ST OSWALD’S TILE HILL COVENTRY VICAR ON INTERIM MINISTRY BASIS Page 1 of 20 BISHOP’S INTRODUCTION In this centenary year of the Diocese of Coventry in its contemporary form, we have felt called to draw on the deep identity that our Cathedral has given to the whole Diocese so that, together – parishes, schools, chaplaincies and cathedral – we can be more fully ‘partners together in the gospel and ministry of reconciliation’, ‘journeying together’, as the Dean puts it, ‘from a fractured past towards a shared future.’ There is some journeying to do in the church and parish of St Oswald’s, including reenergising a sense of hope and expectancy in the congregation, re-vitalizing its Anglo-Catholic identity, recovering trust in some relationships in order to further the work of ecumenical initiatives in the parish, and restoring relationships with Deanery colleagues whose churches are helping to fund the ministry at St Oswald’s. There is great potential here, especially as Tile Hill is crying out for church involvement in local regeneration initiatives, offering all sorts of possibilities for working with other Church of England colleagues and ecumenically. That’s why St Oswald’s is receiving some financial support for an Interim Ministry to transition towards a more optimistic, confident and sustainable future. I am grateful to the Lord for the ministry of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet and we work closely together in a common mission here and with other Society priests. We are looking for an able priest who can lead this parish through a transformative process and join us as ambassadors for Christ who has entrusted us with the ministry of reconciliation in all its forms. I commend the post to you. In my prayers. Page 2 of 20 INTRODUCTION FROM BISHOP OF EBBSFLEET’S REPRESENTATIVE The saintly King Oswald was known for his holiness, his work to spread the Christian faith and his care for the poor. He united two kingdoms and was brave in battle. The parish of St Oswald’s in Tile Hill is looking for a parish priest rather than a king, but the qualities of the parish’s patron saint would stand the new priest of the parish in good stead. At the heart of the life of the parish must be the development of the life of prayer and holiness. As a parish firmly rooted in the catholic tradition, that would mean a devotional life centred on the Mass and the office, and there are faithful lay people who will pray with and for their parish priest. There is much work to be done in sharing the faith with the wider community, and opportunities to work ecumenically and with other parishes in the deanery to do so. As a parish in which many struggle on low incomes, Tile Hill needs a priest with a heart for the poor, who will develop the social action initiatives already in place. And there is work to be done in building and renewing relationships within and beyond the parish. That work of building relationships will be important for the new priest here: nurturing relationships within the congregation; developing the relationship between the congregation and the wider parish; building stronger connections with the deanery and ecumenical partners. And all of this can be done in the context of some already strong relationships: the Diocese of Coventry is a good place for traditional catholics, and the network of Society priests is mutually supportive. Indeed, as some of us are not far from Tile Hill, the new priest appointed here will have the support of Society colleagues. Above all, this parish needs a loving pastor, someone who will care for, nurture and guide the people of St Oswald’s as they seek to grow in love, faith and service. The story is told of St Oswald bringing St Aidan from Ireland to be bishop of his Northumbrian kingdom. But St Aidan did not speak English well, and when he needed someone to translate for him St Oswald himself stepped in to serve as translator. Are you the priest who can translate the gospel in a way that will help the people of Tile Hill respond in faith? Are you the priest who might serve this parish as a servant leader and in doing so help it grow? We are praying for the right priest to come and serve this parish. If you think God may be calling you here, please explore further. With my prayers for all involved in this process, Fr Dexter Bracey Page 3 of 20 DEANERY SUMMARY Coventry South deanery has a population of 86,864. There are 11 parishes in 10 benefices. There are significant pockets of deprivation in Tile Hill and Canley, but overall the Deanery is a net contributor to the Diocesan Parish Share, and believes it should continue to be so. It is very supportive and has a friendly and caring clergy chapter meeting which meets 7-8 times a year, on Wednesday lunchtimes, for fellowship, food, mutual support and prayer. It is a collaborative and supportive chapter. The majority of the 11 parishes have lively and growing churches and all are involved in ecumenical groups. Over the last 5 years the majority of the parishes have appointed new clergy and we have a new university chaplain. These have been exciting appointments and there is huge energy in the clergy chapter to see God’s kingdom come as we support each other. We have an average age of 45 in our incumbents, most of whom are in their first incumbency post. The financial journey over the last 10 years has meant that nearly all the parishes are now financially self-supporting. Wherever possible, parishes work together in mission, supporting those in the more deprived areas and helping each other. We hope to increase this generosity in future years. The deanery has many students resident who attend Warwick or Coventry University, with both home and overseas students. The 20-30s (21,000 of whom live in our Deanery) are an area for growth as part of the diocesan strategy and are being invested in by diocesan and parish funding. We work closely with the neighbouring deanery of Kenilworth. This means we share our chapter meetings and also our deanery synod meetings. The joint working as deaneries brings the benefit of a mix of rural and urban parishes. St Oswald’s has played a leading part in the life of the Deanery and other ecumenical groupings over the years and the Deanery looks forward to a renewed emphasis on this with their next incumbent. There is a great desire to see the church thrive, and we will warmly welcome the new Priest at St Oswald’s and the renewing of collegial relationships. Blessings Greg Smith Area Dean, Coventry South Page 4 of 20 BACKGROUND TO POST St Oswald’s, Tile Hill, has an Anglo-Catholic tradition but with a relaxed and ‘non-stuffy’ approach to worship. We have passed the House of Bishops' Declaration, are affiliated to the Society and are under the episcopal care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet, whilst at the same time enjoying positive relationships with the Bishop and Diocese of Coventry. Relationships between priests of the Ebbsfleet parishes within the Diocese of Coventry are very good, and the Diocese has demonstrable commitment to mutual flourishing. The Diocese is therefore a warm place for priests of the Society to minister. St Oswald’s lies in the centre of our community, right next to a family hub, a public library, shops and a Baptist church. Parts of the area have significant levels of deprivation, beyond the ability of any one church to meet the many needs of the community. There has been a desire for churches to work together in the Tile Hill area which has led to some initiatives beginning, but which did not last due in the end to a lack of mutual co-operation. We would like this situation to change, and to see the incumbent of Tile Hill as a key player in contributing to greater ecumenical unity in serving this less affluent area of Coventry. This will require a priest who welcomes the support and assistance of other churches (Anglican and ecumenical) in growing the kingdom of God in this parish, without becoming legalistic or over-protective about boundaries. We have been told that we are a very welcoming congregation. We have added many new services in the last two years to try to be even more accessible, and the addition of eighty new names to the electoral roll in the last 7 years suggests that our community involvement, welcome and attempts at accessible worship have had some success. This particular post has come about as our previous priest of 8 years (Fr Nicholas Leggett SSC) moved to another parish in a different Diocese. During the interregnum it has become apparent that the financial and numerical strength of the church is not as positive as had been thought. We are actually facing serious financial challenges. This has led to conversations with the Deanery and Diocese about how best to configure ministry for the parish within the financial constraints available. We have sought support therefore for a full-time INTERIM MINISTER for a maximum period of 3 years. If sufficient progress is made in improving the health of the church via NCD survey results, numerical growth, financial growth towards sustainability (increase of £4,000 per year), and positive Anglican and ecumenical relationships developing resulting in effective mission and social action projects, then there is the real possibility that the subsequent post (for which the current post-holder could apply) could be a permanent appointment.