Lichfield St Michael with St Mary and Wall St John

• St Michael's Church; Lichfield 
• St John's Church, Wall

Training Incumbent
The Revd Abbie Walsh

Trained: The Queen's Foundation. Deaconed: 2018 Lichfield

I served my curacy in Wolverhampton having previously worked as a GP. I have been Assistant Rural Dean in Lichfield since 2022 and I am a Vocations Advisor, a member of the Diocesan 'Green Team' and a member of Diocesan Synod. I am passionate about transformative worship centred around the Eucharist, schools ministry, our Christian calling to care for the Earth and bringing a sense of joy and humour to ministry. My leadership style is collaborative and informal and I believe that any challenge should be matched with support. I deeply care about the wellbeing of those I work with and would encourage a curate to take the rest they need as well as giving them space to pursue their own passions and callings. I have loved ministering in Lichfield with these communities and I firmly believe it would be a loving, uplifting, enriching and varied learning opportunity.

TI/parish stance on LLF

We would be looking to use the Prayers of Love and Faith as part of our ministry here at Lichfield St Michael with St Mary and Wall St John.

The context

A curacy at St Michael's and St John's would offer a varied experience of two contrasting parish contexts - rural and suburban; with lots to do and get involved in.

We have diverse worship, centred around the Eucharist and supported by our junior and senior choirs, organ and music group, and we have a busy calendar of social events and lots of weddings, baptisms and funerals. You would have plenty of opportunities to preach and to plan and lead worship, but a large ministry team means you wouldn't be overburdened with rota commitments. The team will be great to learn from - they are kind; supportive and all have unique styles and interests!

We are a community that believes in making the love of God known to the people in our parishes and we work hard to serve the community. We have family film clubs in the holidays with free lunches, services in nursing homes, a homework club for vulnerable children and offer free churchyard nature days among many other activities. The congregations and PCCs are engaged and supportive and we have good relationships with the local community. The congregations are genuinely welcoming and bring cake to everything. We hope you would enjoy being part of all that! You would have experience of working with a wonderful church school and the opportunity to get involved with our children's work including Messy Church and junior choir.

We have several other schools in the parish and would love to develop our relationships with them. There are loads of opportunities for ministry to adults and older people as well including fellowship afternoons and an active pastoral visiting team.

Our current building project and our open graveyards would give you a chance to get to grips with the legalities and pastoral complexities of churchyards, faculties etc. while being fully supported with this. Whilst learning the rhythm of life as a priest and developing confidence in leading services, occasional offices and caring pastorally for our community, you would also have the freedom to develop your own interests in ministry. We would love a curate to bring their own ideas and passions so that we can learn from each other.

We have significant challenges ahead in growing our congregations, finding ways to serve our community and seek justice in the world and in reaching out to those who do not yet know Jesus and we hope that we could work together on this.

Mission statistics (2023)