Associate Rector

JOB DESCRIPTION

 

Job title: Associate Rector

Teams: Senior Leadership Team

Line manager: Rector

Hours: Full-time

Annual leave: 6-day Clergy work week with 36 days annual leave

Place of work: St Aldates Church Centre, 40 Pembroke Street, Oxford, OX1 1BP

Contract: Permanent (this is a clergy role with housing)

 

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

We are looking to identify an Associate Rector to join us as we continue to respond to all God is doing in our city and our church at this exciting time.

This key role will help us strengthen our leadership team and make the most of the ministry opportunities we see as a thriving and growing church.

Working alongside our Rector and the Senior Leadership Team, the Associate Rector will help shape the direction of the church, overseeing key ministry areas and services. The right person will be inspired by the opportunity to use their gifts to make a real difference in and through the church. They will be energised by the prospect of raising-up emerging leaders, equipping disciples, and working alongside our outstanding team.

This is a rare opportunity for an ordained leader who wants to make a real difference at the heart of a local church with a strategic reach, while working in a supportive team. They will enjoy investing in people’s spiritual growth, building teams and energising change in a dynamic and mission-focused context.

We are open to considering both emerging leaders, who would see this as a stretch-role, or experienced leaders seeking a new season of ministry. Most important is the desire to continue to develop your giftings, and a sense of calling to contribute to our unique context.

If you would appreciate an informal conversation prior to applying, please do contact our Pastor of Theology, Simon Ponsonby: simon.ponsonby@staldates.org.uk                

ABOUT ST ALDATES

Our vision is to invite people to encounter Jesus, equip people to follow Jesus in every area of their lives, and envision people to transform their communities.

We are excited about what God is doing in our midst. We are seeing people come to faith in Jesus on a weekly basis, and we are pioneering new ways of discipling people to make a difference in every area of their lives. As a city-centre church with a congregation of 1600+, we have hundreds of volunteer leaders and teams across our ministries, leading Aldates Groups, Alpha, student ministry, Aldates Kids and Youth.

We have four services every Sunday, one of which is broadcast live. Our staff team consists of 35+ Ministry and Operations leaders. In addition, the School of Ministry trains students annually who work alongside ministry leaders.

KEY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as a core member of the Senior Leadership Team.
• Act as a bridge between pastoral, ministry, and operational leadership.

• Oversee Sunday services and mid-week events, leading change and encouraging both staff and volunteer leaders. Help to train, develop, and empower volunteer leaders across the church

• Oversee major seasonal moments such as Easter and Christmas

 

PERSON DESCRIPTION

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

• You will be passionate about people encountering Jesus and growing as His disciples
• You will enjoy giving and receiving feedback - helping those around you to grow
• You will have experience of leading and developing teams and raising-up leaders.
• You will have experience of overseeing initiatives from conception to completion
• You will have experience of discipleship and pastoral care
• You will have experience of engaging with governance structures, oversight bodies, and trustees
• You will have experience of leading groups, events, or meetings in a church context
• You will be committed to growing in prayer and in love for God’s Word.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• A proactive completer-finisher with the ability to prioritise
• Emotionally intelligent and relationally grounded
• Confident leader, comfortable leading large gatherings and small groups
• Strong planning, organisational, and administrative capability
• Sound judgement and discretion when handling sensitive and confidential matters
• Resilient, adaptable, and able to operate effectively under pressure

For further information or to request an application form, please contact Recruitment@StAldates.org.uk

Other Aspects of the Role

Due to the nature of the role there is a genuine occupational requirement that the post holder be a practicing Christian.

St Aldates is committed to diversity and inclusion, and we actively encourage applications from a broad range of experiences and backgrounds.

The post will be subject to a satisfactory DBS check and references.

Eligibility to work

The successful applicant will be required to demonstrate they have the Right to Work in the UK. This includes evidencing a UK NI number and that they are a UK tax resident. A Certificate of Sponsorship and relocation package are not available for this position.

This job description is a summary of the key areas of responsibility in the job.  It is not intended as a definitive statement of job content.  The job description will be reviewed periodically, and may be subject to amendment.