Ministry Areas in Monmouth Diocese
Introduction
Monmouth Diocese is increasingly seeing itself as living in Ministry Areas. How did that come about and what are they?
Origins
concern - -
In the mid noughties, a new Continuing Ministry Development (CMD) Officer became increasingly concerned for the welfare of the stipended clergy of the Diocese. Clergy were being asked to oversee the life of more and more church communities. The model for doing this was still the vicar-in-single-parish and it was being stretched to the point where clergy were becoming seriously overburdened and discouraged.
pressure - -
A search began for a CMD programme, which would equip clergy with more effective skills in ministry, to enable them better to fulfil their ever widening role. Financial constraints loomed and it was realised that the process of creating ever larger benefices was going to accelerate.
new thinking - -
Different skills alone were not going to be an adequate answer. Leadership in the church had long been defined as Episcope. Earlier research by the present Bishop of Oxford, The Rt Revd. Dr Steven Croft, was used to define a new local oversight role. The name ‘Ministry Area Leadership’ was given to it. A ‘Ministry Area’ is simply the area over which a Ministry Area Leader would have oversight.
new training - -
To enable clergy to make the transition to this new role, a formational training programme was needed. It has been designed to enable clergy to enter into both a new understanding and a new practice of ministry. It began in 2013 and continues.
The Ministry Area Leader
A Ministry Area Leader has episcopal priorities in ministry which are to:
- Enable others
- Guide, guard and build missionary communities
- Locate, represent and connect with wider society
all in the context of watching over their personal spiritual health.
A Ministry Area
Under such leadership a Ministry Area will grow to be:
- Incarnational in that they are rooted in local communities with local leadership
- Apostolic in having leaders with responsibility for teaching, fostering vocations and empowering others for ministry
- Missional in seeking new opportunities for ministry and evangelism
- Prophetic in that they recognise the signs of the times and plan for the future
- Visionary in that they require a new way of responding to God’s call to extend his Kingdom.
Practice
A Ministry Area will come into being when:
- a Ministry Area Leader has been identified, trained or is beginning the training
- the shape of the Ministry Area is agreed
- the constituent churches within it commit themselves to working more closely together and with outreach and mission as priorities.
Ministry Areas are missional and not constitutional entities. Existing governance arrangements of parish or benefice need not change unless the local churches want it. However, greater local responsibility for the allocation of Ministry Share between the churches within a Ministry Area is put in place as new Ministry Areas are established.
Ministry Areas already created vary considerably in size and shape. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. In one case, a Ministry Area is a Rectorial Benefice of three churches. In another, it is a Deanery of 21 congregations which will operate in six Mission Areas.
The Abergavenny Deanery is planning to become a single Ministry Area overseen by a team of three Ministry Area Leaders and operating as three Mission Areas.
It is hoped that the new Priest-in-Charge of the Grosmont Group will be one of the team of three Missional Leaders for the Deanery Ministry Area.