Interim Priest in Charge (3 Years) The Street Parishes & Authorised Presbyter for the Methodist Churches of Hovingham and Slingsby, York

An opportunity to lead this innovative collaboration between the Anglican and Methodist rural churches to the north and west of the market town of Malton.

We are creating another opportunity to further develop this exciting partnership, which is successfully flourishing within the adjacent group of villages on the edge of the Howardian Hills (AONB) and the North Yorkshire Moors National Park. The villages of Hovingham, Slingsby, Barton le Street and Amotherby are typical examples of English rural life with its opportunities and challenges for ministry and mission.   

The appointee will be half time Interim Priest in Charge of the Anglican benefice of The Street Parishes and will also be appointed as an Authorised Presbyter in the Methodist Church, with pastoral charge of the Hovingham and Slingsby Methodist churches. 

We are looking to:

• Come together to live out a shared mission to the villages.
• Celebrate and respect our differences of history and tradition, whilst ministering to previously largely separate worshipping communities.
• Enable greater working together and integration of wider mission, social outreach and community activities
• Continue to engage with and support our communities; recognising the rural poverty, isolation and loneliness, in the area and the need to support the agricultural community.
• Further develop our links to local schools to help to reach families and children in the area.

We are praying for someone who:

• Will lead us on the journey of creating a shared vision for the future. 
• Needs to be ecumenically minded and either experienced in Methodism or open to learn about the different ecclesiologies of the two denominations.
• Has vision, energy, perseverance and positivity, able to work collaboratively  alongside people of various theological understandings and expectations.
• Is a person of integrity, who has a deep understanding and love for the wide ranging spirituality involved in the role.
• Welcomes and encourages lay involvement in all areas of ministry
• Has experience of rural ministry and understands the importance of involvement in local events and agricultural seasons to be integrated into the communities
• Embraces opportunities for change and supports people in making these changes
• Is a visible presence in the communities and has good communication skills to talk to people of different ages and backgrounds

The Diocese of York

The Diocese of York, led and guided by Archbishop Stephen Cottrell, takes in much of North and East Yorkshire. As the largest diocese in England, geographically, the area is very diverse, featuring a multitude of needs and opportunities. This includes the bustling urban centres of York, Hull and Middlesbrough, the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors National Park, and the incomparable Yorkshire Coast; as well as areas of deprivation in some of our urban and smaller rural and coastal communities.

Our mission and ministry relies on thousands of people – lay and ordained, volunteer and paid. Our diocesan teams provide a wide range of support services to our mission and ministry, including lifelong learning for ministry, the care of church buildings, and safeguarding. Together, we are striving to be a people who are ‘Living Christ’s Story’. We want to be a simpler, bolder, humbler church which in its diversity reflects the communities it serves. We are bringing renewed focus and fresh energy to achieving our aims:

• Becoming more like Christ
• Reaching those we currently don’t
• Growing in discipleship, influence and numbers
• Transforming our finances and structures

Our approach is aligned with a commitment to the best of our parochial inheritance and to the poorest communities, and to the financial realities we face.

Under current immigration rules, it is not generally possible for us to appoint clergy who are not already eligible to work in the UK.

Appointment is subject to a satisfactory Enhanced DBS disclosure.

If you would like to have an informal conversation about this post, please contact the Archdeacon of York, the Ven Sam Rushton 01904 758241

Closing date for applications: Midnight on Sunday 8^th September, 2024

Interviews: Thursday 26^th – Friday 27^th September, 2024