Love God, Serve People, Make Disciples
After 18 months in post as an Oversight Minister, I wanted to share some reflections. It’s a role that has prompted many questions - what is Oversight Ministry, and how is it different from being a parish priest?
These are my personal thoughts, not an official diocesan definition, but I hope they offer clarity and encouragement.
The best description I’ve come across was shared by the Archbishop of York in the Church Times (15 July 2022):
“All of us have a responsibility for ministry and mission in the Church, and I want us to be a Church where pastoral care is shared — and, indeed, ministry is shared — by everyone. The job of the priest . . . is not to do all the ministry but to make sure the ministry is done.”
Oversight Ministry is, in essence, an evolution of the traditional role of Rector. The title could remain the same, but the emphasis has shifted: my role is not to do all the ministry myself, but to ensure that ministry is happening—shared, supported, and sustained by many.
Over the past year, I’ve been part of the Diocese’s Oversight Ministry training (cohort three), which has been a space for honest conversations about the joys and challenges of moving from the “one priest, one parish” model to something more collaborative.
One of the biggest challenges has been explaining this shift—especially to those outside the church who assume the vicar still serves just one building! Standing in the gap between old and new models can feel uncomfortable, but it’s also a space of growth.
Instead of one leader, we now have many. I often describe myself as a Leader of Leaders. And what a joy it’s been to see so many of you stepping into leadership roles—Local Worship Leaders, Lay Pastoral Ministers, Churchwardens, and more. This isn’t just a new structure; it’s a renewed vision of mission and ministry for our time.
We may lament that the vicar no longer has time to do everything in the old ways—but we can rejoice that she now spends time enabling others to minister. There’s a cascade effect: the time invested in equipping leaders benefits the whole church, even if it’s not always visible that the Oversight Minister had a hand in it.
This is shared ministry in action. And it’s deeply biblical, deeply communal, and deeply hopeful.
One of our next goals in raising and equipping leaders is to increase the number of people who’ve completed the Diocese’s Foundations in Christian Ministry course. For the first time ever, it’s being held outside Truro—right here in St Stephen’s by Saltash, starting in January.
The course aims to:
If you’re interested, please speak to me - it may be many years before it’s offered locally again.
If you have questions about Oversight Ministry or the diocesan training, I’d love to chat. This journey has been full of learning, and I’m always glad to share it with you.
Together, we are shaping the church for today - and for tomorrow.
