The Buckingham Archdeaconry
Area Dean for Rural Mission and
Development
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Role Description
We are seeking an experienced priest with a passion for rural ministry to join us in Buckinghamshire.
This pioneer role will primarily be one of working in partnership with the local church across the four
deaneries of Buckingham, Mursley, Claydon and the rural parts of Aylesbury to enable mission through
offering support, strategic leadership and advocacy, rooted in the Oxford Diocesan Living Faith Vision
as it relates to our rural communities.
We are looking for someone who will actively foster and maintain positive relationships with each
parish and benefice; who can work creatively and developmentally with the local context and who has
the vision to transform structures rather than being hindered or limited by them in order to bring about
the purpose of Living Faith as set out below.
Diocesan Living Faith Purpose:
To join with God in creating a caring, sustainable and growing Christian presence in every part of the
Diocese of Oxford, enabling every Christian and every Christian community to live and share the love of
God, seen in the life of Jesus Christ.
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Introduction
This is a significant time in the life of our rural church. Whilst grant funding has made it possible in
recent years to maintain and develop our buildings in a way that previously has never been possible,
the decline of church going and rising costs have placed a considerable strain on small and aging
congregations. An increasingly mobile population has highlighted the importance of the market town
as a gathering place, for leisure, shopping and schools; however the importance of the church building,
together with the provision of Christian ministry, in each village or hamlet has not waned. Occasional
offices, Christian festivals and social events in each separate rural community continue to act as
significant gathering points, giving meaning to the rhythms of life.
Financial constraint, and prudent resource management within dioceses have, in recent years, forced
much pastoral change upon the rural church, with clergy managing large multi-parish benefices, and an
increased reliance on self-supporting, house for duty and retired ministers to provide necessary
ministry, retain the parochial system and offer affordable priestly ministry.
In many rural areas traditional pastoral change has run its course. Our benefices are as large as fulltime
clergy can manage unless traditional models of ministry change and, as recent reports ‘From Anecdote
to Evidence’ and ‘Stronger as One?’ suggest ever larger benefices have implications for growth. Our
rural clergy are overstretched and constantly juggle mission and maintenance, and individuals willing
to take on the additional responsibility of Rural Dean are harder to come by. We continue to be
encouraged by the enthusiasm of rural congregations and what can be achieved, but do observe fewer
committed volunteers, more occasional worshippers and a lack of understanding amongst the rural
community of what the church is and how it functions.
It is time for change! In the Buckingham episcopal area we have a vision for all our communities, be
they urban, rural or somewhere in between, to be vital hubs where the Spirit of Christ and the work of
God’s kingdom are not only revealed, but radiate to transform the world around. It is however our
rural areas which primarily need nurture, care and creativity to change and develop to fulfil this vision.
We are aware of the strains on our current rural deanery structures, the significant geographical
distance between them and the importance of creating both mutual support and long term
sustainability.
The creation of this development post is one way the whole archdeaconry is supporting the work of the
rural church. Whoever is appointed will, in one way, be given a blank sheet to re-imagine rural ministry
for the future. It is our vision that the post-holder, working with the rural deans, clergy and laity in our
rural communities, will enable new patterns of ministry, ways of working and local creativity to emerge.
As an area team we too will be committed to making this happen. It is about building on the best, the
richness of church life, and making the future possible.
We are excited about how this role will work out, particularly at a time when the national church is also
considering rural ministry in its recent report ‘Released for Mission’. Whilst there are particulars
around the role description, there is much about it that will emerge through relationships, knowledge
and prayer. We are looking for someone to work with us all at this important time, so that the rural
church does not just survive into the future, but thrives in it.
Will you join us?
The Venerable Karen Gorham, Archdeacon of Buckingham
The Rt Revd Alan Wilson, Bishop of Buckingham
Andrew Gear, Parish Development Officer
The deanery officers of Buckingham, Mursley, Claydon and Aylesbury deaneries
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Key responsibilities will be:

Mission and Outreach
Working in partnership with Rural Deans, Lay Chairs and other officers in each deanery:
To enable clergy and parishes to reflect on their context theologically and missiologically, and
assist them in discerning and developing new patterns for rural ministry which facilitates
growth, enhances and engages with community life and maximizes resources.
To encourage and support the work of the local clergy, parishes, benefices and team ministries
in developing vibrant Christian communities across the area by sharing good practice and
taking an active role in mission and ministry as appropriate to each situation.
To act as a pioneer in this field to both assist thinking within the wider archdeaconry and
diocese, and hold the strategic oversight of the Anglican Church in our rural areas.
To work with the deanery mission and pastoral committees to enable good sharing of resources
across the area and effective Mission Action Planning.
To work with the Archdeaconry Parish Development Advisor (PDA), the Archdeacon and Area
Bishop and other diocesan officers to develop intentional patterns of ministry and training,
discipleship and outreach, which support the rural church.

Leadership and working collaboratively
To encourage the Rural Deans in their support of the local church by sharing common tasks,
pastoral care and administration.
To advise the Archdeacon, Area Bishop and the archdeaconry Mission and Pastoral Committee
on pastoral organisation which provides the best patterns of ministry for the rural church and
which meets the needs of both settled communities and the growth of new housing within these
and neighbouring deaneries.
To share with the Archdeacon in the work of the DAC particularly providing support for the
rural church in its maintenance, development and upkeep of church buildings so they continue
to creatively serve the local community.
To work with the Archdeacon, PDA and Rural Deans in supporting the work of churchwardens
and other parish officers in offering training, and simplified structures which ease the
administrative burden but resource the local church.
To consider and develop local leadership (lay and ordained) and discipleship across our rural
communities through patterns of training and the encouragement of local leadership teams.

Worship and preaching
To serve as a priest in the rural areas, sharing in the life and worship of individual parishes and
being available to offer cover for vacancies, sabbaticals and holidays.
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
Pastoral Care
To establish good and supportive working relationships, by meeting regularly with individual
clergy and being available to clergy and parish officers within the four deaneries as a listening
ear and sounding board.

Stewardship and deanery organization
To work with the Rural Deans and Lay Chairs in providing effective deanery structures,
including synods, which serve the needs of the rural areas, enabling good support, democratic
decision making, and appropriate accountability.
To work within the deaneries and with others in promoting the generous sharing of resources,
finance and good practice amongst them.

Personal development and spirituality
To maintain a rhythm of daily prayer based on the Offices of the Church.
To sustain the sacred centre through personal support, an annual retreat and participation in
education courses appropriate to the role.
As part of the role the office holder will be expected to:
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Attend quarterly meetings of the Area Team
Attend Archdeaconry Area Deans and Lay Chairs meetings (5 x a year)
Be a member of the DAC
Be a member of the Archdeaconry Mission and Pastoral Committee
Meet regularly with the Rural Deans and Lay Chairs
The Post will be held under Common Tenure and the post-holder licensed to the Bernwode Benefice
within which they would reside. There will be no expectations about providing ministry within the
benefice, however it is hoped that the post-holder will enjoy being part of a local community which they
(and their family) can call home, and from which the ministry across the wider area can develop and
grow.
In the rural areas covered by this post the traditional role of Rural Dean will be revised to work
alongside the new Area Dean for Rural Mission and Development. The specific responsibilities of the
Rural Dean in each deanery will be:
1.
2.
3.
4.
To work with the Lay Chair in taking responsibility for Deanery Synod meetings, Standing
Committee meetings and Deanery Chapter
To provide a first port of call for local support be it practical or pastoral, and share in
ongoing pastoral care
To assist, together with the Lay Chair, with the regular visitation of churches across the
deanery on behalf of the Archdeacon.
To act as a conduit for communication within the deanery
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Person Specification
We are seeking someone who:




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Has experience of being a priest in the rural church and understands the changes, challenges
and opportunities of the rural context.
Can work strategically, and with realistic vision, to develop new patterns of mission and
ministry for the rural church.
Has experience of sharing leadership, working in teams and alone to create effective structures
that facilitate growth and bring about evolutionary change.
Has good organizational, administrative and pastoral skills to support local clergy and their
churches.
Shares the Living Faith vision for rural communities and is willing to work with it creatively.
Has good communication skills and can understand and work within the complexities of the
structures of the Church of England.
Is excited by the possibilities of the role.
Review
Given the pioneering nature of this post the role description will be reviewed annually with the post
holder, to make sure the expectations are achievable, measurable and realistic.
The Context
The area covered by this post within the Buckingham Archdeaconry has a diverse population, with
areas of affluence as well as some poorer communities. Residents of the deaneries of Buckingham,
Claydon and Mursley and the rural parts of Aylesbury look in many directions for work, shopping,
leisure and schooling. As a result, the rural areas of Buckinghamshire are ones that throw up many
opportunities and challenges. The local churches try to respond to the opportunities and challenges
that come their way; however they are often inhibited by the scarcity of resources, geographical
distance and smallness of scale.
The deaneries of Claydon, Mursley, and Buckingham have already created strong links with one
another. Formally, they have taken the decision not to merge; but are willing to work closely together
where possible. With the development of the centre of Aylesbury it is felt that the needs of the rural
parishes to the west have much in common with other rural deaneries, hence the inclusion of part of
Aylesbury deanery in this new configuration.
The population of these rural areas is currently served by 93 churches in 88 parishes, with an average
electoral roll of 38 per parish and usual Sunday attendance of 24. There are currently 36 licensed
clergy operating in the area (21 stipendiary, 9 House for Duty and 6 self-supporting) with an additional
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38 active retired clergy assisting with permission to officiate. There are also training curates in a few of
the benefices.
The clergy currently function within 4 deaneries – all with elected members, deanery officers and
deanery synods (meeting usually 3 x a year). Each deanery is served by one of the clergy licensed as
Rural Dean (Area Dean in Aylesbury). It is hoped that the workload of each of these voluntary Rural
Deans will be somewhat reduced with the appointment of the new Area Dean
There is currently one formal joint initiative between the deaneries – outreach at the annual
Buckinghamshire County Show, held at the end of August and one of the largest one day shows in the
south of England. Other, more informal, groupings have taken place across the deaneries over the years
involving clergy support and training and youth outreach.
Within the archdeaconry these deaneries find themselves between the more prosperous commuter belt
in south Bucks and the expanding city of Milton Keynes in the north. The commitment of the
archdeaconry to these rural areas is demonstrated by a decision not to reduce any fulltime or House for
Duty posts but to reshape ministry in the best possible way to make full use of this resource.
Buckinghamshire itself is a diverse County, which includes Slough, Milton Keynes, High Wycombe and
Aylesbury as well as the commuter towns of Chesham, Amersham and Gerrards Cross. It is easy for the
active and busy part of the county to dwarf the rural communities and therefore mutual support has
been an important factor in mission planning.
A recent change in archdeaconry structures within the Oxford diocese left Buckinghamshire untouched,
and in comparison to other parts of the diocese, under resourced in terms of archdeaconry support.
The archdeacon and Bishop together oversee one of the largest archdeaconries in the Church of
England in terms of both population, growth, size and numbers of parishes.
Population Figures
Aylesbury
(Rural)
Buckingham
Claydon
Mursley
17,500
21,200
21,000
21,500
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The Deaneries
The Claydon Deanery
The Claydon Deanery consists of two teams (Claydons and Swan, and Schorne) and one united benefice
(Winslow, Great Horwood and Addington). Within the deanery there are many small and medium sized
villages and the market town of Winslow. The deanery includes a number of places of interest including
Buckingham Railway Centre, Waddesdon Manor, and Claydon House. The Deanery holds four synod
meetings a year. The Deanery Chapter also meets regularly.
Ministry provision in this deanery is varied with both the teams making good use of House for Duty
Team Vicar appointments and local lay ministry caring for particular village communities.
The growth of Aylesbury to the south and west and the development of Aylesbury Parkway Station has
had a small effect on the deanery; however this will be increased should planned development in
Waddesden and Fleet Marston take place.
The development of HS2 will significantly affect a number of villages in the deanery with a wider impact
during construction work.
Rural Dean – The Revd David Meakin
Lay Chair – Mr Andy Dee-Crowne
Buckingham Deanery
Buckingham Deanery is the smallest in the Diocese of Oxford based upon electoral roll numbers. It
borders the Peterborough diocese in the north. Within the Deanery there are 3 Benefices – Buckingham,
Lenborough and West Buckingham, one united parish of 5 churches - North Buckingham and one
individual parish, Stowe. 23 communities served by 22 church buildings.
Within the deanery is the famous Landscape Garden at Stowe which also includes Stowe school.
Buckingham University, the only independent university in the UK, is situated in Buckingham town.
The deanery includes the rapidly expanding town of Buckingham in which the church is flourishing.
Rural communities vary in size from about 1000 to 80 inhabitants and some of the smaller parishes
struggle to maintain viable service patterns because of the small numbers of regular worshippers.
Recently Stowe school have agreed to partner with Stowe PCC and the deanery in providing resources
for a half-time chaplain to act as priest in charge of Stowe. This is a local appointment with housing
provided by the deanery and has much potential for both the development of tourism ministry with the
National Trust and links with young people and the benefice of Buckingham. The new Chaplain has just
been appointed.
Each parish has one or more representative on the Deanery Synod which meets four times a year.
Rural Dean – The Revd Ron Bundock
Lay Chair – Mrs Georgie Christopher
Mursley Deanery
Mursley deanery consists of small and medium sized villages; it borders St Albans diocese in the east
and Milton Keynes in the north. Across the deanery every worshipping community is encouraged to
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have a ministry team with clergy working with lay leaders and Licensed Lay Ministers. The deanery is
coming to the end of a long period of pastoral re-organisation, with the creation and development of a
new Team Ministry and the move of one parish (Linslade) to St Alban’s diocese. Due to a number of
retirements change is still continuing in the deanery, and there is a need to draw together and
encourage leaders in quite an isolated part of the diocese.
The north of the deanery is currently being impacted by the continued growth of Milton Keynes. The
provision of church for those who inhabit new homes in the Newton Longville and the Brickhill parishes
will be an important factor, as will partnerships with clergy in Milton Keynes and appropriate future
pastoral re-organisation between urban and rural.
Rural Dean – The Revd Philip Derbyshire
Lay Chair – Mrs Bobbie Ward
Aylesbury Deanery
The town of Aylesbury is growing considerably, with the need for further resources to serve large areas
of new housing already built, being built or in the planning stage. The deanery has traditionally
encompassed a large area to the south and west of the town and includes the market town of Princes
Risborough as well as a number of picturesque large, medium and small villages, set on the edge of the
Chilterns or in Aylesbury Vale. The geography of the deanery is large, with some of the smaller villages
looking to Thame and Bicester rather than Aylesbury.
The rural communities themselves are varied in Aylesbury deanery, many wealthy residents spend
significant time away from their homes, however many others have never moved far and have farmed
the land for generations. The fast train links to London from Princes Risborough and Haddenham make
them attractive places to live, and Haddenham itself is fast developing into a ‘village’ of considerable
size.
The aim would be for the post-holder to in partnership with the Area Dean to see how the needs of the
rural parts of the deanery can be met, using the principles applied in the other three rural deaneries.
Primarily the work will focus on the parishes to the south west of Aylesbury, and to a lesser degree with
Haddenham and Princes Risborough (although these has been included in the statistics)
Area Dean – The Revd Canon Andrew Blyth
Lay Chair – Mr Nigel Featherstone
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Deanery Statistics
Deanery
No of
Churches
No of
Parishes
No of
benefice
s/Teams
No of
Stipendiary
Clergy
No of
SSMs
No of
LLMs
Retired
clergy
with
PTO
ER
Aylesbury
(Rural part)
Buckingham
Claydon
Mursley
Total
25
25
6
6 + 4 HfD
2
7
14
1150
23
24
21
93
22
22
20
89
5
3
4
18
5 + 1 HfD
5 + 3 HfD
5 + 2 HfD
21 + 9 HfD
2
4
5
1
4
18
12
4
7
37
635
792
782
3359
SSM – Self Supporting Ministers
LLM – Licensed Lay Minister
Parish Share (2014)
Deanery
Aylesbury
(Rural)
Buckingham
Claydon
Mursley
Total

Deanery Share
375,114
% Paid
100
Shortfall
-
243,849
289,180
305,979
1,214,122
95.5%
84.7%
91.6%
10,921
37,971*
25,585
Claydon are currently a recovering deanery and received a share reduction of £41,114 from the
diocese in 2014, this will be decreased over the next 4 years.
Church Schools
Schools play a significant part in these rural communities, and in the three deaneries there are a large
number of Church schools, including Waddesdon School – a mixed 11 – 18 yr voluntary aided
secondary. Churches and schools, particularly in the rural areas, are increasingly working together in
local communities with church involvement in schools and school involvement in the life of the
churches being encouraged.
Deanery
Aylesbury (Rural)
Buckingham
Claydon
Mursley
Total
Number of Church Schools
9
4
7
5
25
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Ecumenism
Partnerships between churches of different denominations are commonplace throughout our rural
deaneries. There are a number of formal ecumenical partnerships, particularly with the Methodist and
URC churches in benefices, largely now focussed on the Anglican Church. One of the House for Duty
ministers in the Schorne Team is a Methodist minister. In the larger towns like Princes Risborough and
Buckingham partnerships extend beyond those of the traditional congregations and include some
independent churches. Where there remain separate congregations, churches come together at
various times in the year.
Church Buildings
Within these rural areas of the archdeaconry are a considerable number of Grade 1 and Grade 2 listed
church buildings. Most of these churches are in good heart and many congregations, over recent years,
have expended much energy and vision into making sure that these buildings continue to be fit for
purpose and meeting the needs of the areas they serve. A significant number have installed serveries
and toilets to accommodate midweek activities as well as meet the needs of visitors through events and
a large number of occasional offices. Ongoing repairs to these buildings are considerable and access to
grant making trusts, good advice and advocacy are all important to ensure their survival for future
generations. Whilst there are no churches in these deaneries currently facing closure, the question of
our buildings and the ability to maintain and fill them (and for how long) is becoming an increasing
issue and the challenge of them either being a blessing or a burden very real.
The Wider Rural Context
The Buckingham Area Dean for Rural Mission and Development has been deliberately placed within the
structures of the archdeaconry to serve the rural church in practical and spiritual ways. Alongside this
role there is also within the diocese a Rural Officer (DRO) and a Team which relates to rural issues
largely outside the church context. It is hoped that the post holder, without expectation of being a
member of this team, will work with it in the same way as rural clergy and rural congregations.
The Diocesan Rural Officer is currently the Revd Canon Glyn Evans; Glyn is also a Deputy Lord
Lieutenant of Oxfordshire. The purpose of his role is to engage with local and national rural policy
developments; to encourage and enable chaplaincy to the agricultural and rural communities within the
Oxford diocese. Glyn is a member of the Mission in the World team (social responsibility) in the
Department of Mission and provides a rural proofing role to the work of the department.
Examples of the work include working in partnership with other rural agencies, understanding and
monitoring rural issues across the 3 counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, reflecting
theologically on the church’s role in rural life and community, facilitating training events on rural and
agricultural issues and addressing rural issues such as loneliness, fuel poverty and environmental
issues, and community engagement.
The Diocesan Rural Officer works collaboratively with a Rural Team of volunteers across the diocese.
Currently there are eleven experienced clergy and lay members. The principle task of the team is to
extend the influence of the work of the DRO across a wider canvas. Members are often regarded by the
deaneries in which they are located as rural champions and specialise in areas which interest them eg.
providing an agricultural chaplaincy to local shows and working collaboratively to deliver occasional
events within the diocese. There are currently three team members in the deaneries of Mursley,
Claydon, Aylesbury and Buckingham, two clergy and one lay.
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The DRO is a part-time post and as well the current post holder is also deputy Chief Executive and
regional director (central England) of the Farming Community network, a Christian voluntary
organisation providing support to the farming community.
Alongside this structure, the Diocesan Mission and Pastoral Committee has recently set up a working
group to look at a strategy for rural ministry and mission. This is being co-ordinated by the Parish
Development Adviser for the Dorchester archdeaconry. It is hoped that the Buckingham Area Dean for
Rural Mission and Development will, in due course, become part of this small group.
House
A well-appointed four-bedroomed vicarage will be provided in Ludgershall for the post-holder. The
vicarage overlooks the countryside, and contains a good sized kitchen-diner, downstairs study and
large living room.
Ludgershall is a small, but active, village in the Aylesbury
deanery, with a population of 400 people, a pub, a memorial
hall and the Parish Church.
Ludgershall has good
communication links to the A41, which connects Aylesbury
with Bicester and to the rural villages around including
Buckingham, Winslow and , via Aylesbury, through to Milton
Keynes. There are good primary schools nearby in Brill,
Westcott, Grendon Underwood and Marsh Gibbon and
secondary schools further afield in Aylesbury and
Waddesdon.
Stipend and Expenses
The post is on the incumbent’s scale, currently £24,830 with an additional allowance of £1500 (A
combined diocesan allowance for Area Deans and Team Rectors). Full expenses will be paid, including
start-up costs, mileage and an allowance for secretarial support.
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