Our Archdeacons will be taking on slightly different responsibilities over the coming months as the diocesan restructuring process moves forward following the Open Conversations earlier in the year.
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Archdeacon Nikki will become Diocesan Leader for Transformation and Change for 30% to 40% of her time, retaining her Archdeacon’s responsibilities for the rest of it. To help free up her time, Archdeacon Robert will begin looking after the deaneries of Stourport and Kidderminster as well as representing both Archdeacons on a number of diocesan committees.
Alongside these changes, Bishop Martin, as Ministry Bishop, will lead a stream of work looking at our strategy for Ministry and how we most effectively recruit, resource and support those in new ministry roles (e.g. Community Missioner, voluntary local church leaders (SSM or Lay) and House for Duty). He will also see how we might best enable new worshipping communities
We are also in the final stages of securing funding from the national church to further resource our aim to ensure we have as many healthy and sustainable churches as possible in the future.
Bishop John said: “At our open conversations, we set out the need to reduce the number of stipendiary clergy across the diocese by 15 over the next few years and Covid-19 means this process may need to be hastened. The result will see a change in all ministry for all of us and I’m delighted that our Archdeacons and Bishop Martin have accepted these new challenges. We will be best using their strengths to help our restructuring process move forwards as smoothly as possible.”
These changes are currently temporary while the diocesan restructuring process continues.
