RURAL AND AREA DEANS

An invitation to serve as Rural Dean (or Area Dean) will have come from the Bishop after confidential consultation by letter with the stipendiary and self-supporting clergy of the Deanery, the Lay Chairperson of the Deanery Synod, the Archdeacon and with other members of the Bishop’s Senior Staff.

The invitation needs careful thought. Acceptance will add considerably to the existing workload. The appointment is for a five year period.

Parishioners, though glad that their parish priest is being “promoted”, are not always aware of the additional work that will be involved.

Canon C.23 “of Rural Deans” sets out some of the official duties but in the Diocese of Ely (as in most dioceses) other duties have been added and expectations established.

The quality of relationships with clergy and laity in the Deanery is fundamental to the job of Rural and Area Dean who will need to spend time getting to know them and their areas of ministry better.

AN OFFICER OF THE DIOCESAN BISHOP

Rural and Area Deans are officers of the Bishop, with the Archdeacon, through whom the Bishop exercises pastoral care, missionary leadership and oversight.

Rural and Area Deans need to know the clergy of the Deanery and their families and their homes, supporting them particularly in times of difficulty and discouragement.

For the pastoral care of the retired clergy there are also Bishop’s officers, but the Rural or Area Dean will need to know about those in the Deanery because their help will be of value especially during clergy vacancies and holidays.

The Rural or Area Dean shall “report to the Bishop any matter in any parish within the Deanery which it may be necessary or useful for the Bishop to know, particularly any case of serious illness or other forms of distress amongst the clergy…” (Canon C.23.1)

The Bishop wishes to be kept fully informed of serious illness or death of a churchwarden.

The Rural or Area Dean shall inform, in the first instance, the Archdeacon of any situations where there is serious neglect of pastoral care, break-down in pastoral relationships or failure to exercise adequate supervision of assistant clergy, self-supporting ministers or Readers.

The Rural or Area Dean shall inform the Bishop of any clergy or lay persons officiating without a Licence or Permission to Officiate.

CHAIRING THE CLERGY CHAPTER

Chapter Meetings, if used imaginatively, are occasions for the development of ministry. There needs to be some balance between formal worship, informal prayer, theological study, information giving, discussion and social events which promote fellowship and deeper understanding.

From time to time opportunity should be given to Bishops. Archdeacons, sector or specialist ministers and others with special expertise, to attend Chapter Meetings.

Rural and Area Deans will be required to attend occasional meetings called by the Bishops or Archdeacons. From such meetings they will often be asked to take and communicate items of news, future events or matters under consideration. They will sometimes be asked to report to the Bishop and Archdeacon the views and feelings of the Chapter. This two-way process is very important.

Rural and Area Deans will be asked to submit to the Bishop requests for deanery Confirmations for the following year.

CHAIRING THE DEANERY SYNOD

The Rural or Area Dean and an elected member of the House of Laity jointly chair the Deanery Synod. (Canon C.23.4)

There shall be a Standing Committee of the Deanery Synod. It is essential that this should work in relationship from time to time with Archdeaconry Mission and Pastoral Committee. This is especially important when schemes for pastoral re-organisation and other matters, which come within the terms of the 1983 Pastoral Measure, are under consideration.

Rural and Area Deans take a leading role, as jointly chairing the Deanery Synod, in the discussions leading to the apportionment of the Parish Share.

The Rural or Area Dean and the Lay Chairperson are responsible, with the standing committee, for the planning of the meetings of the Deanery Synod.

Regular deanery meetings for churchwardens, treasurers, those who work with young people etc. can often provide a valuable forum for mutual support.

Under Synodical government, the Rural or Area Dean is responsible for seeing that each parish maintains an up-to-date Church Electoral Roll, that it has a properly elected Parochial Church Council and holds an Annual Parochial Church Meeting. In the event of failure to do this, the Rural or Area Dean must inform the Archdeacon.

The Rural or Area Dean and Lay Chairperson are to conduct, on a tri-annual basis, the Parish Inspections. Reports to be sent to the Archdeacon when an inspection is completed.

CLERGY VACANCIES

(for whatever reason, including absence of the incumbent through long illness or long study leave)
The Rural Dean must be closely involved with the Archdeacon, the Churchwardens and PCC to ensure the legal processes are carefully followed.

In normal circumstances, the Rural Dean should meet the Churchwardens of the parishes concerned as quickly as possible to agree the arrangements for the maintenance of the worship, work and mission of the congregation during the interregna. A calendar of special events may need to be drawn up and particular attention paid to the arrangements for baptisms, weddings, funeral and home communions.

Sensitivity will need to be shown to assistant clergy and Readers to whom the detailed responsibility may be delegated, although the legal care of the parish rests with the Churchwardens in consultation with the Rural Dean. The Rural Dean should meet all such people as soon as possible after the vacancy is announced.

The Rural and Area Dean and Lay Chairperson will be invited to attend the ‘Section 12 ‘ meeting between the Bishop (or Archdeacon), patron and PCC to discuss the Parish Profile. The Rural and Area Dean should be ready to comment on the Deanery Pastoral Plan as it affects the benefice.

The care and security of the parsonage house and garden should be discussed and responsibilities allocated. Care should be taken over water-filled radiators during the winter. Instructions issued by the Houses Sub-Committee of the Diocese should be followed strictly. The Rural Dean must be told the name, address and telephone number of the person holding the keys to the house and responsible for security.

Normally the date of the Institution or Licensing will be decided at the Bishop’s Senior Staff meeting and the Rural Dean will be informed from the Bishop’s office. When an appointment has been made it will be the responsibility of the Rural Dean and Churchwardens to make arrangements with the Bishop and Archdeacon for the Institution or Licensing. The Rural Dean should supervise such arrangements and conduct the final rehearsal but should, as far as possible, leave the detailed work to the Churchwardens. A separate paper describes the detail of the arrangement for the Institution of Licensing service, and should be in the possession of the Rural Dean.

The Rural and Area Dean should also be in contact with the new incumbent, at an early stage, about arrangements for the service.

Further resources for parishes in a vacancy can be found at www.ely.anglican.org/information/dh/benefice-vacancies.html

REPRESENTING THE LOCAL ANGLICAN CHURCH

The Rural and Area Dean will often be seen by those outside the Church of England as its spokesperson and senior Anglican in the Deanery. It may, therefore, fall to Rural and Area Deans to give a lead in matters affecting other denominations and in maintaining and developing good relationships between the Christian Churches; and between the Churches and Civic authorities; and, where, appropriate, with other faith communities.

THE NEWLY APPOINTED RURAL OR AREA DEAN

A date will be fixed for the public commissioning of the Rural or Area Dean. This service is often taken by the Archdeacon. Commissioning can occur at a Deanery event. e.g Deanery Evensong or a Deanery Synod meeting.

The newly appointed Rural or Area Dean will be told of the date of the next training conference for Rural Deans and asked to keep these two/three days free of all other engagements. These are organised regionally through Les Oglesby.

The Archdeacon will give the new Rural or Area Dean the dates of:

Archdeaconry meetings of Rural and Area Deans
Any other relevant Diocesan meeting

Rural and Area Deans must always feel free to make direct contact with the Bishop or the Archdeacon.