Rector for the Benefice of Somersham, Pidley, Woodhurst and Old Hurst

Rector for the Benefice of Somersham, Pidley, Woodhurst and Old Hurst Rector for the Benefice of Somersham, Pidley, Woodhurst & Old Hurst,St Ives, Cambridgeshire. A rural community with roots planted in hospitality and servanthood.Serving God by serving others.

The role of Rector of the benefice of Somersham, Pidley, Woodhurst and Old Hurst is an opportunity to lead 4 rural churches with a desire to grow. Building on faithful ministry, you will work with a team of loyal and resourceful paid and volunteer staff. You will find villages that value the role of the church and actively work alongside church members.

What are we good at? Safeguarding

• we have a reliable and approachable Safeguarding Officer for the whole Benefice
• we have a strong ranking on the Diocesan Safeguarding Dashboard

Hospitality

• All churches provide refreshments alongside main services.
• We hold many events which welcome and partner with our local community.

Worship/Study

• There is a regular pattern of services held in each church in the Benefice supported by our ministry team as well as local, retired clergy.
• There are well-attended special services at Christmas, Easter, Harvest and Remembrance Sunday.
• We hold several special services including a remembering service, crib service, Easter dawn outdoor service and services for the local schools.
• There is a benefice-wide home group that meets fortnightly on Tuesday Evenings.

Children's Ministry

• We have a funded part-time children's worker
• Ecumenical Open the Book teams visit the primary school every six weeks
• An explorers' group which meets weekly in the primary school
• Holiday clubs for about 30 children are organised to coincide with school holidays.
• A thriving Toddlers' group (Little Acorns) operates weekly during term time.
• A well-attended messy church service is held monthly
• We work with our local Baptist church to deliver a youth club for older children

People

• We have an enthusiastic ministry team of LLMs, Authorised Ministers and committed churchwardens
• We have a pool of willing volunteers

Where we need your help:

• We need to do more to attract younger worshippers.
• Our church buildings are beautiful but costly and time consuming to maintain. We need help to reimagine sustainability.
• We need a sharper focus on net zero carbon goals and to think of practical ways in which this objective can be achieved.

We seek a priest, who is:

• a pastoral leader, able to communicate sensitively and effectively with all ages
• a visible presence in all four villages in the Benefice, embracing the life of our communities and be responsive in times of need
• Enthusiastic - with the vision, inspiration and new ideas to guide us in growing our faith, helping us develop our outreach in the Benefice.
• Experienced - with the leadership skills and confidence to empower, support and manage volunteers and paid workers to use their talents, enthusiasm and skills for God's work in the life of our churches and communities
• Able to make teaching about our faith accessible and meaningful to all
• Happy to develop a variety of worship styles and music to suit the diverse needs of our existing and new congregation across the benefice
• Inclusive, outgoing, cheerful and hopeful.

Our diocese and deanery offers:

• friendly supportive chapter colleagues
• well funded CMD and support for clergy and their families
• Informal enquiries Ven Richard Harlow, Archdeacon of Huntingdon & Wisbech, Telephone

Safer Recruitment in the Diocese of Ely

The Diocese of Ely is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees to undertake safeguarding checks and training relevant to their role and to adhere to theChurch of England's safeguarding policies and procedures . Therefore, this position is subject to an enhanced disclosure from the DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service).

Our Diocese

The Diocese of Ely stretches from Cambridge to Peterborough and out towards the coastal areas of West Norfolk. It houses 3/4 million people, which will rise to 1 million in the next 15 years.

This area buzzes with energy from the academic, business and medical excellence of Cambridge University to the rich agricultural areas of Huntingdon, Fenland and Norfolk.

Despite the presence of a world leading university, Cambridgeshire is not all affluent. Towns and cities have pockets of poverty and low attainment. Rural areas can be isolated and vulnerable. The churches are strong in some places, but there is work to be done.

The Diocese of Ely is a good place to live and work: stable finances, good housing, inclusive and warm hearted senior colleagues, coupled with a rich diversity of benefices in all traditions make this a place that clergy stay once they have discovered us. We have over 110 incumbent status clergy, with a strong Diocesan team, and a real emphasis on lay development and training. We have no plans to reduce clergy numbers.

The Diocesan Bishop has moved on, but the diocese remains on a steady course, as it seeks our next Diocesan. Our Mission Strategy, Ely 2025, devolves much decision making to the parishes, benefices and deaneries, so that clergy are able to innovate, take risks and build alliances for the sake of the Kingdom of God and the good of our communities. We welcome applications from clergy who are prepared to work collaboratively and faithfully. We will enable you to flourish and grow in ministry, whilst maintaining a sensible work life balance.

A Diverse and Inclusive Workforce

The Diocese of Ely is committed to creating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workforce which represents our context and wider community. We are aware that those of Global Majority Heritage/United Kingdom Minority Ethnic (GMH/UKME), women, and disabled people are currently under-represented among our clergy and workforce, and we particularly encourage applications from those with the relevant skills and experience that will increase this representation.

First published on: 1st September 2025