THESE options could represent the future shape of ministry in our diocese.

The way that we organise parishes and deploy ministers could be transformed under new plans unveiled here. Now we want to know what you think.

Our Ministry for Mission Strategy has now reached a critical stage. After extensive research and consultation, four models have been identified, each of which has been tried and tested elsewhere.

Now parishes and deaneries will be consulted to discover which option – or combination of options – might work best in each location. The result might be a mixture of different models in different parts of the diocese.

Our strategy has been developing over the past year to try to achieve a thought-out approach to how we provide ministry. It’s partly because of the declining number of ordained clergy in the UK – we need to find different ways of doing things than the old ‘one vicar, one parish’ style. 

The dean of our cathedral, the Very Rev David Brindley, who is part of the working group driving this forward, said: “We’re going to test ourselves over the next six months – are we serious about growth or do we want to be part of a declining Church?”

The first model is that of ministry teams. This involves identifying the needs of an area, deciding what kind of people can meet those needs and training both clergy and lay people together. The team would offer ministry as they embarked on the training.

The second is group ministries. The idea would be to group parishes together in a way that is similar to our current clusters of parishes and licence people to minister in those groups. It would allow all clergy to work collaboratively.

The third is the community model. This involves asking worshippers from a thriving parish to support a struggling church, perhaps by sending a group of a dozen people to help lead that church. 

And the fourth is the minster model – smaller parishes cluster around a strong ‘minster’ church that can provide leadership, support, training and resources.

The Ministry for Mission Strategy was started 12 months ago when Diocesan Synod urged our Bishop’s Council to think of new ways of ministry to help the Church to grow and develop (in last July’s Pompey Chimes - you can read page 1, page 2 and page 3 again to discover the background). Bishop Kenneth had clearly stated that he didn’t want to manage a declining Church.

Bishop’s Council members visited five other dioceses to see how different models worked. And over the summer they led three days, one in each archdeaconry, at which clergy and others were asked what they thought of possible new models.

A working group then distilled the results of those days. Several key assumptions were agreed for any future strategy. It  should be:

-  visionary in looking at how we call, nurture, train, deploy and sustain lay and ordained people to minister in our local communities;

- committed to providing ministry for all in our cities, towns and villages;

- able to take account of sector-wide ministries (such as education and industrial chaplaincies);

- sustainable and flexible enough to meet further changes or developments in the longer term;

- able to provide effective worship, pastoral care and occasional offices;

- structured to encourage growth and not simply maintain what already exists;

- bold enough to do any necessary pruning to stimulate growth;

- committed to drawing young people to Christ, particularly through work in schools.

There was a clear desire to see the leadership of our churches become more collaborative, with mutual accountability. The archdeaconry days also revealed a strong commitment to fostering vocations and an encouragement of ‘every-member ministry’.

Training was considered to be vital, especially for lay people. A change of mind-set was needed so that lay people weren’t considered to be simply ‘helping out the vicar’, but had a ministry of their own that should be resourced and supported. And the diocese should provide them with high-quality, local training.

There would also need to be negotiation between priests and parishes about permissions and boundaries so that team ministries or group ministries were possible. 

Deaneries will be consulted between now and the end of March. Those thoughts will be considered at a day-long meeting in April of the bishop’s staff, senior diocesan staff, area deans, and those who chair deanery synods and diocesan synod. That feedback will then come to June’s meeting of our Diocesan Synod. 

Click here to read the Deanery Consultation Paper, issued in January 2010.

Click here for the dates of the deanery consultation meetings, being held in January 2010.