Dean of Smaller Churches appointed

The Revd Alison Maddocks has been appointed as our new Dean of Smaller Churches.

This post has been funded by the national Church and Alison will work specifically with those churches which have fewer members, helping them to grow in confidence and in numbers as they discern how best they can serve their communities over the coming years.

Since 2017, Alison has worked in the diocesan office as the Diocesan Stewardship Officer. During January and February she will work flexibly across the two roles, becoming the Dean of Smaller Churches full-time from the beginning of March.  The process to appoint a new Stewardship Officer will also begin early in the new year.

Alison said: “I’m really excited about the challenge of this new role. I’ll be working with people who are passionate about their local church to help them find new and different ways of ensuring it has a viable and sustainable future. I will be starting by listening to those in our smaller churches, gaining a deeper understanding of their joys and burdens so I can help connect them with each other and also with the support available.”

Bishop John said: “I am delighted that Alison has been appointed to take on this important area of our ministry. As Stewardship Officer, Alison has built up excellent relationships with many of our churches and has a heart for seeing churches thrive. This new role will provide an extra level of support for our smaller churches to help them maintain a sustainable presence in their communities where they are really valued. We are grateful to the national Church for providing the funding.”