Secretary for Theology and Theological Adviser to the House of Bishops
Post Introduction
The National Church Institutions comprises a wide variety of teams, professions and functions that support the mission and ministries of the Church of England in its vision to be a church, centred on Jesus Christ, for the whole nation - a church that is simpler, humbler, bolder.
We Include. You Belong.
Our Belonging and Inclusion Strategy aims for everyone in the National Church Institutions (NCIs) to feel that they belong, and are valued for who they are and what they contribute. Together, our people contribute in different ways towards our common purpose, whichever NCI they work in and whatever their background.
Living out our values in all that we do, we:
- Strive for Excellence
- Show Compassion
- Respect others
- Collaborate
- Act with Integrity
We believe our commitment to belonging and inclusion fuels our progress and drives us forward. The NCIs are a safe, inclusive workplace for people of all backgrounds and walks of life. We welcome applications from people of all faiths and of no faith. We want to encourage applications from a diverse group of people who share our values. Even if you have never thought about working for us before, if you have the skills and experience we’re looking for then we would like to hear from you.
About the Department
The Theology team is part of Faith and Public Life which leads the church’s national work on ethics, public policy and relationships beyond the Church of England, including with government and Parliament, civil society, other Christian churches and other faiths. The Theology team works alongside the Parliamentary and Public Policy teams, teams covering Anglican Communion affairs, Ecumenical relations and Inter-religious affairs, and a number of project teams working on issues as diverse disability and social impact investment. There is a strong collaborative working culture across the whole team.
What you'll be doing
The purpose of this role is to lead the support of a major national advisory committee, to provide high-level theological advice to the national Church, to lead and manage the Theology staff team as well as contributing to other areas of the work of FPL and other national teams. You will work collaboratively, often being the first point of contact for bishops and other stakeholders seeking theological wisdom, but drawing in the theological expertise of other staff, committee members and wider supporters. As an officer of the national church, you will be alert to the range of theological traditions within Anglicanism, able to build trust across that spectrum, and represent the breadth of Anglican theology accurately and fairly in your advice, writing and speaking.
Main duties and responsibilities
- To be the lead official supporting the Faith and Order Commission (FAOC), which exists ‘to act as a theological and ecclesiological resource for the Church of England.’
- To work closely with the National Ecumenical Adviser, and the Council for Christian Unity, particularly on theological aspects of ecumenism, with the Liturgical Commission, and with other staff who contribute theologically to the National Church Institutions’ work.
- As Theological Adviser to the House of Bishops, to be responsible for providing high level theological advice to the House of Bishops.
- As Secretary for Theology, to provide high level theological advice and facilitation to relevant national Church projects and initiatives. Currently, a major responsibility here includes providing theological advice, drafting theological and pastoral material for the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) project and ensuring good communication between FAOC and the LLF implementation steering group.
Job Summary
The House of Bishops
- Acting as Theological Adviser to the House of Bishops, drawing groups of experts to work on projects, drafting and editing briefing papers and documents for the House and servicing and contributing to groups and projects of the House as required.
- Attending meetings of the House and College of Bishops, identifying areas needing further theological work and working with the chair of FAOC to address these.
Secretary for Theology
- Acting as Secretary of the Faith and Order Commission and its Episcopal Reference Group, ensuring its meetings are properly prepared, its priorities are aligned with those of the Church of England and its activities are progressed.
- Supporting and contributing to project groups of FAOC as required, including drafting and editing theological texts in the name of the Commission.
- Assisting the Chair and other members when business comes from FAOC to the House of Bishops or the General Synod and providing support for theological work delegated to the Commission by the House of Bishops and other Church groupings.
Living in Love and Faith
- Acting as the principal source of theological advice, drawing on the work of FAOC, for the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) project, including drafting theological and pastoral material for advice and for publication.
- Working with the rest of the LLF team, in support of the chair(s), to ensure progress and conclusion of the LLF project.
Theological Adviser
- Assisting with other theological support for national Church policy initiatives as required e.g. theological support for the Emerging Church workstreams, work with the National Safeguarding Team on theological approaches to safeguarding, theological oversight of the national online services – harnessing the resources of the Faith and Order Commission as appropriate.
- Working collaboratively with other members of the FPL team to contribute to the theological resourcing of their work and to draw upon their theological expertise where it can be of wider application.
- Maintaining a high level of engagement with theological study and developments, including active participation in national and international theological networks and maintaining your own writing and publishing at a professional standard recognised by peers.
- Providing theological support for national level ecumenical work as appropriate, working with colleagues to ensure that secretarial support for national ecumenical dialogues is in place. Liaising with the National Ecumenical Adviser and attending CCU meetings. Contributing to ecumenical projects of a highly theological nature as required.
Senior Management Duties
- Leading and managing the staff of the Theology and Liturgy sub-team within Faith and Public Life.
- As a member of the Faith and Public Life team, working with the Director and other team members to contribute to the theological content of the whole team’s work.
All staff working at Lambeth Palace share responsibility to promote and maintain a strong safeguarding culture with regard to children and vulnerable adults, including identifying the key actions they should take given their role and responsibilities.
About You
The Church of England is for everyone and we want to reflect the diversity of the community the Church serves across the whole country. Therefore, while of course we welcome all applications from interested and suitably experienced people, we would particularly welcome applicants from UK Minoritised Ethnicities (UKME)/Global Majority Heritage (GMH) and other under-represented groups.
Essential
Skills/Aptitudes:
- Proven ability to think and write clearly, analytically, strategically and creatively on complex issues, in different registers and for different audiences.
- Well-developed interpersonal skills and oral presentational ability, as evidenced by previous experience in representation and negotiation.
- Practical, demonstrable experience of successfully leading, motivating, and supporting a small team, along with the ability to prioritise workloads.
- Demonstrable ability to be part of and contribute to a wider team, including fellow theologians, and to work collegially.
- Flexibility to deal with a wide range of different requirements on different timescales, for different stakeholders.
- Ability to foster creative theological thinking and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders.
Knowledge/Experience:
- Broad and deep knowledge of Anglican theology and ecclesiology which will be recognised as carrying authority in church and academic circles. This will normally be evidenced by a doctoral degree or equivalent in theology or an area related to theology.
- Familiarity with recent developments of thought in doctrine, biblical studies, pastoral theology and ethics.
Personal Attributes:
- A communicant member of the Church of England – this post is subject to an occupational requirement that the holder be a communicant Anglican under Part 1 of Schedule 9 to the Equality Act 2010.
- A strong commitment to professional neutrality, and willingness to provide behind-the-scenes theological and policy inputs to member groups expressing a range of views.
- Integrity and courage in maintaining a commitment to theological truth in conflictual or pressured environments.
- Willingness to work across Church departments and institutions to provide theological and policy support.
Circumstances:
In normal circumstances, the job is based in Central London and requires regular and frequent physical presence at Church House and Lambeth Palace, though with the willingness to be away from home overnight at times, including some weekends. Working from home, and from other locations, where possible and desired, can be part of a flexible arrangement, although team membership and leadership require a regular face to face presence.
Desirable
Skills/Aptitudes:
- Experience of, and involvement in, theological education and training.
- IT skills, especially in Word, Excel, Adobe, and using IT for research purposes.
- Evidence of publication in theology.
Knowledge/Experience:
- Writing and/or editing theological publications.
- A good understanding of national church governance and structures
- Experience of managing a tight budget to maximise effectiveness.
What we offer
Our benefits include:
- A salary of £66,186 plus age-related pension contributions between 8-15% of salary. We will also match any pension contributions you make up to an additional 3% of salary.
- 30 days annual leave plus three additional days
- Flexible working hours and location, with an expectation of just 1-2 days per week in our office in Westminster
- Structured induction programme and access to a range of development opportunities including apprenticeships
- Access to Occupational Health, and an Employee Assistance Programme
- Opportunity to the Civil Service Sports & Social Club, and get involved in a range of staff networks, groups and societies
We try to be as flexible as we can in your work pattern to support you with other commitments, and to give a good work-life balance.
The closing date for applications is Thursday 23 May 2024.
Interviews will be held on Friday 14 June 2024.
