The Bishop’s Statement
Pioneer Priest
The Kairos Network Church
The Kairos Network Church is based in Harrogate and operates across the deanery under the Bishop’s Mission Order. It is a church without borders, though not without boundaries. Created in agreement with local parishes and clergy, it is respectful of Anglican structures and traditional models of church as itnetworks with clergy and laityacross the deanery and beyondin mutual cooperation for the purposes of Christian witness, proclamation and discipleship. At the heart of its mission is growing Christians from among the non-Churched and the disenfranchised. It is essential for the new Pioneer Priest to respect these boundaries and to remain focussed upon the Kairos vision.
Kairos is blessed by competent and deeply committed lay disciples and ministersa number of whom form the leadership Vision Team and are Trustees. The new Pioneer Priest will need to be able to work collegially and cooperatively with laity and clergy and grow and develop lay ministries.
A gathered missional community meets regularly for worship, prayer and mutual learning. From the gathered community, disciples are sent to make disciples and establish alternative paradigms of church (eg. House Groups, Mission Shaped Communities (MSCs) and Hubs). Since mission and discipleship are integral to Kairos, the Pioneer Priest will need to be able to demonstrate experience of growing disciples and of developing new and innovative ways of being church.
Kairos is two years into its second 5-year term as a BMO. This means that in three years, the Bishop will review the BMO and a decision will be made about its future. These next three years are clearly crucial. Presently, the Diocesan Board of Finance has heavily subsidized Kairos. Looking ahead, Kairos will need to be financially secure and the new Pioneer Priest will need to prioritize stewardship.
Our Diocesan vision is for confident clergy to enable confident Christians to live and tell the good news of Jesus Christ. In appointing to this post, we are looking for a competent Pioneer Priest with proven motivational leadershipskills who has a joyful and confident faith which can touch and inspire church growth from among non-Christians. (S)he will be energetic and resilient, and have the leadership skills to help shape and cohere the ministry and mission of the network churches both locally and in cooperation with the Area Dean and chapter, across the deanery.
The health and welfare of our clergy is very important to us. Thenew Pioneer Priest will participate fully in the life of the Deanery and Chapter, the Episcopal Area and Diocese,and will look to it for collegiality, encouragement and support. Assistance and mentoring is encouraged. Loving, Living, Learning is more than a slogan: it should describe and shape the values of our diocese and parishes.
+Nicholas Leeds
04-01-18