Contratulations to Mark Warrick, Vicar of DSJ and chairman of our parish council on his promotion.
He's been appointed to be the Rural Dean of Aveland & Ness with Stamford.
The even better news is that Mark and his family will be staying in Deeping St James.
Mark tells us that a Rural Dean is the link between the parishes of a deanery and the Bishop. The Rural Dean also apparently convenes meetings of the clergy chapter and the Deanery Synod.
Mark will be responsible for a huge area between Stamford and the Deepings in
the south and the Billingborough Group of parishes in the north.
Not sure how many parishes that covers, nor how many churches or clery, but I'm sure Mark can tell us.
I look forward to celebrating Mark's success next time I see him in the Waterton Arms.
Not sure whether to order him a pint of Abbott, or a Bishop's Finger!
3 comments:
Phil, You ask about the size of the deanery. We have 10.5 paid clergy posts at present, plus a number of non-stipendiary clergy and a couple of paid assistant clergy (who are paid by the wider church as part of their training). The Chapter also includes active retired priests, so the total number can be quite high. We are planning to reduce the full-time paid priests to 8.5 posts.
There are 11 benefices, from single parishes such as our own, Market Deeping and Bourne (largest in the diocese!) to groups like Billingborough (5 parishes with 6 churches) and Uffington (7 parishes with 7 churches). I make it 28 parishes, but it depends how you count them!
The Rural Dean works with the Lay Chair of the deanery and may have an assistant in a large deanery such as ours: this is what I actually am at the moment until my Rural Dean's licence is given to me by the Bishop. Then I shall have to choose one myself - they'll all be below the parapet for a bit! The Lay Chair has been in post for several years (he was new when I was inducted to the parish) so he will be a good guide, and the outgoing Rural Dean is still in his parish and will no doubt advise me as well.
The Rural dean works with the Archdeacon of Lincoln and the Bishop of Grantham (although the Bishop is a novice too!) and with other Rural Deans, so there is plenty of wisdom available.
It looks like fun - NEARLY as good as chairing the Parish Council :-)
Thanks for the comprehensive information on your new job Mark. Congratulations and best of luck.
Thanks, Phil.
Er, when are you going to be in the Waterton Arms: the Abbott's run out now!
My commissioning will be at 19:30 on Tuesday 9th May at Deeping St James Priory Church when the Bishop of Grantham will be with us for the first time.
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