DUDLEY TEAM RECTOR PARISH PROFILE

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1 DUDLEY TEAM RECTOR PARISH PROFILE St Francis St James St Edmund St Barnabas St Thomas and St Luke St John St Augustine Diocese of Worcester Kingdom People love compassion justice freedom

2 Page 1 Dudley Team Rector Profile Introduction The Diocese of Worcester and the PCCs of Dudley want to appoint a skilled and experienced Team Rector at a time of significant opportunity. Funding has been secured to create a Resourcing Church to bring new energy and life in the centre of Dudley. The team is being recruited. The role of the Team Rector will be to lead the other churches in such a way that all the good things of the Resourcing Church refresh the other, largely traditional, churches of the team. The Team Rector will work alongside the Resourcing Church team to enable and envision the existing churches to make the most of the new opportunities. Balancing the needs of existing congregations and newer ones, reaching out to this densely populated area with much demand for traditional engagement though occasional offices, whilst at the same time pioneering new projects to serve those with no church connections through community work, schools ministry and much more, will be a challenging but immensely rewarding role for the right person. The Team Rector will need to be undefended in their leadership, broad and generous in church tradition, a team player and enabler of others, someone who can hold together a diverse and fluid group of churches which will hopefully all be evolving and exploring new opportunities over the next 5-10 years, as church planting curates are trained up and deployed across the area. He or she will work collaboratively with the Resourcing Church team, but will not have direct oversight of it. He/she will minister primarily in two of the other team churches, whilst steering the overall direction of the team s ministry and mission across the town, and working closely with all the key players in and outside the church who want to see Dudley flourish. In consulting for this profile, Dudley was described as, a town that has gone down but is on the way up again. Many opportunities for someone with energy and commitment to make a huge difference to the town. We hope this profile gives the information you need in deciding whether you might be the person to make a huge difference.

3 Page 2 Contents Page Context The Place, its history and economy 3 The Church of England Churches 4-8 Other denominations and faiths 8 Resourcing Church 9 Colleagues 10 The Role 11 The Hopes The Person 13 The House 13

4 Page 3 Context- The place, its history and economy Dudley is part of the Diocese of Worcester with Kingdom people values of love, compassion, justice and freedom It is at the heart of the Black Country, an area that thrived economically in the 19 th and into the 20 th centuries as a result of ironstone and coal. This, combined with innovation on the part of residents, resulted in the Black County being at the forefront of the industrial revolution. Heavy industry sustained a vibrant economy and, with the smelting and foundries, an area that was black by day and red by night. Industry still exists, but has declined as has the economy. Dudley has A castle and zoo. Originating in the Norman period and seeing significant conflict during the Civil War the castle has since 1937, been a visitor attraction housing a zoo. The Black Country Living Museum, a 26 acre site celebrating the industrial heritage of the Black Country. The Wren s Nest, a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is one of the most important geological locations in Britain. (Wren s Nest is one of a large number of green spaces in Dudley). Duncan Edwards one of the Busby Babes killed in the 1958 Munich air crash with a statue in the market place and a memorial window in St Francis church. To find out more about all Dudley has to offer, visit The history has resulted in a mixture of housing. Within geographically small areas there is both affluence and significant deprivation. There are areas where housing is inexpensive and historically this has made it an area that has attracted migrants, particularly from the Caribbean, the Indian subcontinent and (more recently) central Europe. Dudley College of Technology has undergone significant development with a recently added 6 th Form college and is outstanding. Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council has significant investment plans for Dudley and the extension of the West Midlands tram system to include Dudley has recently been announced.

5 Page 4 Context the Churches There are seven Church of England churches serving the area. Of these five, St Thomas (Top Church), St Francis, St James, St Augustine and St Barnabas, formed a single parish from 1st April These five churches are learning what that means. St John s has remained a separate parish but part of the benefice. St Edmund s (Bottom Church) is under the Episcopal care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet. St Francis Church. Built 82 years ago to serve Priory and Wren s Nest Estates, which are close knit communities, with a strong loyalty to St Francis for occasional offices. 29 Average attendance October 2017 (from Statistics for Mission). The church has tended to be modern catholic in style. There is one main act of worship on Sundays (11.00 am). There is a Sunday school. There is a regular communion service on Wednesday mornings, which is usually well attended. Baptisms usually take place in the afternoons. Has a link with Auferstehungsgemeinde Church (Church of the Resurrection), Bremen in Germany which is now in its 31st year with visits every year. Supports the local Food Bank. The building includes a Parish Centre & Hall- rooms utilised by many community groups including an award winning community café which offers work experience to co-workers with learning difficulties. Mothers Union meets monthly There are two primary schools and children s centres and St Francis is involved with both.

6 Page 5 St James (Grade 2), technically a chapel of ease, was built in 1840 to serve the area of Eve s Hill. 27 Average attendance October 2017 (from Statistics for Mission). Robed choir that sings in four part harmony. Morning services at 9.30 am, evening services at 6.30 p.m. (4.30 in winter months) Crypt used for lunches and other community events. Links to Jessons school Coffee mornings Mothers Union meets monthly St Augustine of Hippo completed in 1884 to serve the Holly Hall, Woodside and Harts Hill areas. 29 Average attendance October 2017 (from Statistics for Mission) roof replaced and kitchen, storeroom and toilets installed. Never had pews so a flexible space for exercise classes, barn dances, Christmas and summer fayres, exhibitions,... Bible Study groups in Advent and Lent. On Saturdays the space is used for a shop selling donated clothes and household goods for the benefit of the local community Supports the Children s society, Christian Aid, the local food bank Links with the local primary school, Woodside Day Centre and Oakleigh Lodge Care Home and Stoneleigh Residential Home.

7 Page 6 St Barnabas Church, technically a chapel of ease, was built in the 1960s to serve the new housing estate at Russells Hall. 14 Average attendance October Dual use space where the sanctuary can be screened off to create a large hall, with kitchen and serving hatch. The worship style has varied, and while some catholic touches remain, generally less formal in recent times. The congregation is mainly elderly, but nonetheless has a delightful Junior Church with five children on roll. One main act of worship each week at 9.30 a.m. on Sundays. Some years a wedding. Baptisms are infrequent, but still holds a small number of funerals. Provides rental space for the community groups including a pre-school, dance club, youth group and coffeeafternoon.

8 Page 7 St Thomas with St Luke Top Church (Grade 2*) Current church opened in 1818 on the site of an earlier church built as a pilgrimage shrine for Thomas Becket. 21 Average attendance October 2017 (from Statistics for Mission). Situated at the top of Dudley High Street and an iconic landmark visible for miles around. Civic church. Significant number of large Afro-Caribbean funerals Church open every Saturday morning, coffee & free wifi. Small congregation struggling to maintain an expensive building. Location for Resourcing Church see below St John s Kate s hill. A separate single-parish benefice held in plurality by the Rector of Dudley. 20 Average attendance October Faced with rising maintenance cost, since 2002 the congregation worship in the nearby Parish Hall. The worship is relaxed, flexible and respectful in style. Until recently their services have been staffed by two retired clergy and a Lay Reader (in his 80s). Of the two retired clergy, one is no longer able to lead worship. Small but active Mothers' Union Worships at on Sundays and is currently exploring the possibly of having a midweek Eucharist or otherwise adjusting their pattern of services to better enable regular clergy and lay assistance from Dudley parish. St John s Building Preservation Group began in They now lease the building and work to renovate and maintain it, along with the churchyard (not leased & part open) and lichgate. They write bids for grants, hold jumble sales & community events. Lease allows them up to six acts of worship in the building a year, the most recent being the church s anniversary service which was well attended. The next planned service is for World Peace Day.

9 Page 8 St Edmund s King and Martyr Bottom Church First church built circa 1190, demolished in Civil war & rebuilt circa Average attendance October 2017 (from Statistics for Mission). Bottom of the High Street and in Market Square Not a part of Dudley parish but members of St Edmunds attend team services and the church is active in deanery and diocese, as well as Churches Together in Dudley. Has warmly welcomed both male and female participants from the diocesan ministry experience scheme. 11:00AM Eucharistic worship on Sundays and a well-attended midweek mass 12:15 Wednesdays. Context other denominations and faiths. Dudley has a rich tapestry of churches and faiths with good relationships between them. Many churches take part in Churches Together in Dudley. A number of independent churches have formed a network across the borough, Love Dudley There is the Dudley Interfaith Network to facilitate communication between faith groups. With changes in personnel in other faith groups this would benefit from reinforcing. Recently it has organised a Commonwealth Day service (in Top Church). One of the local Mosques invited leaders from other faiths and the community to an Itfar to mark the end of Ramadan.

10 Page 9 Resourcing Church Recognising the significance of Top Church and the struggle of the existing congregation hard facts have been faced, with exciting results. Key members of the congregation recognised that with the existing trajectory the church would close in about five years time but the Diocese has secured strategic development funding so Top Church is becoming a Resourcing Church. This will be launched in September 2019 and preparatory work is well underway. Existing members have described it as scary and exciting. The Resourcing Church will have a Leader (already in post, James Treasure see colleagues ) who will be known as Vicar of Top Church, Team Vicar (50% in the Resourcing Church 50% in the team, already appointed, Rachel Akers), Curates, Youth & Children s Minister, a Chaplain for Dudley College, an Operations Director, a Community Minister and a Worship Leader. Community consultation about Top Church and the Resourcing Church are well established including at the recent Black Country Festival. The Resourcing Church will build a young vibrant Anglican community at the centre of Dudley living life in all its Revd James Treasure & Archdeacon Nikki with local MP Ian fullness. Its members will have Austin at the Black Country Festival a strong ethos of discipleship and service particularly to people who are most vulnerable. It will be used as a training parish for a stream of curates who will then, together with members of the Resourcing Church, become plants into other churches in Dudley (or beyond) bringing new life to the many churches in need of revitalising. Dudley PCC has already delegated financial and legal authority for Top Church to Dudley Resourcing Church Trust. It is anticipated that it will governed by either a Bishops' Mission Order or as a Charitably Incorporated Organisation thus placing it outside the legal structures of Dudley PCC, but continuing to work with the wider team. With a stream of curates coming through, the hope is that all the Dudley churches will ultimately be impacted by the Resourcing Church plans, and the new Team Rector needs to be working positively with James to navigate this, and identify opportunities.

11 Page 10 Colleagues The team is currently made up of (in alphabetical order):- Rev d Rachel Akers, just completing a curacy she will be the 50% Team Vicar at Top Church and 50% working across the team. She is a relational leader passionate about engaging all generations in worship and mission. Rev d Dr Tom Atfield. Formerly a Special Educational Needs Teacher and following a curacy in Worcester Diocese, he has since 2015 been Team Vicar with particular responsibility for St Augustine s and St Barnabas and since 2017 is priest in charge of St Edmunds. Maggie Clift, based at Top Church, is a Lay Reader who works across the churches. From Yorkshire and living in Dudley since 1980 she is almost a local. She says that 40 years working in psychiatry is invaluable for working in the Church of England. In addition to leading Sunday worship she has a very valued ministry leading funerals. In her 80s she has been advised she should be slowing down. Craig Denstone is a professional story teller who works in theatre. A member of Top Church, he is starting training for ALM (Worship) with a view to funeral ministry. Jo Hackett is licensed as an ALM (Parish Administrator) and has recently been appointed to work 20 hours per week as Administrator/Bookkeeper for the Parish, working out of an office at St Francis Sue Sharp, St Augustine s, is Black Country born and bred. Brought into the church through the baptism of her now adult children she has been an ALM (Worship Leader) for the last three years. She also works across the churches. She is just starting training to lead funerals. Rev d James Treasure has recently been licensed to lead the Resourcing Church. He has excellent local connections having led a large and growing independent church in Stourbridge. He was previously on the executive team of Icthus and has successful church planting experience from his time as a church leader with them. Currently Rev d Dr Robert Barlow is Interim Team Rector, but will step aside when the new team is assembled.

12 Page 11 The Role There are a number of aspects. First, as Team Rector, it is to be first among equals of a team of clergy and lay colleagues. It is to model and facilitate team working and enable harmonious inter team relationships. With the significant investment into Top Church this needs someone at ease with themself. It requires being involved across the churches of the team. Second, having special responsibility for St Francis and St James it means having a particular involvement with the life of those two churches. Third, as Incumbent there are particular responsibilities for St John s Kate s Hill. The Hopes In addition to the hopes and expectations of the Ordinal the following have been mentioned (again alphabetically):- Buildings The congregation of St James wants to develop use of the church building by the local community and members St Francis want someone who values the very wide range of activities already taking place and the links between the church and the users. Children Schools: St James welcomes children especially from our church school for special services and would like to increase links with them, for education and worship Baptism: Children are brought to baptism by non church goers, it would be great if they could be encouraged and cared for. Discipleship We would welcome education and encouragement in prayer and Bible study and someone aware of how the gifts and talents of different people can be brought out and encouraged.

13 Page 12 Diversity Dudley is a very diverse community, including refugees and asylum seekers, we would like to be able to reach out to people of all faiths and none. All should feel they are welcome here and that the church is not a club for the middle classes. Music Diversity in St James worship, from BCP Evensong to using Taize, and services developed in other traditions. Music is very important in our worship. Navigator The relationship between the Resourcing Church and the existing congregations will need skilful navigation. Opportunities will need to be seen. Congregations may need to be reassured and envisioned for the new life from the Resourcing Church to flow to surrounding churches. Pastoral Care Congregations tends to be older than the average, having particular pastoral needs and the clergy should be alert to that and to be prepared to make some home visits. Visibility We hope the Team Rector will be visible in the Church and in the Community.

14 Page 13 The Person. Again, in addition to the Ordinal the key characteristics include:- A team player who will contribute to the life of the churches across Dudley and in the Deanery and Diocese. Someone who can see, affirm and develop the gifts of others and is able to rejoice in the successes of others. A person at ease with different church traditions who will enable a diverse and fluid group of churches to work together to explore new opportunities. A leader who includes congregation members in making decisions. A person to build the existing congregations and value the existing activities, including Bremen link, children s work, flowers, choir, community use of church premises... Someone who will share in celebrating Life Events (baptisms weddings and funerals) across the Parish. Work ecumenically and engage with people of other faiths A sense of humour The House The successful candidate will live in St. Francis Vicarage (50 Laurel Road, Dudley. DY1 3EZ), a two minute walk from St Francis Parish Church and in close proximity to Wren's Nest Nature Reserve and to Priory Park. The Vicarage at 50 Laurel Road is a two-storey five bedroom detached dwelling house built in the 1930 s. The construction consists of plain clay roof tiles over fair-faced brick cavity walls (insulated) with PVC framed double glazed windows. Downstairs there are two sitting rooms, dining room, study, utility room, spacious kitchen and a delightful, generously sized entrance hall with parquet-flooring. Upstairs there are three double bedrooms, two single bedrooms, and large walk-in airing cupboard with modern boiler. The garden is a corner-plot with well established borders and mature trees and shrubs.