Supporting healthy ministry in the Diocese of Oxford
I've been very blessed and enriched to have worked with ministry accompaniers and work consultants in every major role as a vicar and theological educator, missioner and bishop.
I have learned a huge amount through being simply listened to and asked thoughtful questions as a regular part of ministry. I warmly commend the practice of ministry accompaniment to all clergy in the Diocese of Oxford."
Bishop Steven
Why Ministry Accompaniers?
As part of the diocese’s encouragement and support for healthy and sustainable ministry, the network of Ministry Accompaniers exists to act as a critical friend and external reference. They are there to help think through the issues you face in your role as minister, all within a confidential relationship.
Such issues could include vision setting, conflict resolution, small or major change, how you exercise your leadership, building and developing collaborative ministry, dependency problems, as well as more personal work issues such as changing jobs, time management, or achieving a better balance in your life.
Calling in a ministry accompanier can feel threatening; it could look like I cannot do things myself. Having used three accompaniers over the last 11 years, I can only say they have been very positive, empowering experiences, facilitating real change in practice and consciousness.”
Team Rector, Berkshire Area
FAQs
Who can have a Ministry Accompanier?
Anyone in church leadership (lay or ordained) in Oxford diocese can ask to work with a Ministry Accompanier. Ministry Accompaniment is also available for those in sector ministry within the diocese.
How is it different from other support I have?
A Ministry Accompanier focuses on you in your role as minister in the context of your benefice/parish/team etc. They can offer an impartial perspective from outside that context. Ministry Accompaniment is not therapy nor counselling and it has a different focus from Spiritual Direction.
How does it work?
Ministry Accompaniment is forward-focused 1-to-1 support from an independent, skilled practitioner who has personal experience of ministry or who understands the Church of England parish context. A Ministry Accompanier is there to work with your ‘stuff’ in a safe, confidential* environment. Their aim, through attentive listening and challenging questions, is to enable you find greater clarity, identify possible ways forward and to move on. They may use a number of different skills or approaches, as appropriate, to support your thinking, eg coaching, consultancy or mentoring, but they won’t tell you what to do.
* If your conversations involve illegal activity or situations which present a safeguarding risk to you or those you work with and/or minister among, the Ministry Accompanier has a responsibility to report the conversation to the appropriate authorities.
For full details download the Ministry Accompaniers leaflet.
Is there be a cost?
Some of the network members are freelance and charge a fee, others make no charge. The rate of charge is very reasonable (£40 per hour) and you could use your annual CMD grant of £250 to fund this cost.
How do I find a Ministry Accompanier?
First of all, please contact the CMD Adviser or your Parish Development Adviser. They will discuss with you what it is you are looking for from the relationship, e.g. a specific focus or need, and will seek to put you in contact with a number of people who might be appropriate, and with whom you can explore the potential for a working relationship.
Who are our Ministry Accompaniers?
Jane Myers
Jane is a qualified Performance Coach, Facilitator and Trainer, with a background in psychology, and over 25 years’ experience in the field. Jane has a niche in understanding how individuals process information and ultimately how to maximise this for personal development and learning. Jane has worked with individuals and teams in the Oxford Diocese for over 10 years. Jane creates thinking space for the client, an essential part of any coaching conversation, using a range of tools and methods to reflect the needs of the individual. Jane is a dyslexia specialist, understanding and offering support to a range of neurodiverse conditions. Jane has coached individuals and teams in a range of organisations, including local government, the education sector and corporate clients.Revd Canon Mike Smith
Mike is Rector of the parish of Caversham Thameside and Mapledurham, and Area Dean of Reading. Since ordination in 1995 he has served in parochial positions in Manchester, Salford and Caversham, and has parish experience in inner city, urban deprivation, suburban and rural ministry. All this parochial ministry has been in collaborative settings, where ministry is shared with clergy and lay colleagues. Mike has experience on a diocesan senior staff which provided him with insight overseeing and supporting clergy, particularly through transitions and change. Mike is particularly interested is helping clergy and parishes discern God's preferred and promised future. He uses his coaching qualification to help individuals and parishes identify their own challenges and the obstacles they need to overcome to achieve them.Revd Gavin Knight
Gavin has been the Vicar of St Michael & All Angels, Summertown in the Oxford Diocese since September 2011. In May 2024 he also became Area Dean of Oxford. Gavin is a pastoral supervisor, a vocations advisor, a bishop's reviewer and a spiritual director. He is especially involved in raising awareness in the area of mental health and clergy wellbeing. He has been a parish priest in various contexts as well as a school chaplain since his ordination in 1998. Gavin has co-published two books which integrate theological and psychological thinking and practice. Gavin is also a dad of three boys as well as Thor, a Guide Dog 'dad!'Revd Gill Lovell
Gill is a priest with 12 years parish ministry experience and 9 years experience as a diocesan consultant working with individuals, teams and benefices in a variety of contexts. She is currently Continuing Ministerial Development (CMD) Adviser for the diocese and co-ordinates the Ministry Accompaniment Network. Gill is a professionally accredited coach, specialising in personal and professional development, wellbeing and resilience.Revd Canon Charles Chadwick
Charles was ordained in this diocese in 1988 was trained as a work consultant in the 1990s. He spent more than 25 years as a parish priest serving in a range of settings and, prior to retirement, was the Parish Development Adviser for the Dorchester Archdeaconry for 10 years. He is particularly interested in enabling people to undergo transitions well, and to explore their roles and how they inhabit them.Derek Lancaster
Derek is a Licensed Lay Minister and an experienced coach with a background in project management, change management and strategic development. He coached individuals and groups for over fifteen years in senior management and consultancy roles in the civil service, local government and the BBC. He retired from paid work in 2022, and is working part-time in parish ministry. He is interested in exploring the joys and challenges of parishes, vision and strategy development, and practical techniques such as project management all in the context of the people and relationships involved. He welcomes the opportunity to provide a safe space to explore even when things are tough, to help clients gain new perspectives, and to simply wonder about possibilities.What are people saying about Ministry Accompaniment?
"fitting in another meeting on top of everything else felt like yet another distraction from 'getting on with the ministry' ... after a couple of meetings the penny started to drop and something changed as I realised the real power and value of coaching ... carefully chosen, well timed and penetrating questions are perfect for providing the very means and space I need to self-reflect and so continue to grow as a minister ... rather than disempowering me with advice that I most likely quickly forget, ministry coaching on a live issue in my ministry empowers me to do the hard work of processing the people and situations affecting me and affected by me for myself and then take ownership over to do next." (AD, Team Vicar)
“thank you for the time and space you allowed me to explore my ‘stuff’ … You helped me to see something in a new way, which, I’m sure, will have a huge impact on my life and ministry. To have someone listen, not give me answers, but ask insightfully good questions, reminds me again of the potential coaching has to help people to move forward in ministry. I felt much ‘lighter’ leaving the coaching session than when I came in, as if a weight had been lifted from me. Having a plan to move forward has given me hope and momentum. I just love this approach to helping as it respects me, is non-judgemental, challenging, supportive and future orientated." (CG, Incumbent)
Ministry Accompaniment "provided a safe space for me to be able to reflect on those areas in which I felt I needed help to make health-giving changes. The work-life balance is one that I have struggles with my entire life and particularly in my current role ... I can honestly say that through [Ministry Accompaniment] I have felt strengthened to make positive changes that have enabled be to flourish more fully. I am going forward with hope and energy." (AP, School chaplain)
For more information, contact:
Gill Lovell
CMD Adviser
07391 416089
Rhodri Bowen
Parish Development Adviser (Berkshire & Oxford)
07741 736 480
Asa Humphreys
Parish Development Adviser (Buckingham)
Anne Perry
Parish Development Adviser (Dorchester)
01865 208 246