At the beginning of the year we advertised the currently vacant Team Vicar post in the national church press, but received no applications. Since then the advert has remained on the Peterborough Diocese website but has not generated any applications. We did get one expression of interest, but this did not lead to an interview. The Team Council has considered various ways forward and has agreed to reconfigure the role as a house for duty (part-time) post covering Braunston, Brooke, Egleton and Hambleton. This post will be advertised in July. Given the reduction in parish share that this would generate we may well be in a position to consider one or more paid lay appointment in 2020. This could be in the areas of youth and children’s ministry and ministry to retired and older age groups. These are important decisions for later in the year. In the meantime the mission and ministry of the southern parishes continues and I’m very grateful to clergy and lay ministry team and the many volunteers who sustain this work.
The Church of England in North-West Rutland
