Dear Applicant,
Thank you for your interest in this important role with the Diocese of Chelmsford.
Serving the communities of Essex and East London, we are one of the largest and most diverse dioceses in the Church of England, with enormous opportunities for mission and service and considerable challenges to face.
You will be joining us at a time of ongoing change. After a period of listening and discernment that began in 2021 with the appointment of the current Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Rev’d Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, we have embarked on a new direction of travel with a focus on Travelling Well Together.
- Our purpose is to love God and to love our neighbour, to worship faithfully and empowered by the Holy Spirit witness to the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ as we serve the extraordinarily diverse array of local communities in Essex and East London.
- Our approach is to enable and empower parishes and worshipping communities to discern how they are to be God’s people in their own very different local contexts as part of one diocesan family.
- Underpinning our approach is an invitation to a way of being articulated by shared diocesan values which might shape how we travel well together, support each other and provide mutual accountability.
The recruitment pack that accompanies this letter contains further information about Chelmsford Diocese and the role. I hope you will find it helpful. I recognise that this is a two-way discernment process and I look forward to discussing this opportunity with you.
Yours in Christ,
Michaela Southworth
Chief Executive and Diocesan Secretary