The parishes of the Burnhams lie in some of the most glorious and most visited area of outstanding natural beauty on the north Norfolk coast.

The Benefice, together with the Bishop of Norwich and Prayer Book Society, seeks a Priest-in Charge with a heart for enabling visitors and those resident in the benefice for part of the year to experience the joy of worship and come to faith, as well as caring for the current congregations and permanent population.

The benefice has a resident population of 1,152 according to the 2021 census, but its missional needs are considerable, as this number is swelled by a regular influx of people who spend part of the year in Norfolk. The potential for welcoming these groups is great but requires an intentional approach to ministry to them.

This post has been made possible due to generous sponsorship funding from the Prayer Book Society. The funding is for five years and the Diocesan Notes set out some indicative ways forward beyond that point.

They seek a Priest-in-Charge who will

• Lead the benefice spiritually and pastorally, helping us towards a better understanding of the nature of God
• Inspire us with enthusiasm and be a visible presence in the community
• Embrace the opportunity for mission through working with our local schools, supporting the community in times of need and celebration, balancing the needs of permanent and transient visitor Nelson connections explore developing St Mary’s, Burnham Westgate into a community space
• Be comfortable with a variety of liturgy, including the Book of Common Prayer
• Train and equip lay people to lead Services of the Word according to both the Book of Common Prayer and Common Worship
• Share this training and resources with parishes locally, across the deanery and coastal and other parishes with high visitor and part time residents
• Develop renewed outreach to those who have drifted away from church or are encountering church for the first time using the seasons of the liturgical and agricultural year

Key characteristics of post-holder

• An ordained priest within the Church of England, or a Church in communion with it
• Committed to the creative use of excellence in worship according to the liturgies of the Church of England as a tool for mission
• Competent to assess ministry undertaken and to change in order to further the mission of the church and the requirements of the role
• Both a team leader and team player
• An engaging teacher and enabler of others, both in equipping the leading of worship, preaching and other teaching
• Passionate about the Book of Common Prayer’s role in growing the worshipping life of the church
• Confident in the value of music within liturgy and able to ensure that this flourishes