Ketton and Tinwell Seek Vicar After 15 Months Amid Clergy Shortage

The church tried twice to find someone, and is advertising the job again this month with a deadline of April 25th. The search started with excitement, but the long wait made things hard, and one churchwarden also left, adding strain.

Despite these challenges, the church is growing, with new families joining the congregation. This is unusual when there is no vicar, and they have kept things going through hard work that they find rewarding, despite the effort.

The previous vicar worked part-time and helped return a cross to France that was found on a World War I battlefield. Now, the church wants a full-time vicar because the congregation is growing, not shrinking.

The church must raise money locally to cover the vicar’s salary and housing, which is called the benefice share. The share is increasing a lot, going from £35,000 to about £75,000, but they managed to raise the extra money through generous donations from local people.

The church has the budget ready and hopes to attract the right person, though finding the right person is difficult. Other churches also struggle to recruit, which seems to be happening nationwide, with more clergy leaving than joining.

In 2022, more people left the clergy and fewer new people became vicars, and the rural location might make it harder. It is easier to fill city jobs, while rural areas are often more difficult as people may not realize the opportunity.

The village is growing and will have about 2,200 residents, so the church hopes this will help them grow too. The church is growing with the village, and they get many attendees at Christmas. The church community wants someone new.

They seek someone with experience, a vicar who will stay for a long time and who will also help the church grow. The church is youth-focused and needs an enthusiastic leader to change the age balance.

Many churches have older congregations, but this church has many younger people, which is very encouraging for them.