The church is currently "In Vacancy" after the retirement of Rev Janet Buchan in September 2025. Our thanks go to Rev Janet for the 11 Years of Service she chose to spend as Incumbent of St Paul's and thank her for the dedication she showed in seeing us through the COVID19 epidemic, and the changes to the church building and in our understanding of the Gospel.
The church in vacancy - what does it mean for us?
- During the vacancy the church and its services will continue to run as normally as possible.
- We will have visiting priests who will take our Sunday services and services like Night Prayer, Morning Prayer, Messy Church and Godly Play will continue.
- The churchwardens, Gwen and Lynda, take on extra responsibilities during the vacancy. Pease continue to pray for them during this proces.
Keeping the wardens, the PCC members and the application process in your prayers would be a great help at this time!
What happens next?
The next steps include:
- Clergy looking for a new role will review the parish profile to see if we are the type of parish they could see themselves in.
- We may end up with more visitors during this period
- After the closing date, the Bishop, Archdeacon, and Area Dean will consider the applicants and draw up a shortlist
- We will then interview and appoint. We have 2 representatives on the interview panel alongside the Diocisan representatives
When a new Vicar is appointed to post, there will be some time before they can join us. We will let you know through Sunday notices where we are at in the process.
How do I find out more about the process?
Our churchwarden Gwen remains available to discuss the process at the end of the Sunday service. Just ask!
I may be interested in the role - how do I find out more?
If you are ordained in the Church of England and are currently searching for your next role - we follow the standard Church of England process for appointing a new Incumbent. The role is advertised in the Church Times and on the Chelmsford Diocicanal website, and the process follows in the 'normal' way.
The role is active, the profile is available, and a closing date of the 25 May 2026 has been set.