Local Ministry

Working Together: Ministry As Partnership

The encouragement of collaborative ministry has been a diocesan priority since at least 1996. This has been reaffirmed with the publication in January 2006 of the Bishops’ Guiding Principles where two of the priorities are stated as:

Vocation of all

Every Christian (irrespective of age) is called by God as a minister and ambassador as a consequence of their baptism. For most, this calling is in the everyday world of work, school, home and leisure. Christians are also called to contribute, in some way, to the life of their local worshipping congregation. Some will be called additionally to serve the church and the world as an authorised minister – lay or ordained. All vocations, although different, are of equal value and all need to be nurtured. We want to stress the importance of work with all ages in church and with young people in schools.

Working Together

Working together is to be a hallmark of Christian witness, service and life. This requires valuing experiences, insights and gifts different from our own and being prepared to work across social boundaries whether of nation, race, creed and language or across ecclesiastical boundaries of parish, deanery, diocese, denomination and tradition. Cooperation internationally, ecumenically and locally can build up all aspects of church life and fuel mission effectiveness.

How? 

How these priorities are developed in each local context must be decided by the PCC as part of their duty to “co-operate with the minister in promoting in the parish the whole mission of the church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical” (PCC [Powers] Measure 1956). Different situations have different priorities and call for different solutions. Therefore the basic question to be answered is What form of local ministry for mission is required here?

Resources to assist churches in their discernment process are available in the Ministry as Partnership MaP Lite Pack produced by the Diocesan Local Ministry Working Group and from the mission and parish development advisers in each Area Team.

Local Ministry Conference 

The diocese holds a local ministry conference in the autumn each year. Details of the latest conference can be found here.  

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