Incumbent - Benefice of Walkingham Hill, Nr Harrogate

Situated in in a beautiful part of North Yorkshire, close to Ripon, Harrogate and Knaresborough, the Benefice of Walkingham Hill includes the parishes of Arkendale, Copgrove, Farnham, Scotton and Staveley. These have the best of both rural and provincial communities, enjoying a picturesque rural location but situated within convenient distance of established towns. The people of the Benefice believe that it is a special place to worship, work and live.

We are looking forward to welcoming a new incumbent to support and lead us in the development of our mission and walk with us on our Christian journey. We trust our new incumbent will have inspirational and dynamic leadership qualities, will be able to spearhead the growth of the church community with energy and enthusiasm, and will be someone who is a strategic thinker, particularly to be able to work with the PCCs to create a vision and plan of what we want our benefice and churches to look like in five years’ time. We would welcome someone who is, above all, able to lead and inspire with confidence, in the pulpit, in PCC meetings and within the villages of the benefice and who will enjoy being a visible and approachable presence here.

To arrange an informal conversation please contact the Archdeacon of Richmond and Craven’s PA, Mrs Chloe Drummond,

Closing date - 11th June 2024

Shortlisting date - 18th June 2024

Interview date - 2nd July 2024

We are looking for an Incumbent who will:

• Provide effective leadership, support and guidance to encourage spiritual growth.
• Be a visible member of the community of Walkingham Hill, to integrate the Church into the fabric of the villages.
• Provide pastoral care along with the pastoral care team.
• Conduct regular and festive services; baptisms, weddings and funerals as requested, in accordance with church law and local practice.
• Inspire the Christian community to spread the Christian message to the wider community by delivering reflective teachings which relate meaningfully to the everyday lives of all age groups

Experience:

• Preferably some years’ experience in a multi church Benefice.
• Experience of promoting lay ministry
• Experience of using imaginative way of drawing people into the Church

Skills:

• Inspirational, dynamic, leadership qualities, able to spearhead the growth of the church community
• Energy and enthusiasm
• A strategic thinker, particularly to be able to work with the PCCs to create a vision and plan of what we want our benefice and churches to look like in five years’ time
• Confidence and optimism
• Approachable and friendly
• A good listener and communicator
• Ability to bring to life the relevance of the Church to the wider community

The Diocese of Leeds was formed at Easter 2014. It is one of the largest dioceses in the country covering an area of around 2,425 square miles, and a growing population of around 2,642,400 people. The diocese comprises five Episcopal areas, each served by a suffragan (area) bishop. Each Episcopal Area is coterminous with an Archdeaconry.

The Diocesan Vision, informed by the values of ‘loving, living, learning’ is: ‘confident Christians, growing churches, transforming communities and so helping share the Good News of Jesus Christ across our Diocese’. This Vision is embedded into the Diocesan Strategy and Goals and expressed in meaningful ways across the episcopal areas.

The Diocese is a blend of urban and rural in all their diversity. This includes the major cities of Bradford, Leeds and Wakefield; the large industrial and post-industrial towns of Halifax, Huddersfield and Dewsbury; the market towns of Harrogate, Skipton, Ripon (classed as a small city), Richmond and Wetherby; and the deeply rural area of the Yorkshire Dales. It covers several civic and parliamentary boundaries.

The Diocese is unique in having three cathedrals; Bradford, Ripon and Wakefield. The Deans of the Cathedrals work together and continue to look to fresh ways of sharing ideas and engaging in projects of mutual interest.