The Bishop of Chichester seeks to appoint an experienced, inspiring and liturgically confident leader as the next Archdeacon of Chichester; a priest who is gifted in pastoral and prayerful ministry and who will foster unity across the spectrum of traditions and support the mission of the diocese as together we seek to ‘know, love, and follow Jesus.’

We are praying for an Archdeacon who will:

• Be a passionate disciple of Jesus Christ with a devotion to the kingdom of God and the health of the Church, who can inspire people within and beyond the household of faith
• Share closely with the Bishops in the pastoral care of clergy, lay leaders, congregations and schools
• Work collaboratively with other members of the Bishop’s staff and diocesan team
• Encourage and engage with clergy, laity, and schools across the archdeaconry
• Fulfil all the statutory functions of an Archdeacon

The Archdeacon of Chichester will need to be:

• Ordained for at least six years (Canon C22(1)) and have significant senior leadership experience within a diocesan or parish context.
• Committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults
• A person with imagination, fortitude and humility
• Committed to inclusion and diversity, showing compassion and empathy
• A skilled administrator able to organise and prioritise a demanding workload
• Confident in contributing to financial and legal discussions
• Able to navigate sensitive and complex situations, always maintaining appropriate boundaries and confidentiality
• A gifted communicator and preacher with sound theological understanding and ability to engage with a variety of theological perspectives

We offer:

• A generous and hospitable household of faith in the Diocese of Chichester
• Dedicated administrative support
• Beautiful and historic churches
• A spacious, modern house in the city of Chichester
• A collaborative archdeaconry across 7 deaneries in West Sussex

Further details including role description and person specification can be found in the Recruitment Pack.

For more information or to arrange an informal conversation about the role, please contact the Appointments Secretary, Imogen Robins at applications@chichester.anglican.org

Please apply through the CofE Pathways Website

Closing date: Sunday 23 February 2025

Interview date: Wednesday 12 March 2025

The Diocese of Chichester is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders and volunteers are expected to share this commitment. For further information, please read our full safeguarding policy.

We take very seriously the call to diversity and radical inclusion as characteristic of the Church’s mission. For this reason, we welcome applications from ordained women and Global Majority Heritage clergy, who are under-represented in those who serve this diocese.

All appointments are subject to acceptable pre-appointment checks, including a satisfactory Enhanced DBS Check and completion of the Church of England Confidential Declaration Form.

To understand how the information you supply in your Confidential Declaration Form is used and your rights with respect to that data please read our privacy notice.

Please note: we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role.