The Representative Body for the Church in Wales: St. Padarn’s Institute

St Padarn’s Tutor in St Davids Diocese

OVERVIEW

BackgroundThe St Padarn’s institute was created on 1 July 2016 by the Church in Wales to deliver a vision of outstanding mission-orientated formation and training for the whole people of God for the Church in Wales. It was named after one of the missionary bishops involved in the first great re-evangelisation of Wales in the 6th

Century.

St Padarn’s has broad responsibilities given to it by the Bench of Bishops:

- Stimulating and resourcing lay discipleship, formation and training, including for the new commissioned lay ministries.

- Overseeing and delivering formation for licensed ministry, ordained and lay, in their various distinctive forms (stipendiary, non-stipendiary, local, pioneer, evangelist, youth and children, pastor, reader).

- Overseeing, and with the dioceses delivering, continuing ministerial development for all licensed ministers in the Church in Wales, including particular programmes for the newly ordained/licensed, training for Ministry/Mission Area Leaders, support for specialist ministries such as Pioneer and Youth and Children, and senior leaders’ training.

- Research and postgraduate studies. - Training for the whole church in areas such as supervision skills and

keeping people safe. - Ministry policy development.

It is overseen by the St Padarn’s Council, which brings together representatives from the Bench of Bishops and the Representative Body and the Directors of Ministry from each Diocese. Financially and legally it is part of the Representative Body of the Church in Wales. Its staff are employees of the Representative Body. Its 2018 budget is £2M. There are thirteen members of staff employed to teach, mentor, research and guide ministerial formation and development, but St Padarn’s also draws heavily on the expertise of the broader Church of Wales – it is ‘the Church in Wales doing theology together’. This effort is catalysed and empowered by a professional support team, with skills in operations, buildings and catering through to publicity, administration, registry and library. It is supported in finance, IT, HR and

legal by expert colleagues within the Provincial Office. St Padarn’s strapline is ‘formation in community for mission’ and it takes seriously the missional context of the Church in Wales, particularly its bilingualism and its geographical spread.

St Padarn’s is a complex organisation, with much of its activity, staff and volunteers dispersed across Wales. It has established itself as a key constituent part of the Church’s mission, and the Church has demonstrated its commitment by its sacrificial funding of St Padarn’s, and continued strong episcopal backing. St Padarn’s challenge is now to make good on that calling and the commitment to it from the Church and deliver its vision of outstanding mission-orientated formation and training for the whole people of God for the Church in Wales.

The Tutor in St Davids Diocese role

The network of St Padarn’s tutors in each of the six dioceses in the Church in Wales is crucial to the success of St Padarn’s. For St Padarn’s is a collaborative venture, and these tutors, with their place of work and main focus being within the diocese, take the lead in ensuring that there is a close, mutually supportive relationship between St Padarn’s and each of the six dioceses. The first item on the job description is to embed St Padarn’s within the life of the diocese, which goes beyond a strictly functional role, and is about the building up of good relationships, an understanding of the diocesan culture and becoming trusted in that diocese. The St Padarn’s team will think of the post-holder as ‘our person in X diocese’ and the Diocese will think of the post-holder as ‘our person is St Padarn’s’.

However, the tutor is a 100% St Padarn’s employee, reporting to the Principal, and their duties do not exclusively focus on that diocese. St Padarn’s functions as a single closely-knit organisation. The coordination and organisation of learning is done centrally by professional administrative staff, to ensure high-quality, consistency and efficient use of resources. The tutorial staff functions as a team, with different tutors using their expertise across the whole of St Padarn’s. This brings great strength to St Padarn’s, and hence to our service of the Church in Wales, for it allows real expertise to be developed and deployed. This also provides a positive, forward-looking, context for tutors, for they can develop particular expertise and take responsibility for activity across the whole of the Church in Wales. They are not limited to be a generalist.

At the heart of the tutor’s role is the work to support the formation of candidates for licensed ministry (ordained or lay) from the Diocese, and the Theology for Life programme for disciples in the Diocese. There are different strands within Formation for Licensed ministry – part-time/full-time, diocese-based/Cardiff based – and the details of the duties vary and are set out in the job description. Nevertheless, for all candidates from St Davids the tutor has a key role in guiding their formation, and is responsible for organising the learning that takes place within the diocese (placements and formational cells). They are responsible for the operation and promotion of the Theology for Life programme in the diocese, which serves as a significant discipleship programme as well as a key part of the educational development of part-time candidates.

The particular role for the Tutor in St Davids is shaped by St Davids distinctive needs. Non-stipendiary local ministry (NSML) is of real significance for the diocese. Hence St Padarn’s service of the diocese includes a particular focus on the formation and training of NSML. The tutor in St Davids will be the key advisor to the Director of Formation for Licensed Ministry (the Revd Dr Manon Ceridwen James) on the distinctive needs of the NSMLs.

The unique contribution of the post-holder to St Padarn’s will be determined in relation to their skills and experience. This is noted in the Job Description under ‘purpose of the post’,

and items 7 and 8. The post holder will have an area of responsibly across the whole of St Padarn’s (item 7) and will teach in an area of expertise (item 8). Item 13 – “To contribute to the wider life of the Church by research, writing or speaking” represents a core commitment of St Padarn’s, that tutorial staff develop a programme of academic research, or more popular writing and speaking, which contributes to the life of the Church. The way in which this is done will depend on the calling, skills and prior experience of the post-holder. St Padarn’s is committed to mentoring and supporting tutors’ development in this area. We are conscious that St Padarn’s has a particular need for expertise in the areas of rural ministry, liturgy and welsh-medium mission and ministry. However, we are open to a tutor bringing expertise in other areas.

The usual place of work of tutors in dioceses will be within the diocese in which they are embedded. However, the posts involve significant travel within Wales as part of the ‘team life’ of St Padarn’s, the programme of residentials, and the tutor’s unique contribution to the whole organisation. For the tutor in St Davids there are two options. The tutor could be homeworking, or could work from an office in the University of Wales: Trinity St Davids in Lampeter. Both options have strengths and will be explored with applicants.

The tutor will be an employee of the Representative Body of the Church in Wales (as with all St Padarn’s staff). The tutor post is a grade E post within the structures of the Representative Body. The appointment will be made at a point within grade E (£32,324 - £36,572) dependent on the experience and skills of the successful application.

These posts are offered on an open-ended basis.

The Representative Body for the Church in Wales: St. Padarn’s Institute

St Padarn’s Institute is an integral part of the Church in Wales with a vision of outstanding mission-orientated formation and training for the whole people of God.

ST PADARN’S TUTOR IN THE DIOCESE OF ST DAVIDS

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title : St Padarn’s Tutor in the Diocese of St Davids

Grade : E

Department : St Padarn’s Institute (SPI)

Location: Homeworking within the Diocese of St Davids or Lampeter Campus of the University of Wales: Trinity St David

Responsible to: The Principal

Working with: SPI staff; St Davids senior staff and clergy; volunteer facilitators, formational guides and supervisors in the diocese.

Job Purpose To make a significant contribution to the tutorial team at St Padarn’s, particularly though:

embedding St Padarn’s within the Diocese of St Davids <to be determined with successful applicant>

Main Tasks and Responsibilities

1. To be the St Padarn’s Tutor embedded in the Diocese of St Davidsa. Creating and maintaining good relationships with key diocesan

staff.b. Being active within the life of the diocese, building an appropriate

profile as an important part of the diocese. c. Contributing in an appropriate, agreed, fashion to the Diocese’s

particular mission and needs such that St Padarn’s is ‘good-news’ for the Diocese.

d. Keeping the whole of St Padarn’s in touch with the mood, culture and context in the diocese, people whom St Padarn’s may want to draw on, and valuable venues and resources.

2. To be responsible for the organisation and delivery of the Theology for Life Programme and Part-Time Formation for Licensed Ministry in the diocese of St Davids.

a. Leading worship and providing a Christian spiritual heart to these programmes.

b. Working with ministry areas, and senior staff, to promote the Theology for Life Course as a course for disciples.

c. Recruiting students onto Theology for Life; forming them into appropriate groups.

d. Recruit, support and oversee the volunteer facilitators, formational cell guides and placement supervisors required by those programmes.

e. Organise and where appropriate deliver Seminar Days and Saturday Schools for each module.

f. Provide appropriate support to students on these programmes.

3. For Part-Time St Davids candidates in Formation for Licensed Ministry:a. Providing pastoral support.b. Supporting candidate’s progress, particularly through six monthly

review meetings. c. Reporting on candidates, orally and in writing. d. Arranging formational cells for candidates.e. Arranging and overseeing placements for candidates

4. For Full-Time diocese-based St Davids candidates in Formation for Licensed Ministry:

a. Providing pastoral support in conjunction with the Tutor in Residence.

b. Supporting candidate’s progress, particularly through six monthly review meetings.

c. Reporting on candidates, orally and in writing. d. Arranging and overseeing placements for candidates.

5. For Full-Time Cardiff-based St Davids candidates in Formation for Licensed Ministry:

a. Supporting candidate’s progress, particularly through six monthly review meetings.

b. Reporting on candidates, orally and in writing.

6. To lead the community of ordinands preparing for NSM(L) ministry:

a. Evolving with the Director of Formation for Licensed Ministry the shape of St Padarn’s distinctive provision for NSM(L)s.

b. As a priest gathering this community in prayer and worship and celebrating the sacraments, according to the rites and practices of the Church in Wales, mindful of the model this provides to the ordinands.

c. Representing the distinctive needs of the NSM(L) community in the wider body of St Padarn’s, including for example in the Newly Licensed Minster programme.

7. To lead for St Padarn’s on <determined with successful applicant>

8. To contribute teaching expertise in <determined with successful applicant>:

a. Teaching within St Padarn’s broad range of programmes and responsibilities.

b. Contributing to the development of teaching materials and programmes.

c. Marking student work. d. Being part of the appropriate subject specialist group.

9. To share in the quality systems within St Padarn’sa. Playing a key role in the admissions/agreement of a training

pathway process for student and candidates from the diocese of St Davids.

b. Working to enhance the quality of the provision, particularly engaging with quality assurance processes, inspections and requirements of validating universities, the quality in formation panel, and the St Padarn’s Council/Bench of Bishops.

c. Implementing St Padarn’s policies and record keeping throughout their work.

d. Working with information services to ensure the best access and provision of IT and information services (including library) for students from the diocese.

10.Attending residentials to provide support for candidates, to share in the overall workload and to contribute as appropriate to the leading and planning of worship.

11.To work with those responsible for vocations in the diocese of St Davids to support the development of vocations, and be a positive and informative point of contact in the diocese for those seeking information about St Padarn’s.

12.To keep up to date with developments in teaching, learning, formation, assessment, ICT, and the Church in Wales.

13.To contribute to the wider life of the Church by research, writing or speaking.

NOTEThe duties and responsibilities outlined in this job description although comprehensive are not definitive and you may be required to perform other duties at the request of your manager.

This job description is designed to reflect duties currently incorporated in this post.  These may change in the light of changes in the service provided by the Representative Body.  Any such changes will be fully discussed with the post holder.

PERSON SPECIFICATIONEssential

An understanding of the nature of Christian formation and experience of assisting individuals’ formational journey.

Ability to give effective feedback and guidance both on academic and more personal/spiritual matters.

Experience and aptitude in organising and facilitating adult learning (broadly interpreted including teaching, facilitation and training).

Relational skills to form and manage relationships with a diversity of diocesan figures, and volunteers.

Excellent communication skills, both oral and written. Excellent organisational skills. Pastoral skills to offer both challenge and support to learners, including in

times of personal crisis. The ability to inspire; enthuse and be trusted by others, including

candidates and existing ministers within the Church in Wales. Ordained as a priest within the Anglican church with significant parish

ministry experience. Ability to contribute to the liturgical life of St Padarn’s through preaching

and leading Anglican worship, and generate Christian community in small groups of learners.

A good understanding of the issues facing the Church in Wales today, especially the challenges and opportunities they give to vocation, discipleship and ministry.

A commitment to working collaboratively, and modelling this to students and candidates.

Ability to work independently and flexibly, including significant travel within Wales, and evening/weekend working.

A familiarity with standard ICT packages, and a willingness to use modern technology to facilitate dispersed working and learning.

A good degree in Theology / Ministry.

Desirable The ability to communicate and ideally teach and assess work in Welsh. A postgraduate qualification in Theology or allied field. Experience of teaching and marking in university accredited courses. An understanding of the distinctive ethos and purpose of local ordained

ministry. An understanding of different pedagogical approaches and an enthusiasm

for reflective and experiential learning. Experience of and expertise in delivering ministerial education. Experience of working with VLE or content-management IT systems A track-record of contributing theological thinking to the life of the Church. Experience of academic administration and admissions.