chaplaincy,dioceses,finances,mission,missional,next generation,ordination,outreach,parish share,pcc,safeguarding,stipendiary,sunday school,survivors,young people,youth,youth group,youth work

Revd Canon Nick Rowan
Rector of Hawkwell
Area Dean of Rochford
Elected member of Bishops Council

Proposed by Venerable Dr Sue Lucas (Archdeacon of Southend)
Seconded by Revd Canon Louise Williams (Area Dean of Southend)

About Me
I am married to Nina, who is the SENCO (Special Needs Co-ordinator) in a local primary school. I have four
children aged 10-19. In my time off I enjoy listening to podcasts on history and politics, playing the piano and
watching sport (particularly Football, F1, Cricket and Tennis).
I have lived most of my life in the Diocese. I grew up in Colchester. Growing up my family were occasional
church goers. I attended Sunday School and the Family Service at St Johns which was at the end of my road.
I came to faith as a teenager in the youth group. I was confirmed and became more involved in the life of the
church, particularly in the worship group and Childrens and Youth Work. I studied Economics at Essex
University. After graduation I stayed on as an assistant in the Anglican Chaplaincy for a year working with
students. It was during this year that I first felt called to ordained ministry. I worked for a couple of years as a
Youth and Childrens worker in a church on a Portsmouth Council Estate. I trained for ordination at Trinity College
Bristol.

Why I am Standing for Election
I have served in parishes in the Bradwell Area for the last twenty years. For the last eight years I have enjoyed
being Area Dean of a Deanery which includes churches serving a large market town, growing small towns/
large villages and very rural churches. I have learnt so much from colleagues, churchwardens and other
church members about the challenges and opportunities the church faces in these different contexts, as we
seek to worship faithfully, share the faith, and serve our local communities.

For the last four years I have also served on Bishops Council. Through this I have also gained an
understanding of the financial, missional and governance challenges our Diocese is wrestling with.
If elected I believe I would be able to use these experiences to effectively speak for and represent the Clergy of
our Diocese on General Synod.

Key Issues
Finances
The key reason I am standing for election is that I feel called to join with those arguing that National Church
money should be redirected to Dioceses to pay for stipends. I believe this change is necessary in order for parish
ministry to remain sustainable.
At the moment most National Church money has to be bid for by each Diocese and is only awarded to projects
that meet criteria and objectives set by the National Church.
Many of us will serve in parishes with unsustainable parish share assessments. At the same time, I am sure
most of us would be opposed to further cuts in Stipendiary Clergy. Our Diocese needs more support from the
National Church to sustain and support parish ministry.
I also believe that the money that is currently designated for low income parishes should be distributed to support
all low income parishes in all Dioceses. At the moment this money is only distributed to the Dioceses that are
assessed as being least affluent. This means that there is no money for low income parishes in Diocese that

are assessed as being more affluent. There is a risk that Chelmsford could find itself in this position and lose
the support from the National Church that it is currently receiving.
Children and Young People
I have a particular passion for our churches work with children and young people. I have started and led Messy
churches in parishes where I have served. I also prioritise working with local schools, supporting RE lessons
and taking assemblies. Sharing the faith with the next generation should be one of our key priorities as a church.
I am encouraged by the work being done by the 30K project to grow the churches work with children and young
people. I believe more work needs to be done to share resources and encourage parishes in their nurture of,
and outreach to children, young people and families.

Safeguarding
I believe that it is vital that our safeguarding structures have the confidence of all in our parishes, and survivors
and outside agencies. Clear, credible, practical and well resourced safeguarding arrangements are vital for the
ongoing mission of the church. The next Synod will have a key role in taking forward work to put new structures
in place. These new structures must be clearly communicated, understandable to all, and appropriate for
parishes in all contexts.

Wellbeing
There has been a lot of talk about wellbeing in recent years but I am not convinced that the church has fully
sought to understand the underlying causes that lead to challenges to the wellbeing of clergy and lay officers.
Causes need to be properly understood and then solutions discerned and resourced.
Two examples amongst many.
Conversations with colleagues have led me to believe more work needs to be put into supporting clergy who are
taking on larger roles of responsibility and oversight. My experience as an Area Dean has also shown me that
more support needs to be offered to churchwardens and other church officers, particularly during vacancies.
Piling more responsiliblty and pressures on to these roles while assuming we can carry on as we always have is
not sustainable I don’t claim to have the answers but I feel called to join with those highlighting the issues and
beginning to seek solutions.

Closed Churches
In the rural parts of our Deanery we have experienced the closure of some churches which no longer had
worshipping congregations in the last few years. During the long closure process care of these buildings can
be an overwhelming responsibility for the successor PCC - in our cases also of a small rural church. After
closure the responsiliblty falls on the Diocese which has limited resources. Sadly, it is likely that there will be
more closing churches where there is no worshipping congregation in the years ahead. I am concerned that
there does not appear to be a national plan to support parishes and dioceses through this.

Governance
This is likely to be an area of focus for the next General Synod. Areas of apparent contradiction between the
requirements of the Charity Commission and Church Legislation and Guidance need to be resolved. Clear
guidance and support needs to be offered to PCC’s and Dioceses by the National Church.

Thank you for taking the time to read my address. If you have any questions to ask me on these or any other
issues please do contact me at [email protected]

I hope to be able to represent the Clergy of our Diocese and the needs of our Parishes on General Synod.
Please do vote for me and consider giving me your first or second preference vote.