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Church in Wales - selection process

DeeValleyBantamDeeValleyBantam Shipmate Posts: 45
in Purgatory
Apologies if I’ve selected the wrong forum for this, but I’m a novice in these parts!
We at Our Place are in the process of recruiting a new vicar and mission area leader. We have spent a lot of time preparing a parish profile, which has been accepted pretty much unaltered. So far so good.
However, having initially been advised we could have two representatives on the interviewing panel, we have now been told by the Archdeacon that attendance at the interview is subject to the bishop’s discretion. Thus, we could potentially be excluded, a situation we are desperately keen to avoid.
Any advice/observations would be welcome.

Comments

  • Baptist TrainfanBaptist Trainfan Shipmate
    I'm not CinW; but when a new member of our Ministry Area team was being appointed a couple of years ago there was initially a "meet and greet" session involving MA and ecumenical representatives who could then make known their reactions to the candidate; followed by formal interviews which certainly included two, possibly more, MA wardens. This was in Monmouth Diocese under the current Bishop.

    It does seem on the face of things that local congregations can be largely excluded from having a say, although that hasn't been the case for the last two appointments in our MA.
  • SpikeSpike Ecclesiantics & MW Host, Admin Emeritus
    This is nothing to do with worship practice, so I’ll ask one of the Admins to move this to the correct board.

    Spike
    Ecclesiantics host
  • DeeValleyBantamDeeValleyBantam Shipmate Posts: 45
    Spike wrote: »
    This is nothing to do with worship practice, so I’ll ask one of the Admins to move this to the correct board.

    Spike
    Ecclesiantics host

    Understood. Thanks

  • DeeValleyBantamDeeValleyBantam Shipmate Posts: 45
    Baptist Trainfan wrote: »
    I'm not CinW; but when a new member of our Ministry Area team was being appointed a couple of years ago there was initially a "meet and greet" session involving MA and ecumenical representatives who could then make known their reactions to the candidate.

    That’s helpful thanks. We are having a meet and greet. I was wondering how this scenario would go down if, when the applicant visits us, in between “We have a lovely ancient font” and “These nice ladies do the cleaning every fortnight” I might interject:
    “In the 7 years I’ve lived here, I’ve never once seen the vicar around the village in a clerical collar. What’s your reaction?”
  • PuzzlerPuzzler Shipmate
    Sounds fair enough to me. I wish I had asked that of the person we appointed who is never seen in the community, and keeps letting down the rotas for services in care homes, day centres etc. and has all but ditched all forms of clerical dress in church, apart from the dog collar.
    I was one of two parish representatives ( this is C of E ) and whilst we were never excluded, we felt a lot of decisions were made behind our backs, so to speak. At the actual interview, we were only permitted to ask pre-approved questions. Long story, but short version is that I and 45 others have left that church.
    I wish you well and a good outcome.
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