Full-Time Minister
Incumbent of St Paul’s Seacombe and St Luke’s Poulton, and Priest-in-Charge of St Mary’s Liscard
We are seeking a priest to minister to these urban parishes of central to evangelical church tradition. This an immensely interesting and challenging missional assignment. Some of the communities in this area are among the most deprived in the diocese. At the same time, part of the area is being rapidly transformed by the major Wirral Waters development, bringing new populations and economic change on a large scale. The congregations are faithful and committed to making a real difference to the communities they serve. If you are up for a wide-ranging and rewarding missional challenge, this post could be for you.
We are seeking a priest who:
* Enjoys leading different styles of worship and relates well to all age groups.
* Provides confident, compassionate and dynamic leadership to all three churches, to enable growth in numbers and faith.
* Will be a good pastoral vicar who is responsive to the needs of all three churches and their communities.
* Will encourage our congregations to live out their faith in daily life, Monday to Saturday and not just on a Sunday.
* Will foster a strong safeguarding culture in the parishe
Closing date for applications: 18 January 2026
Interviews: 24 February 2026
Prospective applicants are welcome to discuss this post with:
The Archdeacon of Chester, the Ven Dr Michael Gilbertson
Tel: 01928 643441
Safeguarding
* The Diocese of Chester is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
* An Enhanced DBS Disclosure will be required for the successful candidate.
* Applicants are required to submit relevant training certificates with their applications. They will not be shortlisted unless they can provide an assurance of up-to-date safeguarding training and a valid DBS check for their current post.
Diversity
* We will particularly welcome applications from underrepresented groups.
About us:
The Diocese of Chester is in the province of York in the Church of England, part of the global Anglican Communion. For more information about our life, ministry and work please visit our website We are linked with the Anglican Church of Melanesia in the Solomon Islands and the Dioceses of Aru and Boga in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Diocese covers an area of 1025 square miles, approximately the old Victorian County of Chester, including parts which subsequently became absorbed into Merseyside and Greater Manchester. The Rivers Mersey and Tame approximately delineate the boundary with Liverpool and Manchester. There are areas of dense urban population, mainly in the north, stretching from Birkenhead to East Manchester. There are prosperous suburban regions of West and South Wirral, Chester and south of Manchester, with a mainly rural heartland, bounded by the Derbyshire Pennines and the Welsh Border. The overall population is around million.
The Diocesan Bishop is Mark Tanner, Bishop of Birkenhead Julie Conalty and the Bishop of Stockport is Samuel Corley.
The Cathedral for the Diocese is in Chester.
The Diocese is divided into two archdeaconries:
Chester covering the western half and Macclesfield the eastern, each with nine deaneries. There are 273 parishes, about 100 of which can be described as rural. Compared with many dioceses, there are few teams, and few multi-parish benefices. There are approximately 231 stipendiary clergy. The ministry of Readers and Pastoral Workers is important, with over 400 licensed. The role of self-supporting ministers is increasing, with over 80 in post at present.
Roughly speaking, the Archdeaconry of Macclesfield covers that part of the diocese to the east of the M6, plus the area around Crewe and Nantwich. The Archdeaconry of Chester covers the rest of the diocese to the west of the M6. Each archdeaconry has a broad mix of urban and rural parishes. The Archdeacon of Chester lives in Chester, and the Archdeacon of Macclesfield lives in Congleton. Both now work from Church House, Daresbury.