So the Vicar is Leaving: The Good Interregnum Guide

By Mike Alexander

An essential handbook for churchwardens, PCC's and all with responsibility during this crucial time in the life of a church. This comprehensive guide offers practical advice on preparing for an interregnum, arranging for continuing worship and pastoral care, keeping church administration going, meeting legal responsibilities, finding a new priest a

• Language: English
• Publisher: Canterbury Press
• Release date: Jan 26, 2013
• ISBN: 9781848254329

Book preview

So the Vicar's Leaving

So the Vicar’s Leaving …

The good interregnum guide

Mike Alexander and Jeremy Martineau

With illustrations by ‘Ron’

Canterbury%20logo.gif

in association with Acora Publishing

First published in 1998

Reprinted 1999 by ACORA Publishing

Arthur Rank Centre, Stoneleigh Park

Warwickshire CV8 2LZ

All parts reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

Revised edition published in 2002 in association with Acora Publishing by the Canterbury Press Norwich (a publishing imprint of Hymns Ancient & Modern Limited, a registered charity)

St Mary’s Works, St Mary’s Plain

Norwich, Norfolk NR3 3BH

www.scm-canterburypress.co.uk

Third impression 2008

The authors assert their moral rights under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, to be identified as the Authors of this Work

British Library Cataloguing in Publication data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

© Mike Alexander and Jeremy Martineau, 1998, 2002

Cartoons by Ron 2002

Cover design by Leigh Hurlock

ISBN 978 1 85311 505 9

Typeset by Regent Typesetting, London

Printed by Creative Print and Design, Wales

Contents

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Introduction

1. Not just another Sunday morning

2. It’s never too early

3. Accentuate the positive

4. Saying goodbye

5. Working with others

6. Worship and pastoral care

7. Practical arrangements

8. Finding a new vicar

9. Saying hello

Appendix: Resources and Further Reading

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to diocesan secretaries, bishops and others for providing appropriate material from their dioceses. We are indebted to the Revd Ian Hardaker for many of the ideas in the section on interviewing the prospective vicar. We also record our thanks to churchwardens, area/rural deans, clergy, diocesan secretaries, archdeacons and bishops who read an early draft of the report and offered comments. Finally we acknowledge our indebtedness to ‘Ron’, the Church Times cartoonist, for his humorous illustrations.

Note on the second edition

For this second edition, we have incorporated a few improvements and made alterations in the light of changed circumstances.

Foreword

The prospect that there will be a few months without a vicar creates mixed feelings in many parishes. Tears, whether of sorrow or relief, are often replaced by anxiety, even blind panic, about all the things there are to do. The problem sometimes is finding out what needs to be done and who should do it.

That’s where this book is so valuable. It is full of common sense, humour and clarity – a reliable guide at what can be an uncertain time. And it shows us how spirtually creative the interregnum can be. I am delighted to welcome this new edition and hope that it will continue to be widely used.

† Graham James

Bishop of Norwich

April 2002

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Introduction

In this book, we explore a range of issues related to what the Church still refers to as an interregnum (‘between reigns’), although some prefer the term vacancy. Both terms are misleading as lay people take on more responsibility in today’s church and collaborative or shared approaches to ministry become more common. Throughout this book we shall attempt to avoid both these terms and talk about the time when the parish is without a vicar. We shall also use the term ‘vicar’ to include ‘rector’ and in preference to the more formal ‘incumbent’.

When the vicar leaves, no matter how well the parish is organised there will be a need for clear planning. The main focus will be on the period when there is no vicar – how to cope and how to flourish. However, this period does