So the Vicar’s Leaving …
The good interregnum guide
Mike Alexander and Jeremy Martineau
With illustrations by ‘Ron’
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
1. Not just another Sunday morning
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
Related titles available from ACORA Publishing
Rural Ministry: A parish work book for lay ministry in the country church
Leslie J. Francis, Keith Littler, Jeremy Martineau
A practical training guide to aspects of worship, pastoral care and church management
0-95168-716-6 • 128pp • £10.00
Rural Visitors: A parish work book on relating to visitors and tourists
Leslie J. Francis, Jeremy Martineau
How to make your church an effective sign of the kingdom, even when it’s empty.
0-95407-660-5 • 128pp • £10.00
The Servant Church: Organising rural community care
Elfrida Savigear
A guide to good practice in church-based community care.
0-95186-713-1 • 32pp • £3.50
ACORA titles are available from the Canterbury Press
Find out more about these titles on our website:
www.scm.canterburypress.co.uk
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 not fit neatly in a box; it is a transitional period in a parish’s life. It is necessary to place it within a longer timespan, to examine the time leading up to the vicar leaving and the arrival of the new vicar and the ‘settling in’ period.
In this period between vicars there is a need to handle several matters:
how to keep parish life going
discussions over a replacement for the outgoing vicar
taking on