The ministry team

Quick link: The members of the team

How the team was formed

The ministry team was formed and chosen in 2005 through a prayerful process of discernment, involving the whole congregation. To read more about this process, follow the link for the document prepared by the PCC in January 2005, entitled Development of ministry and leadership within the All Hallows Church community (2005). The team was to serve for three years.

In February 2008 the PCC decided to use a very similar process to appoint a new ministry team when the current team's term expires at Easter 2008. This time the team will serve for one year or until three months after a new priest starts work, whichever is the longer. To read more about this process, follow the link for the document prepared by the PCC in February 2008, entitled Development of ministry and leadership within the All Hallows Church community (2008).

The ministry team is responsible to the PCC.

Principles of leadership and ministry

Biblical foundations

We have been inspired by the following passage from Ephesians (Eph. 4.11—13,15—16), which we have sought to follow in forming the team:

The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ … speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

Moreover, our church leadership must be rooted in the Gospel model of servant leadership as outlined in Mark’s Gospel (Mark 10.42–45):

So Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognise as their leaders lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be the slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

Shared responsibility

Ministry and leadership are the responsibility of us all, in our different ways, not just of the parish priest. To have a recognised ministerial leadership team, in which members of the church work in a team alongside the priest in developing the church’s ministry and discipleship, is important for developing the life of the church and encouraging discipleship.

The role of the team

The team will look at worship, teaching, education, spiritual counselling, prayer, pastoral care and general congregational development. It will be involved in discussing and developing ideas and in ensuring ideas are put into action. This will involve meeting regularly, approximately twice a month.

Drawing upon the Ephesians passage, the team will seek to:

enable and encourage the discipleship of all the church members and the development of gifts (‘to equip the saints for the work of ministry’)
hold the vision of the church community and facilitate its being brought to life (‘building up the Body of Christ’)
model a supportive, challenging and accountable Christian fellowship (‘Speaking the truth in love’)

It is important to understand that the team is not supposed to undertake everything itself, but to have responsibility for the development of ministry in the church. Part of its role may be to call together sub-groups of people for short periods of time to look at specific aspects of our church life — to organise an event, or to take on a particular pastoral responsibility, for example — therefore encouraging participation in the ministry of the church.

The members of the team

Currently the team has nine members:

Alison Terrell anchoritealison@homecall.co.uk
Bernie Hegarty bh@berniehegarty.me.uk
David Randolph-Horn* davidhrh@ntlworld.com
Jan Betts* Jan@Spudling.demon.co.uk
Phil Gardner publ@allhallowsleeds.org.uk
Pam Connolly connolly.pamela@googlemail.com
Sarah Fishwick sarahfishwick@btinternet.com
Sheena McMain* sheena@mcmain.fsnet.co.uk
Steve Thackray steve.thackray@ntlworld.com