ROLE DESCRIPTION

SECTION ONE: DETAILS OF POST

Role title: Assistant Curate not in training known as Associate Priest Type of Role: Full time stipendiary for a 5 year term Name of benefice: St Giles, St Philip & St James with St Margaret, Oxford Episcopal area: Oxford Deanery: Oxford Archdeaconry: Oxford Conditions of Service: Please refer to Statements of Particulars document issued in conjunction with this role description Key contact for Clergy Terms of Service: . This role falls within the Clergy Terms of Service, formally known as Common Tenure. The Archdeacon of Oxford is the designated person by the to issue the Statement of Particulars for the post holder.

Accountability Priests share with the Bishop in the oversight of the Church. Whilst, as an office holder, the individual is expected to lead and prioritise work in line with the purpose of the role, they are encouraged to inform the incumbent about any issues exceptional or otherwise that have the potential to affect ongoing delivery of ministry

SECTION TWO: CONTEXT

Wider Context

The is currently developing fresh vision around the theme of becoming a more Christ-Like church for the sake of God’s world: more contemplative, more compassionate and more courageous. Within the Oxford area we are pioneering in the coming year new patterns of accompanying enquirers and new believers to baptism and confirmation. A commitment to this renewal of catechesis in this parish and more broadly will be essential alongside a concern to reach out to the whole community in love and service.

Local Context

Both St Giles and St Margaret’s churches are going through a period of significant change which is both challenging and full of opportunities.

At St Giles, the changes are being fostered by developments on many fronts. The aspirations of the church community have created a new level of vitality on Sundays and throughout the week. The activities of the choir, the bell-ringers, the Sunday School, the Jazz concerts and

1 weekday evening prayer are all combining to create a very positive sense about involvement in the life of the church. In the last five to ten years, this has caused a major change in the age profile of the church and enabled young families to feel at home with the life of the church. The preparations for celebrating the 900th anniversary of the church in 2020 have created a new sense of purpose to equip the church for these kinds of activity in the future. At St Margaret’s, the changes in the church come from the consistent efforts to reach out more proactively to the local community, especially to young families, older people and others on the fringe of the church. Activity sessions on Saturday mornings, (music for young children on three Saturdays a month and craft work on one Saturday a month), have helped this enormously. Their regularity and predictability have enabled people to come when they can. The Toddler service on Fridays is also a good connection point between the church and the wider community. A children’s worker is to be employed in 2019 to help develop this work further. A community worker associated with St Margaret’s is employed to help older members of the local community with issues they are facing and reduce any sense of isolation. The quality and diversity of the worship and the social events of the church makes the whole life of the church attractive. There is more work to do, there is an ongoing need to develop better connections between the church with the wider community and help encourage a greater sense of understanding of how the Christian faith can be integrated with our daily lives.

As the life of the two churches has developed, the requirement for supporting this level of activity has grown. Although the Diocese can only support a half-time post, by using additional parish resources, we have made this post that of a full-time associate priest.

Please see the Parish Profile for St Giles and St Margaret’s Parishes for further details.

2 Deanery Plan – Priorities The geographical and sociological area covered by the Oxford Deanery is incredibly diverse, covering the central commercial and retail areas of the city, the world-class University of Oxford, the highly populated suburban areas and the smaller and larger village communities outside Oxford’s ring road. There are areas of considerable affluence and poverty, including a homeless community that lives on the streets and in the hostels of the city centre. The Oxford Deanery is part of the Oxford Archdeaconry and the wider Oxford Diocese, under the Episcopal oversight of the Bishop of Oxford. The Cathedral of the Oxford Diocese is also in the Oxford Deanery. The deanery meets regularly for Chapter and Synod meetings, at which speakers are invited to talk on a range of issues that are of shared concerns to the parishes.

Some of the key features of the Oxford Deanery are as follows: • We have good links with our neighbouring Cowley Deanery which covers the southern and eastern half of the city.

• There is a full spectrum of churchmanships reflected in the parishes: traditional anglo-catholic, liberal catholic, central, charismatic and conservative evangelical and also shades of different practice expressed in the same benefice/parish.

• Some of the largest congregations of the Oxford Diocese are found in our Deanery. These tend to be (although not exclusively) eclectic congregations with large groups of people coming into the parish to worship

• Parishes/benefices outside the city centre have a church attendance made up of people who are much more likely to live within the parish boundaries, and who are therefore more likely to be involved in the life of their local communities

• More ordination candidates are produced in a year from our many thriving churches in the deanery than some small dioceses.

You will be most welcome! Warmly in Christ Will Donaldson (Rev) Area Dean, Oxford Dec 2018

3 SECTION THREE: ROLE PURPOSE AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

General:

A. To exercise the cure of souls shared with the bishop in this benefice in collaboration with colleagues including the praying of the Daily Office, the administration of the sacraments and preaching

B. To have regard to the calling and responsibilities of the clergy (as described in the Canons, the Ordinal, the Code of Professional Conduct for the Clergy) and other relevant legislation including

• Bringing the grace and truth of Christ to this generation and making him known to those in your care. • instructing the parishioners in the Christian faith • preparing candidates for confirmation • diligently visiting the parishioners of the benefice, particularly those who are sick and infirm • providing spiritual counsel and advice. • consulting with the parochial church council on matters of general concern and importance to the benefice. • bringing the needs of the world before God in intercession • calling your hearers to repentance and declaring in Christ's name the absolution and forgiveness of their sins • blessing people in God’s name • preparing people for their death • discerning and fostering the gifts of all God’s people • being faithful in prayer, expectant and watchful for the signs of God’s presence, as he reveals his kingdom among us

C. To share in the wider work of the deanery and diocese as appropriate, for the building up of the whole Body Christ

Key responsibilities specific to the local situation:

• Mission and Outreach o Provide Clergy lead on developing ministry with young families at both St Giles and St Margaret’s, o Encourage the growth of integrating Christianity with daily life. o Develop a ministry to students within the Benefice. o Develop the connections and involvement with St Philip & St James Primary School. o Enhance the pastoral ministry in the two parishes.

• Leadership and working collaboratively o Lead a team to provide the pastoral care and spiritual development for young people, particularly those involved in music training on Saturday mornings at St Margaret’s and the choirs in both St Giles and St Margaret’s

4 o Share with Directors of Music and Director of St Giles Choir in organising social activities/ visits for choir members. o Work with the Children’s Worker and others to develop the provision for children in Key stage 2 and above.

• Worship and preaching o Preside and/or preach at two services on Sunday, normally at 8:00am and 10.30am and/ or occasionally at an evening service. o Share in leading the weekday services. o Say the daily office with clergy and/ or parishioners in the morning and evening at church. o With others, develop and encourage the prayer and spiritual life of both church communities.

• Pastoral Care o Share the administration of Holy Communion to the sick and housebound. o Make time to visit members of the congregations. o Talk with the guests who come to use the Gatehouse and provide, with others, pastoral care to this group. o Participate in conversations with other organisations working with Homeless people.

• Stewardship and benefice organization o A weekly meeting with the Vicar to discuss pastoral matters and parish business. o Participate in a monthly review & planning meeting for those involved in ministry. o Participate in planning meeting with the churchwardens. o Take a lead in evolving the church web-sites to reflect the on-going life of the churches. o Promote the use of social media to make people aware of church life and events. o Enable the access to teaching/ spiritual resources that are either produced in the benefice or available on the internet.

• Personal development and spirituality o Participate in a Bible study on Tuesday mornings with other ministry team members. o Develop your own spiritual growth through direction, reading and continuing education o The key responsibilities listed above may be supported by long and short term objectives to be agreed between the post holder and the incumbent.

Other responsibilities

• Participate in the Bishop’s Ministerial Development Review scheme and engage in Continuing Ministerial Development

5 • Carry out any other duties and responsibilities as required in line with the benefice needs. • Take care for their wellbeing including health and safety and building a good repertoire of spiritual and psychological strategies

SECTION FOUR: BENEFICE SUMMARY

The Benefice of Benefice: St Giles, St Philip & St James with St Margaret, Oxford Patron: St John’s College, Oxford PCCs: St Giles (12 + 3 Deanery reps + 2 Churchwardens) St Margaret’s: (12 + 3 Deanery reps + 2 Churchwardens) Churchwardens: St Giles: Maureen Chu & Joanne Russell St Margaret’s: Hugh Series & Richard Cooper Ministers: Bernard Silverman & Anne Holmes LLM: David Longrigg Benefice paid staff: Benefice Manager: Meg Peacock Benefice Secretary: Anne Dutton Church Steward (St Giles): Ali Birchall Directors of Music: Andrew Patterson (St Giles), Richard Goodall (St Margaret’s) Choir Director: Nicholas Prozillo (St Giles) A Cleaner + A gardener Benefice unpaid staff/ volunteers (numbers) 25 (St Giles) & 30 (St Margaret’s) Buildings: St Giles’ Church, St Giles Parish Rooms, St Margaret’s Church, St Margaret’s Institute Churchyard(s): St Giles (Closed except for burial of cremated remains) Church Tradition: St Giles: Traditional, Liberal middle of the road St Margaret’s: Liberal Catholic Pastoral Reorganisation proposals: None

For more detailed information, please refer to the Parish Profile.

6 SECTION FIVE: KEY CONTACTS FOR THE ROLE

Generic and specific to the role

Groups & committees • The PCC(s) St Giles and St Margaret’s have separate PCCs • Deanery Chapter • Deanery Synod • Deanery Pastoral Committee • St Giles: Standing Committee, Finance Committee, Buildings Committee, Choir Committee, Bible Study Group • St Margaret’s: Standing Committee, Finance Committee, Spirituality Group Prayer Group, St Margaret’s Institute Management Committee

In the benefice • Churchwardens - 4 • Ministerial Colleagues - 4 • Head teacher of local school: Sarah Awuye

Support structures • Area Dean – Will Donaldson • Archdeacon – Martin Gorick • Staff mentor – To be agreed with Associate Priest • Staff at the Diocesan Office with key responsibilities for various aspects of supporting parochial ministry • Area Bishop -

SECTION SIX: OTHER

Relevant Documentation

This role description is issued alongside and should be read in conjunction with the following documents:

The Ordinal The Canons of the Church of England Guidance for the Professional Conduct of Clergy Bishop’s Licence Statement of Particulars issued to the office-holder on successful appointment Diocesan Clergy Handbook Parish Profile Ministry Action Plans (MAPs) Any objectives discussed and agreed between the post holder and the supervising minister

7 Role description signed off by: The Venerable Martin Gorick Archdeacon of Oxford

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Date: 07.01.19

To be reviewed next on: TBA

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