Patronage
CPAS is committed to supporting and encouraging gospel ministers and ministry. One very practical way this is expressed comes when an individual is looking for a new appointment, either as an incumbent or as a member of a staff team. This is when the patronage team can help.
Our patronage team - the Rev Canon John Alderman and Kathy Burch - have two separate but related responsibilites:
- administering the appointment process when the incumbent of one of our patronage churches retires or moves on to another parish
- helping evangelical clergy who are in the process of thinking and praying about 'moving on' from their current post to another.
CPAS has responsibility for nominating to over 500 benefices in the Church of England.
Working collaboratively with the church, the diocese and, where relevant, with other patrons, we seek to fill vacant parishes with incumbents who have a heart for the gospel, are committed to seeing people won for Christ and built up in the faith.
When a vacancy occurs, a patronage representative will visit to encourage the church leaders, offer practical help and advice about 'what comes next' and help them look at some of the strategic opportunities that arise.
Bishop James Jones speaks from his perspective as a diocesan bishop and chair of the board of mission:
'A vacancy provides a major opportunity, especially for the lay members of the congregation, to ask: Where are we going as a local church? What are the issues for mission? What are the points of contact that we have with the community? What do we need in our new vicar? And what do we need in ourselves as a church to be able to bring the good news to our local community?'
The expertise, experience and wisdom of CPAS can be of particular help in encouraging churches to look carefully at these issues and, under God, find exciting ways forward.
For further information contact the patronage team:
T 01926 458457 E patronage@cpas.org.uk