Vicar of the The United Benefice of Outwood, Stanley and and Priest-in-Charge of St Paul in the Episcopal Area in the Anglican Diocese of Leeds

Outwood Stanley and Wrenthorpe in Wakefield are the Parishes in a new United Benefice. Soon the United Benefice will be joined by the Parish of St Paul Alverthorpe.

There is a lot of enthusiasm for the United Benefice and people are looking forward to Alverthorpe being an important part of this great opportunity. With all the new housing being built especially near Stanley it affords a vital mission and strategic vision as we look to the future especially with young families.

It’s an exciting development in this part of Wakefield. Working together with 2 Associate Priests and a Self Supporting Minister, a retired Priest, several Readers and a lot of capable and committed lay people we are looking forward to welcoming somebody to lead us forward into the next chapter of our mission and ministry here.

Based in Stanley, we are praying for somebody who will:

 be a spiritual leader and help give the parishes and people a renewed vision of what it means to be the Body of Christ serving the local communities and to be intentionally mission focussed.  enable the churches to grow, following the principles of Leading Your Church Into Growth LYCIG) and greedy for the churches to do well.  bring the Parishes together and develop collaborative ways of working together and reaching out to the local communities.  help realise and appreciate the value in relationships of being a United Benefice, helping the churches to develop together whilst keeping their own individual identities.  be a good listener and communicator, understanding the needs of the varied communities and churchmanships and who can relate to a wide range of people  have a heart for those on the edge of society and able to assist with the development and implementation of ministry and mission in a predominantly suburban area  seize all opportunities to build on the work in reaching out to children, young people and families.

These four parishes represent a fair cross section of the churchmanships in the Church of and we are looking for somebody who can appreciate the richness and diversity of this mix.

Because the person appointed, although leading and helping to mould a team working together across several parishes, will be based in Stanley, we are looking forward to somebody who will help the people of Stanley with the following:

 help put the local community at the heart of our thoughts. It is vital that everyone connected to us feels a part of something truly special… a place they can always be themselves, allowing their faith to help others flourish within this unique parish.  enable an inclusive feel at every level, from those faces we see regularly to the people who dip in & out of our lives when they need support most.  demonstrate new ways to understand Christ and how He remains the anchor that a modern community can relate to, now and for the rest of our lives.  be at home with relaxed worship, where a welcoming and open congregation awaits.  build on links into local schools & groups and encourage activities for young families throughout the United Benefice.

Not only are we a new and growing United Benefice, we are a new and growing Diocese. The Anglican Diocese of Leeds comprises of five Episcopal Areas, each co-terminous with an Archdeaconry. This is now one of the largest Dioceses in the country and its creation is unprecedented in the history of the Church of England. It covers an area of around 2,425 square miles, and a population of around 2,642,400 people.

The three former Dioceses were created in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to cater for massive population changes brought about by industrialisation and, later, mass immigration. The Diocese comprises major cities (Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield), large industrial and post-industrial towns (Halifax, Huddersfield, ), market towns (Harrogate, Skipton, Ripon, Richmond and Wetherby), and deeply rural areas (the Dales). The whole of life is here, along with all the richness, diversity and complexities of a changing world.

The Diocesan Bishop is assisted by five Area Bishops (Bradford, Huddersfield, Kirkstall, Wakefield and Ripon) and five archdeacons (Bradford, Halifax, Leeds, Pontefract, Richmond & Craven). Our vision as the Diocese is about confident clergy equipping confident Christians to live and tell the good news of Jesus Christ. For all of our appointments we are seeking clergy who have a joyful and confident faith which has inspired a track record of church growth, both numerically and spiritually.

Come and help us to make this vision a reality.