Time allowance: 0.4FTE (with potential to increase in future if funding and circumstances allow) with a working pattern to be agreed with the successful candidate.

Local Formation Lead role:
This role sits within the St Hild Centre for Baptist Ministry, and is a collaborative initiative with three of our local Baptist Associations.

The Local Formation Lead (LFL) will coordinate a broad, formational ecosystem of learning opportunities — from entry-level local leader development through to RLM, and onward into further formation and accredited ministry pathways where appropriate. The post is designed to increase the number of trained and equipped leaders across the partnership's ~370 churches across 14 counties, fostering a habit of ongoing theological learning, spiritual formation, and ministry practice.

A key aspect of the role will be to develop a curriculum/programme suited to local leaders and those pursuing RLM, while helping to identify further formation opportunities, including Continuing Ministerial Development (CMD) training. Some of those already providing local leader training in the UK are willing to share their resources and programmes with others, so that complete reinvention should be unnecessary. The LFL will be expected to network and liaise with equivalent LFLs in other parts of the country, facilitated by BUGB Ministries Team. 

3Local leader training is intended to provide accessible, formational development for a wide range of people serving in local Baptist contexts. Within this broader provision, the RLM pathway is a defined route for those whose calling and ministry are being tested and developed towards Recognised Local Ministry. The pathway normally includes four interconnected elements usually undertaken over a two-year period: completion of a foundational theological curriculum; participation in a spiritual formation group; accompaniment by an appropriate mentor; and ministry practice in a Baptist church or in local missional work linked to a Baptist church or Association. The LFL will coordinate these elements across the partnership, working with St Hild College, the Associations, tutors, mentors and local churches. The LFL will not itself determine whether a person is commended for RLM; this remains subject to the relevant Association’s processes, including consideration by the appropriate Ministerial Recognition Committee.

You can read more about RLM here.

The LFL will not typically deliver training directly, but will instead build and coordinate a network of trainers, mentors, and practitioners drawn from the College and the three Associations, ensuring consistency, quality, and relational depth across the region.  However, there is scope for LFL to deliver training personally, where appropriate to their expertise and agreed workload.

Scope of role:
The LFL will serve the three partner Associations on an equitable basis, while recognising that the Associations differ in size and in the maturity of their existing local leader and RLM training provision. The role will therefore give proportionate attention to each context according to need, while working towards a single, coherent regional programme delivered collaboratively across the partnership. The intention is that provision will be aligned across all three Associations rather than developed as separate local programmes. The LFL will work alongside Association staff (without line-management authority), and is invited to draw on their knowledge, relationships and existing resources, as part of the partnership agreement.

The LFL will coordinate and enable provision delivered through the partnership and its wider network. The post-holder will not normally be expected to deliver all teaching, provide all mentoring or spiritual formation, manage Association staff, develop all curriculum materials, or administer every aspect of learner support and programme delivery personally. These responsibilities will be shared with St Hild College, the partner Associations, tutors, mentors, practitioners and other appropriately appointed people.

We anticipate that the role will develop progressively over the three-year period, with initial emphasis on establishing partnerships, mapping existing provision and building delivery capacity, followed by the expansion and evaluation of the regional training and formation programme.
The post is initially scoped at two to three days per week, depending upon the candidate. The priorities and workload will be reviewed after the first year in light of geographical reach, 

4learner numbers, delivery capacity and partnership expectations. Any expansion of the role will be subject to agreed additional funding from our partners, and a revised role description.

We are open to applicants from diverse academic and missional/ministerial backgrounds. We are keen to increase the diversity of our staff team and encourage applicants who will encourage and challenge us to work out our calling to be a broad and welcoming Christian community.