Head of Vocations and Ordinands

Head of Vocations and Ordinands

Play a key role shaping the future of licensed ministry in a vibrant, diverse city and region, advancing Christ’s mission and bringing His hope to every community

Birmingham is the UK’s second city – energetic, diverse, and constantly evolving. It has the youngest urban population in Europe and a rich mix of cultures, faiths, and communities. The Church of England Birmingham (CofEB) spans nearly 300 square miles, covering Birmingham and parts of Solihull, Sandwell, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire. It’s a region full of challenge and change - and God is at work in the midst of it all.

At the heart of CofEB are 187 Church of England places of worship serving a population of million. These churches reflect a wide range of traditions and ethnicities, united by a shared commitment to being vibrant, welcoming, and outward-facing communities of faith.

This is a time of new possibility in our diocese as we reshape ministry for a changing world. Our vision is clear :
Growing Churches at the Heart of Every Community . To help realise that vision, we are seeking a Head of Vocations and Ordinands who will bring wisdom, energy, and imagination to the task before them.

You will work across a rich and varied landscape of church tradition, with a passion for widening participation and cultivating vocations that reflect the full diversity of our region. You’ll develop accelerated pathways for those with leadership potential and strengthen routes into ministry for underrepresented communities, including through the Elizabeth and Peter Streams.

This is a key strategic role – working closely with bishops, parish leaders, vocations advisers and ADDOs, theological institutions, and the Ministry Division – to resource and help shape the future of ordained and lay ministry across the diocese, enabling the vibrant, faithful, and hope-filled Church we long to see.

• Support candidates into appropriate formation pathways, ensuring formation is rooted in Scripture, open-hearted in spirit, and hopeful for the future of the Church.
• Facilitate a culture within the diocese where all our ministers are equipped to recognise, celebrate and nurture a wide variety of vocations to ministry.
• Supporting and advising those responsible for the selection and training of those presenting for Licensed Lay Ministry.
• Ensure that the vocations offer resources and adapts to our emerging strategy for the future of the Church of England in Birmingham, ensuring we have confident missional leaders for each and every context.
• Ensure effective transition and pastoral continuity for candidates as they move from discernment and IME1 into curacy (IME2), maintaining strong links between diocesan support, training pathways, and parish contexts.

• Actively engage with underrepresented groups to ensure leadership reflects the diversity of our region.

• Work closely with bishops, vocations advisers / ADDOs and the wider Ministry Team to ensure excellent candidate experience and discernment outcomes.
• Be a key part of our People Planning workstream, identifying how we identify, equip and deploy leadership for our worshipping communities.
• Liaise with theological training institutions, local training pathways and the Church of England Ministry Division to support candidates through to their transition to curacy.
• Ensure compliance with national discernment and formation processes, maintaining accurate candidate records and reporting to Ministry Division

• Provide spiritual and pastoral care for candidates, modelling a life of prayer and trust in the Holy Spirit.
• Foster a culture of ongoing formation, theological reflection, and Christlike leadership.
• Ensure discernment and formation processes are conducted in ways that promote safeguarding and candidate wellbeing.

Essential

• A deep personal faith rooted in Scripture, prayer and sacrament.
• Experience of developing innovative pathways for training or formation.
• Strong theological…