MINISTRY FOR

THE DIOCESE OF SALISBURY

INTRODUCTIONThe purpose of this paper is to outline a proposal for a pilot project to set up models of shared leadership, structuring of lay ministries and the forming of radical Christian Community. It draws on the experiences in the Diocese of Evreux and in this Diocese.

The paper is divided into three parts: Part 1 examines the Salisbury context where the impact of the past 30 years decline in stipendiary clergy numbers and the response to this, for example in the increase of non-stipendiary ministries has been especially felt in rural areas. It looks at examples of initiatives that have already been done and where shared leadership already happens.

Part 2 examines the Evreux context and describes the establishment of more viable local units, called ‘Paroisse 2000’ as not only a practical response to the decreasing number of priests but a deliberate and radical move away from a more traditional monarchical priesthood to a pattern of shared ministry and mission to the world.

Part 3 outlines the proposed pilot project, which will look at how the principles which underpin Paroisses 2000 can inform practice in Salisbury Diocese in structuring lay ministries and shared leadership. As well as the key components of the pilot and the theological principles, this part of the paper describes the range of participants and how learning will be shared between them, how training and development needs that are identified can inform LDMC and how the project will be supported through a redefinition of an existing ½ time post (Co-ordinator for Local Ministry’) which will be part of LDMT but embedded in one of the pilot contexts.

It concludes with a Synod motion to endorse the setting up of this project and of the half time post.

PART 1

THE SALISBURY CONTEXT

Over the last 30 years numbers of stipendiary clergy have steadily declined and evidence is that numbers will continue to decline for the foreseeable future. In Salisbury Diocese the impact of this has been felt most keenly so far in rural areas with the ever increasing number of parishes grouped together in benefices served by a single stipendiary incumbent or very large rural teams with a small core of stipendiary clergy. In the past 17 years we have seen the growth of Associate Priests, Lay Pastoral Assistants, together with the steady numbers of Licensed Lay Ministers and the development of a variety of other forms of ministries. This growth in varieties of ministries has been used to attempt to bolster current patterns of rural ministry. This has had only limited success and has not always made best use of those offering for this wide variety of ministries in either rural or urban contexts.

i) A questionnaire in 2008 exploring clergy wellbeing revealed that clergy serving in multi-parish rural benefices, who been ordained less than 10 years, experience a certain amount of ‘negative’ wellbeing. Following the survey, this group (nearly 30) were invited to an informal discussion so that the issues lying behind these responses could start to be more fully understood. A wide range of themes emerged from this conversation. However, what was almost universal was an increasing sense of separation between the passion and vision that brought people into ministry and what they often find themselves doing. A number of multi-parish benefices still appear to have an underdeveloped sense of a corporate life together, often leaving clergy feeling pulled in several directions and increasingly trying to meet competing demands. With stipendiary numbers decreasing, it is even more imperative that rural benefices in particular are helped to move into a more sustainable pattern of a life together, in which not only clergy but communities can thrive.

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05.02.11ii) At the same time, deanery plans have greatly facilitated creative and dynamic

conversations between different benefices and deaneries. As a result there is now an increasing momentum towards building mission through a shared strategic approach to mobilising the ministry of the whole church, lay and ordained. It’s in this sharing of vision and ministry that the outward looking dynamic of the diocesan aims are starting to take root and that the Learning for Discipleship and Ministry Team have had a significant role in encouraging ministry for mission.

iii) Examples of support the diocese has initiated for ministry and mission in the last three years include: i) New training patterns for authorised ministryii) new licensing arrangements for Licensed Lay Ministry and associate priests, iii) Learning for Discipleship iv) Deanery planning through Pastoral Committees v) Re-discovering our parish churches pilot vi) Mission projects and pioneer ministry vii) Thanksgiving Sunday viii) Back to Church Sundayix) the Ministry deployment strategyx) Well-being; Fully Alive, Inspired to go!xi) New training formats for churchwardens and other PCC officers.xii) Pilgrimage weeks

iv) Understanding who our ministers are is a diocesan priority, which hinges on:a. Creating an integrated pattern of learning for all the baptised b. Building confident Christian disciples c. Identifying and releasing the unique gifts and skills of all God’s peopled. Clarifying the different ways God is calling us to serve Hime. Clarifying the distinctive and complementary vocations of those who are ordained

nationally deployable, ordained locally deployable, authorised and licensed lay ministries and of all the baptised

f. Developing radical Christian communities and the leadership qualities to nurture and energise such communities

Some Case Studies

The Dorchester Team by Harold Stephens Team Rector

Dorchester has a large ministry team ably backed-up with lay leadership in all of our churches. The Team Ministry now includes the town of Dorchester and also several villages.

The exercise of leadership in the Team is best identified as collaborative. The avoidance of “top-down” models or of “each to their own” has been a core feature. Sharing a common vision by regular consultations has shown we are doing many of the same things to share ministry and mission. At the same time the individual churches sustain their unique ethos and congregations. Each church or groups of churches has designated clergy and LLMs based there.

The core feature is the Team staff meeting is that it is hosted in different homes and chaired by different people in rotation. The agenda is open with no topics withheld and they are all discussed. The spirit of the meeting is consensus, mutual support and seeking what makes sense to further our contribution to the spiritual and social life of our communities. LLMs now join clergy for some of these meetings. One meeting per month is held in the evening so non-stipendiary (associate) clergy in employment can attend.

The main role of Team Rector is to encourage and to make space for things to happen. Our shared inclusive theology as “parish” rather than “denomination” is important to us – part of our common vision and shared mission.

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Making Rural Ministry Live by Rev’d Vanda Perrett, Team Rector of the Bourne Valley and Rural Dean of Alderbury. I offer two examples of strategies (but not the theological rationale due to space) for working with a multi-church team, neither are perfect or wholly worked out, but they show a way to think about how we engage in rural ministry to bring life and energy not only to the church but also the ministers too.

Clustering Pewsey and Swanborough to Nov 2005

As the Team Vicar of 6 parishes in a 12 parish team and Deanery School Coordinator in 11 schools I needed to find a way to make the dual role sustainable and life-giving. It became obvious that the parishes found it hard to relate to a large team, and that the members of each parish required a broad range of ministry and resources, but lacked a critical mass to make anything outside of Sunday worship take off.

My vision was to group or cluster parishes according to the social networks that already existed, for example those who were in one primary school catchment area. The aim was to encourage them to see what they could do better together and what they would do better apart. The clusters were each of three parishes who made a commitment to hold Sunday services at times which did not compete with each other. For example one might have 8am BCP or 6pm Evensong, the next 9.15am Matins or HC and the last 10.45am Family Communion or Family Service. These services rotated around the three parishes each month in an established pattern. The Sunday worship was a small part in the overarching plan, but needed solving to free the minds to think beyond Sunday.

We were to have joint PCC meetings at least three times annually, the first part was to be a joint meeting then refreshments served, and in the second half each PCC met in a corner of the hall for their specific needs with the clergy booked into 15 minute slots with each PCC in turn. Each parish was asked how they would choose to use their share of their clergy time during the week, leading PCC, visiting or Bible studies for example.

The parishes were encouraged to hold a common diary so events and fund raising could be coordinated. Parishes were encouraged to see their own unique selling point and focus on this ministry to make it outstanding. Among our churches one focused on healing ministry, another on BCP etc. The parishes shared their experiences; if one had a faculty expert they offered advice to others etc. The Lay Pastoral Assistants worked together with the parishes and clergy to provide support, prayer and pastoral care especially through the occasional offices.

We looked across boundaries of parish into clusters. Here the number of people was not so large that people felt no connection with the other parishes, so people were happier and able to grow in faith and in knowledge because we could offer a wider range of activities. I left the team before this was well established, and it has grown in a different way to the way I envisaged, however relationships were being built to give a greater degree of trust between parishes, and greater confidence in their ability not just to “keep the ship afloat” but to thrive.

Knowing and Celebrating – a Ministry of Hospitality Bourne Valley Team from 2006

This is a team of six parishes on the outskirts of Salisbury which asked for a new team rector to make the team work: what a challenge! The team did not appear to know each other, LPAs and Churchwardens had not met, even when appointing a new Team Rector. The parishes were divided between two clergy and the understanding of ‘team’ was to provide support during clergy holidays and the famous Good Friday walk.

My priority was to get folk together and encourage them to make connections across the parish boundaries. I started by hosting a series of suppers for different folk across the team, for example organists and LPAs etc, and hosting a series of Lent Lunches at the Rectory – they wanted to meet the new rector and see the house, so I used this to encourage attendance.

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One of the structures that changed straight away was to appoint a person who managed all the fees for the occasional offices across the team, releasing a huge amount of time for me! My first experience of a team service was attended by 13 people, so we moved the team services to the three larger churches with good facilities and then advertised them, starting the team Sunday with bacon sandwich breakfasts and Fairly Traded tea and coffee and juice, and followed by coffee and cake. We now have 40-50 at team services.

We introduced a team prayer diary, a team pew sheet that goes out weekly, and we run confirmation classes, bible study, prayer groups, Toddler Group and Youth Group as team events. Each parish is encouraged to find out its specialty: one is BCP, another has a brilliant Sunday School, another has begun a Quiet Day ministry, another healing.

Confirmations happen in the Cathedral so no one has to fight for the “honour of the Confirmation!” Special team events are held in the three smaller churches that suit their size. The major change has been in how we share licensed ministry across the team. Each of the three LLM(R)s has a pastoral charge with the LPAs for specific areas and we strive to use the clergy and all ministers across the whole team according to their gifts. We have had some big one-off events that have made the team think together: a Sudanese Youth Worker, an Arts Festival, and the closure of a church building. LPAs meet as a team group regularly. We have just started meeting together in the three northern parishes as one PCC twice each year; in the future I can see this working well as one parish but we are trialling how this feels before getting into the long legal paperwork. Our aim is to celebrate the diversity and pray for unity. We don’t want parishes that are carbon copies of each other.

We have worked hard to get to know each other, to celebrate each other’s gifts and to be hospitable to each other too. Communication is key, not just letting folk know what is happening but telling them what has happened too, sharing good news and times when the risk of trying something new does not work quite as we hoped. Treating folk as adults and asking them to help the clergy shape the use of their time in the parish has been really important. Sharing honestly at the team council has made a huge difference to morale and friendship. We are well on the way to feeling more confident in what team can mean and what we gain from being team together, but we have really only just begun.

PART 2

A MODEL FROM THE DIOCESE OF EVREUX

The second part of this paper consists of reflections from a visit in October 2010 to the Diocese of Evreux made by Ven Paul Taylor, Ven John Wraw, Gillian Wraw and Canon Harold Stephens.

Changing Ministry in the Diocese of Evreux The diocese of Evreux is similar to Salisbury with a mixture of small towns and villages. However, it is even more sparsely populated with about two thirds of the Salisbury population (about 520,000 and 750,000 respectively) in an area 10% larger. There are far fewer priests than in Salisbury: 48 are active 1 and 36 retired (the numbers have greatly reduced over the last 25 years or so – the total in 1984 was 235 and 176 in 1994). There are also 25 permanent deacons (many of whom are married) who tend to work in prisons, hospitals and other specific areas of specific pastoral need.

In 1996, along with other French dioceses, Evreux launched a radical campaign to reorganise the diocese and create more viable local units, called ‘Paroisse 2000’. This was not only a practical response to the decreasing number of priests but a deliberate and radical move towards the ministry and mission of the whole church (a direct response to Vatican II). ‘Paroisse 2000’ was the beginning of a move away from a more traditional monarchical priesthood to a pattern of shared ministry and

1 35 in parish ministry; 7 in diocesan administration; 6 in chaplaincy

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05.02.11mission to the world. In this new scheme individual parishes were clustered into 7 secteurs and 30 new paroisses. It is not unusual for rural paroisses to contain 20 or so villages (the largest number is over 40), however urban paroisses also include surrounding villages. Each paroisse has a parish priest.

EAP and EALA key part of this pastoral reorganization was the establishment of collaborative ministry teams in every new paroisse – EAP and EAL. The Equipe d’Animation Pastorale is the coordinating pastoral team for the whole paroisse and has from three to five members, including the parish priest, with the actual work being carried out by several local teams known as Equipes d’Animation Locales. This enables ministry to be coordinated, resourced and supported across the whole paroisse, whilst preserving the particularity of communities and ensuring local presence.

Both teams are appointed for three years (renewable for a further three years), which ensures that no one gets stuck in one particular role and that there is always new blood coming through. The EAP members are appointed by the Bishop in consultation with the local people and the EAL members are appointed by the local community and the EAP. EAP members are also members of various EAL ministry groups. These groups include: social justice; baptism preparation; marriage preparation; care of the sick; funeral and bereavement ministry; and catechism. Finance and much of the administration is coordinated in the context of the EAP. The parish priest is a member of the EAP and tries to participate in as much of the work of the EALs as possible.

EAP and EAL in the Paroisse of Notre-Dame des Bois

The paroisse of Notre-Dame des Bois is a collection of 16 villages with a total population of about 12,000. The parish priest, Fr. Emile, and assistant parish priest, Fr Jean-Yves, are brothers of the order, Frères Missionaires des Campagnes. Their community house is near the village of Cannappville, one of the 16 villages; the Community is also involved in running a ‘land-based’ college. The EAP of Notre-Dame des Bois has four members, including Fr Emile and coordinates the work of three EALs that cover three regions: the southern region (Communauté de l’Iton - 6 villages), central region (Communauté de Quatremare – 7 villages) and the northern region (Communauté des Horizons - 3 villages).

We were kindly invited to attend a regular meeting of the Notre-Dame des Bois EAP and dialogue with the members (the EAP generally meets twice a month).

It is clear that the group share the responsibility for the whole life of the paroisse with the priest. This was evident from the dynamic of the meeting that we attended, where the priest was clearly one member of a group. Apparently the group takes it in turn to chair the meeting, which is in itself a significant sign of this (the meeting we attended was chaired by one of the lay members and the parish priest had the role of note-taker).

The EAP meetings focus on sharing information about the EAL ministry groups, ensuring that all is going well and identifying where help and support is needed. They organize formation and learning (Faith for Today); some aspects of social justice; the adult catechumenate; parish magazine; youth work; and finance. They are also involved in shaping worship.

The 3 EALs, which are focused on ‘action on the ground’, each have a coordinator looking after locally appointed teams with responsibility for:

1) Social Justice (Solidarité) which works in a practical way in three areas:

i) With the marginalized and those in crisisii) Identifying and combating povertyiii) Linking up with Social Services and other public bodies

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05.02.112) Baptism preparation

3) Marriage preparation

4) Care of the sick

5) Funerals – lay people not only give pastoral care to the bereaved but help make the arrangements for the funeral service and not infrequently take the service.

6) Catechism for the young (regular classes nurturing primary aged children and preparing them for first communion and confirmation)

A paraphrase (and rough translation) of the diocesan statement: It is in the paroisse and in each community that pastoral activities are coordinated….the pastoral activities common to all the communities. It is on this level that the permanent ministry of a priest expresses the Church – that is in a place and in being offered and received from one another. This is the expression of what it is to be Christ’s body in which there is unity. The community helps bear the pastoral load, which is a sharing of all the tasks and responsibilities which Christ entrusted to the Church and constitute his mission to the world. This load is entrusted by the bishop to an Equipe (team) of pastoral animation (E.A.P) made up of laity and the parish priest. The paroisse is a communion of communities and therefore provides the context and focus for mission.

Sunday Worship

This common life of the paroisse is reflected in Sunday worship, where there are usually only two masses. People therefore are used to travelling and have the benefit of gathering in larger numbers. This pattern speaks into and of a growing sense of a ‘life together’ transcending the boundaries of individual village communities. Only 9 churches are used in the regular pattern, although all churches have at least two masses a year, which is a legal requirement for them to remain open. One church (Quatremare) is used as the main mass centre as it happens to be the most centrally situated.

Masses tend to be very participatory with children sharing in leading of various parts of the liturgy. The singing is led by a cantor and is largely responsorial.

Formation d’Animateurs

The core activity of the diocesan department for theological education and training is described as Formation d’Animateurs. There is one full time teacher/coordinator and team of volunteer teachers. The equivalent of LfD has 100 people following a 3 year course on theological formation – the three year course structure is: God; Jesus Christ; and the Church. Most teaching takes place in the Diocesan Centre and some in other centres. There is no essay writing, although participants are encouraged to keep a journal of their learning, which essentially means theological and spiritual reflection. Most people aren’t just on the course for their own interest but in order that they can be prepared to go out and lead local groups – as the title Formation d’Animateurs suggests and there are now many groups across the diocese. Therefore the course also contains training in practical skills on how to form and lead a local study group. The model of teaching and learning that is advocated is collaborative and participatory, where there is collective decision making and a sharing of the chairing/coordinating role. These local groups are deliberately designed to model and stimulate something that will be reflected in the life of the local church.

EAP members are not required to follow the course, although in practice many do, and there is a direct correlation between the course and the skills and ethos involved in EAP leadership. However, EAP leaders are required to attend 3 two hour sessions in which there is reflection on the underlying ecclesiological and theological issues as well as practical skills training. The EAL training is delivered locally. The diocesan team visits all EAP/EALs every two years to give encouragement and some

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05.02.11training. Much on-going training is, understandably, delivered in the seven sectors (very like large deaneries). EAP leaders are given a ministry specification and letter of authorization from the Bishop.

N.B. There is increasing indication that people are transformed by their experience of being in EAPs and EALs as well as participants in the Formation d’Animateurs course. There is some hope that this in itself will not only enhance the life and growth of the local church but in itself grow new vocations to the priesthood.

Transformational ministriesThe Diocese of Évreux presents some inspirational ideas for ministry and its organisation, especially in large, rural paroisses. Much has been written to detail what has been done in the Diocese to develop the “Paroisses 2000” model. These structural changes were the direct result of the ever-reducing numbers of priests in the French Church. This may appear a negative way in to drive change. Paradoxically it may be having the effect of strengthening the foundations of local ministry by the positive and confident participation of lay people at every level. It must be remembered that the “EAP” (effectively the local leadership team) is jointly licensed by the Bishop and charged with the leadership of the whole paroisse. No longer does this fall exclusively on the Priest.

Secondly, the deployment of local pastoral teams is not a matter of haphazard opportunity, as seems so often the case in our diocese with the use of LPAs. Here the needs are identified, training put in place and local pastoral teams “staffed” with specific rôles and responsibilities. These include hospital and sick visiting, social justice, baptism and wedding preparation and the preparations for and conducting of funerals.

Within this given structural pattern lies a strategy which sees ministry as collaborative and which emphasises the shared ministry of lay and ordained. Where this has developed and matured (and the model is used in towns as well as rural communities) the place of laity in leadership and responsibility is greatly enhanced and taken seriously.

But all is not bureaucratic or overly rigid. What is quite apparent is that, at its best, this ‘Paroisses 2000’ model can allow for considerable initiative in outreach, pastoral ministry, and in worship.

Two contrasting examples illustrate this point (both involve women):

1. Pastoral care and social justice for the community – the ministry of Sr Leo Joyce

Sr Leo is one of three parish sisters based at Bernay, in the west of the Diocese of Évreux. She shows the need to allow flexibility for someone with extraordinary character and drive to forge new frontiers of ministry and challenge more traditional assumptions of a well-established parish.

Along with all her various parish duties, including work in outlying villages and for the diocese in the field of ecumenical relationships, Sr Leo has shown how the Church ministry can transform lives. Living and working in the working-class quarter of the town, she has established, from nothing, work with young children and families. This has resulted in an extensive pastoral ministry to those families through relationships and consistent and unrelenting effort to maintain contact with all families every week. (Here we must acknowledge the same approach which has helped drive forward the work with children in Littlemoor in Weymouth in our own diocese).

Even more challenging for the Parish has been the contact with the Traveller Community – just as in Britain, Travellers are the victims of social exclusion, prejudice and hostility. Here, Sr Leo has made contact with the community and started to build up trust and confidence, which allows her with others to enter caravans. This enables her to offer teaching support to disadvantaged children and to engage with social justice issues. This often involves advocacy and accompanying people to face institutional indifference and bureaucracy.

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05.02.11Others of the Parish point to the way these engagements have transformed their thinking and, in some cases, their own Christian pastoral ministries. It will never be a comfortable ride – but a deeply spiritual person who is irresistible in bringing a beautiful Gospel to the hard face of human society must be allowed, by her ministry, to be something of a prophet in her place.

2. Sunday Worship when there is no Mass

By contrast, this example concerns Sunday worship. Large, multi-church parishes of the diocese (the largest has 44 churches!) do not try to offer regular Sunday Mass in every church. That is impossible. Experiments with “Communion by Extension” (as we term it) have been stopped.

The pattern of worship for such parishes is typically that of 2 or 3 Masses per Saturday evening and Sunday for the whole Parish. These are typically located in the largest of the villages or the town of the parish. In addition, every church will have a Mass at least once every 6 months. If they do not then the building, already the property of the local authority can revert to be disposed of for other uses. Thus Patronal Festivals may provide the obvious opportunity as part of a large, bewildering and complex rota for Masses in the minor churches of the Parish. However, there is evidence that lay-led worship on a Sunday is growing. Such non-Eucharistic worship is specifically allowed and models for guidance are published. These equate to the “Service of the Word” provision in the Book of Common Worship. Typically such worship is timed so as not to be held at the same time as a Mass elsewhere in the large parish. However, such worship does provide for the expressed needs of some communities to continue with more frequent services in the Church.

One example of this was given during our study visit: A lay person, and graduate theologian, was faced with a dilemma in her village one Easter. Easter that year fell on the day of the church’s Patronal festival. By tradition the Mayor and much of the community comes to church for the Patronal festival Mass. That year the Masses of the Parish did not include one in their village.

The lay woman concerned (who also has a diocesan post as coordinator of training), with others, decided to offer a “Service of the Word”. The Mayor and community came. She explained it was not to be a Mass and suggested that any wishing to do so should drive on to where a Mass was to be celebrated. None left. She also explained that she would be leading the service. None seemed at all unhappy.

The service comprised of the opening prayers, prayer of the day, the readings and Gospel for the day, the intercessions, the sharing of “blessed” (non-Eucharistic) bread and a final (non priestly) prayer of blessing. Most notably, as someone suitably qualified, she decided to preach and lead on to a discussion about the Gospel and the sermon with the congregation. Officially only clergy may preach. However what was officially an “exposition” was, in reality, a sermon. “I preached!” she said. Not only have classic models been adapted in worship but, in some cases, people have found this liberating and a realization of far greater opportunities for the life of the worshipping community.

In all this the authority of the Bishop, the parochial (licensed) teams and ethos of the Catholic Church are upheld. Nonetheless it has revolutionized life for some communities.

ConclusionBritain and France are similar in some ways and different in others. However, the challenge of the reduction in congregations, the aspiration to work locally and the nature of our cultures and present times mean we have many meeting points in today’s world. Perhaps we need to ask tough questions of ourselves and also of small rural communities. Perhaps we must be more rigorous in our deployment of clergy and lay ministries? Perhaps we need to clearly identify what are those key things that should make Church, Church, in whatever locality? The reality of lay-clergy collaboration and team working that encourages transformation is surely to be encouraged.

(N.B. The Bishop of Evreux, Bishop Christian Nourrichard, has asked for the paper to be translated into French and be submitted for discussion at his own Bishop’s Council in Evreux.)

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05.02.11PART 3

Energising Local Mission and Ministry - Proposal for a Pilot project drawing on the experience in the Diocese of Evreux Paroisses 2000.

Preamble

Paroisses 2000 offers a model of shared leadership, structuring of lay ministries and the forming of radical Christian Community which accords with the core Diocesan Priorities for Salisbury Diocese which came out of the Deanery Hearings 2004 to 2005 and the Deanery Strategic Plans. However there are significant differences in culture and context which mean that the model cannot simply be replicated in our Diocese. These include different governance structures, relationships in local communities (for example with schools), the difference in responsibility for church buildings, current local ministries exercised by associate priests, licensed lay ministers and lay pastoral assistants, and the significant difference in numbers of stipendiary clergy between the two Dioceses.

The pilot project will look at how the principles which underpin Paroisses 2000 can inform practice in Salisbury Diocese in structuring lay ministries and shared leadership. Participation will be encouraged from a range of contexts to test the resilience of the models which are developed. Two important aspects of the pilot will be to encourage shared learning between participants and to inform LDMC on best to meet training and developments needs identified through the pilot. The pilot project will be supported through a ½ time post (Co-ordinator for Local Ministry’) which will be part of LDMT but embedded in one of the pilot contexts (see note below).

Outcomes

The development of patterns for shared lay and clergy leadership which complement existing governance structures

The development of models for structured local ministry which integrate with current patterns of local ministry

The development of learning and training programmes to support locally energised ministry Exploration of sustainable patterns of worship particularly for rural areas. Models of radical Christian Communities characterised by venturesome love in social action

and pastoral care.

Methodology

A variety of participants will be invited to take part including Large team ministries Large united benefices with a sole incumbent Large parishes with a sole incumbent Informal parish groupings

To be referred to as a Local Mission Group. Where the Local Mission Group consists of a large number of parishes or communities they may grouped in up to three clusters for more local delivery of pastoral care.

Each Local Mission Group will commit to A leadership team, comprising both clergy and laity episcopally commissioned and serving

for a period of three years (renewable for a further three years). Teams operating a group level engaging in social action, schools, evangelism,

communication, lay learning and discipleship Identifying individuals to engage in cluster pastoral teams offering baptism preparation,

marriage preparation, bereavement care, pastoral visiting, and local worship

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05.02.11Members of the leadership team may be members of other teams in the Local Mission Group but will not be expected to lead or animate those teams. Chairing of the Leadership Team shall rotate among its members.

The Co-ordinator for Local Ministry will provide support for each Local Mission Group, liaising with LDMT to provide suitable training and development and ensuring there are appropriate opportunities for shared learning between the local mission groups.

The pilot project will be overseen by a reference group whose membership will be drawn from the Local Mission Groups.

Review

The pilot project will run for five years making use of a continual cycle of review. LDMC will report to Bishop’s Council annually on the progress of the pilot with a recommendation after three years as to whether and how the pilot might be further developed.

NoteThe half time post, to be called ‘Co-ordinator for Local Ministry’, has already been agreed in principle by Bishop’s Council in April 2010. This was agreed in the context of the report

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05.02.11written by Dr Paul Overend, Local Ministry and locally Deployable Ordained Ministry Training in the Diocese of Salisbury, submitted to LDMC in September 2009. This report recommended that we need to place greater emphasis on resourcing and developing local church, out of which a range of ministries may emerge. The proposed post is the half time posted vacated by Paul Overend in October 2009 and retained in the 2011 budget.

It is proposed that this post be combined with a half time parochial post, thus enabling the person appointed also to operate in ‘embedded practitioner’ mode in a relevant context. The half time parochial post proposed is Spetisbury with Charlton Marshall and Blandford St. Mary, which becomes vacant in 2011. This proposal is in accord with the Milton and Blandford Deanery Plan and has the support of the deanery leadership.

An outline job description and person specification will be brought to the Bishop’s Council meeting.

SUMMARY

Three Key Components

1. Culture and Ethos – a radical new shared life together that leads into and is ensured by

2. A coherent Structure (such as the Pewsey model or EAP/EAL) – enabled by

3. an authorised leadership shaped by an appropriate theology

A Key Theological Principle

This perhaps takes us back to the very foundations of our faith, where the life of discipleship is above all a life together. St. Paul, writing in the context of the deep division between Jewish and Gentile Christians, time and time again reminds his readers of the radical new spirit of generosity and giving that should mark their life together. This radical new community is marked by relationships that transcend many of the social, racial and geographical barriers that are so often the categories by which people define and stratify themselves. As a consequence the men and women who were first brought to know Jesus Christ revealed their conversion not by individual feats of virtue but by entering a new life together in community. Our present age is so often an age of separations, where we are inclined to think in terms of individual fulfilment and the valuing of personal choice over collective need. We need to hear again this invitation to community life.

It is in this context that we need to think about nature of ministry, as it is shaped by the pattern of our life together. Fundamental to this is our need to re-connect with baptism, recognising that baptism carries with it a full share in the life of the church therefore a shared responsibility for the mission that God entrusts to it. The theologian Theo Simpson says, ‘…theology isn’t so much something that you learn as something you do. It’s a community activity, starting when Christians…begin to interpret their own life situation…in terms of the Christian drama of redemption.’

This discussion paper explores what God’s invitation to community life might mean in our current context and in the light of changing patterns of ministry.

There are many new paradigms being explored in our own diocese, re. the examples cited above. For some years now we have also been greatly interested in the radical new patterns of ministry emerging in our link diocese of Evreux. These were initially adopted because of the dramatic reduction in numbers of priests however through this there has been a rediscovery of the essential nature of what it means to be church.

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Item 4Dio Synod

05.02.11Group Discussion Questions

1. What examples do you have from your parish of freeing the priest to be a priest as opposed to parish administrator?

2. What translates from the Evreux model to our context?

3. How could the proposed Pilot Project meet the needs of your benefice?

4. What training and support is needed for local lay and ordained participants?

Motion

That this Synod gives its support to the continuing development of lay energised local ministry patterns through the proposed pilot scheme. Also that the benefices participating in the pilot be supported and mentored by a half time post appointed expressly for this purpose.

The Venerable Paul Taylor, The Venerable John Wraw, Canon Harold Stephens and Canon Jane Charman

January 2011

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05.02.11DRAFT

BOARD OF FINANCEJOB DESCRIPTION

DEPARTMENT The Learning for Discipleship and Ministry Team

JOB TITLE Co-ordinator for Local Ministry (half time)RESPONSIBLE TO the Director of Learning for Discipleship and Ministry.

RESPONSIBLE FOR n/a

The Learning for Discipleship and Ministry Team exists to promote and resource

the lifelong learning and spiritual growth of the whole people of God the discernment and nurture of all vocation the provision of training and formation for all authorised ministries the professional development of all who are in public ministry

The Co-ordinator for Local Ministry works collaboratively across the whole range of the Team’s activities with a primary responsibility for developing new patterns of sustainable ministry for the Diocese of Salisbury.

KEY ROLESKey Role AUnder the direction of a Management Group appointed by the Bishop’s Council to set up, monitor, evaluate and report back on a pilot project designed to explore how principles drawn from the Evreux experience can inform practice in the Diocese of Salisbury in structuring lay ministries and shared leadership

Key Role BTo engage with, support and resource a number of Local Mission Groups which have been episcopally commissioned for the purpose of trialling new patterns of lay energised local ministry. The Co-ordinator will have personal oversight of a designated Local Mission Group. S/he will chair a

co-ordinating group comprising representatives from each of the Local Mission Groups

Key Role CAs a member of the Learning for Discipleship and Ministry Team to engage the Team and its resources in enabling the pilot project. To work with the Co-ordinator for Vocations and Spirituality to identify and unlock vocations. To work with the Co-ordinator for Learning for Discipleship to design and deliver appropriate learning and training opportunities

Key Role DTo be an ambassador for the pilot project within the Diocese, providing information and opportunities for discussion and reflection as appropriate. To support clergy and parishes as we embrace the challenges of a new and more collaborative culture of ministry

Key Role ETo liaise with partners and colleagues in the SCRTP and nationally who are also engaged in exploring local, pioneering and new expressions of ministry

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05.02.11DRAFT

Co-ordinator for Local Ministry

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Ordained priest of the Church of England or a Church in full communion with the Church of England

A radical and optimistic vision for ministry which has at its heart the calling of all the baptised

A proven track record in developing lay ministry and lay leadership

At least a degree in theology

Good habits of reflective practice and ability to develop these in others

An understanding of the dynamics of vocation, able to identify and foster gifts of all kinds

Some knowledge and experience of adult education

A team leader/ team player with sound collaborative instincts

Courage and confidence to try new things, willing to embrace ‘the joy of being wrong’ and learn through mistakes

An engaging and persuasive communicator

Ability to speak French would be a particular advantage

A full driving license, willing to travel extensively around the Diocese

Willing to work flexible hours with time off in lieu

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