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Stipendiary Working Agreement Guidelines

Notes for guidance on the preparation of Working Agreements between Incumbents and Stipendiary Curates.


1. All curates in their Title post are required to have a Working Agreement. These are negotiated with their incumbent and the Area CME Adviser. Draft agreements and any subsequent amendments to them must in every case be authorised by the Area Bishop.

2. Working Agreements are intended to ensure that there is a clear understanding of expectations of both a training incumbent and the Title post curate. By drawing up this Working Agreement at the beginning of the Title post, misunderstandings can be avoided and a clear context established in which they will be ministering together.

The Working Agreement should not be seen as a rigid set of rules but a basis for the working out of an on-going relationship in a shared ministry. It will need to be reviewed at the end of the first year and, as needed, to take account of significant changing situations, personal circumstances and developing experience. By giving careful attention to these issues, a curate in their Title post will be enabled to exercise a valuable and fulfilling ministry and the Church itself will be able to gain the maximum benefit from their ministry.

3. The Working Agreement should cover:

Focus of ministry

In a multi-church benefice this should indicate if the curate’s Sunday ministry is to be focused with a particular church congregation. It should also clarify the expectation of involvement with any chaplaincies linked to the parish, i.e. hospitals, schools, industry, etc.

Working arrangements

This should include an understanding of the length of the working day, time off and holidays.

The pattern of the working day should be negotiable, taking into account the responsibilities of a curate to his/her family and that all curates, including those who are single, need time for shopping, cooking, cleaning, etc., which does not compromise their time off.

The Bishop requires that all clergy should take a full twenty-four hours off each week (or forty-eight hours in two weeks). Whilst taking into account urgent pastoral needs, all ministers, whether married or single, need to ensure that there are regular opportunities to spend time with family and friends.

Holiday leave for newly ordained and incumbent should be fixed in good time and should be four full weeks per annum, together with time off including a Sunday after Christmas and Easter. For those ordained at Petertide, the Bishop expects that they should be given at least two weeks holiday in addition to the time allowed for settling into the new home.

The Bishop expects that time should be given to the newly ordained for reading and study.

Worship, including occasional offices

The Bishop expects there to be a regular pattern of shared worship and prayer on weekdays to which both incumbent and curate must give priority. The norm for a minister in the Church of England is the Daily Office and, according to its tradition, each church will have its pattern of daily worship.

There should be a clear agreement on the expectation of the conduct of funerals, baptisms and marriages.

Supervision, support and on-going training

The Bishop expects that a programme of help and induction to parochial ministry should be planned for the first weeks, months and year. This should include the conduct of worship, home visiting, conduct of funerals, bereavement visiting, hospital visiting, baptism preparation, home communions, office administration, conduct of meetings, etc. Towards the end of the first year, instruction and guidance should include:

• presiding at Holy Communion
• marriage preparation
• sacramental confession and counselling

There should be a regular meeting for supervision between the incumbent and curate. This meeting should be distinct from the weekly staff planning and business meeting.

It is expected that curates, with all licensed clergy, attend Chapter meetings, deanery synod and fraternals.

The Bishop encourages all clergy to make a retreat once a year as a means of physical, mental and spiritual recreation and renewal. Time away from the parish on retreat is in addition to annual leave. The CME grant can be used to fund this but it is hoped that the PCC will recognise the value of this and offer to help with the cost.

The incumbent is asked to ensure that each member of staff of a parish, including Title post curates, have a Spiritual Director, soul friend or other counsellor outside the parish.

The Bishop requires all curates in their Title posts to attend the CME Years 1 – 4 programme and this should take priority over all parish commitments. Incumbents are required to ensure that this is possible.



General pastoral and teaching ministry

The expectations of both incumbent and curate on preaching, leadership of groups, school work, etc. should be clarified. A first year deacon should not have to preach a newly prepared sermon more than twice in any four weeks. Adequate time must be allocated for sermon preparation.

Professional approach to ministry

An agreed standard of punctuality for church services, meetings, answering letters and keeping appointments is a significant part of a professional attitude to ministry.

There needs to be a clear understanding on confidentiality. The curate needs to know what material is to be treated as confidential, not to be shared with the incumbent and what is not confidential and should be shared. Experience has shown this to be a major area of potential misunderstanding.

Curates should not accept commitments outside the parish without first consulting their incumbents.

Parochial support

If the curate is living in a house that is owned and maintained by the parish, there should be clear agreement on the responsibilities of the curate and of the PCC for the care and maintenance of the property – internal decoration, minor repairs, etc. and to whom in the parish the curate and his family should relate concerning these matters. Parishes are encouraged to follow the same guidelines as those set out by the Diocesan Property Services Department in their guidance booklet.

Expenses

Incumbent and curate, in consultation with the Treasurer of the PCC, should agree about what constitutes proper items of working expenses. These should be reimbursed in full, preferably each month.

Full records must be kept.

It is appreciated by curates if the PCC is willing to make an annual book grant.

4. Mediation

In the event of difficulties arising over personal relations or working agreements between Title Post curate and his/her incumbent which cannot be settled between them, either or both should consult with the Area CME Adviser.

If either the curate or incumbent has concern about their role or relationship, they should feel free to discuss this concern on a confidential basis with the CME Adviser

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