Coordinator of Missional Renewal, Anglican Diocese of Edmonton

Job Title: Coordinator of Missional Renewal

Position Type: Full-Time (1.0 FTE), Term-Limited (2 years)

Reports to: Diocesan Executive Officer, in collaboration with the Archdeacon for Discipleship and Mission, Archdeacon for Rural Ministry, and Strategic Plan Animator

Salary: $70,000-85,000 commensurate with experience, plus pension and benefits.

Anticipated Start Date: July/August 2025 negotiable

Background:

From the very beginning of the Church, Christians have gathered together for worship, fellowship, and service to others. Local congregations are the foundation of all that we do as a diocesan family of churches. Yet, in our time, there are a variety of pressures that have come to bear upon parishes that make them more difficult to sustain according to the same models and modes we have been used to. This can lead to feelings of burden and burnout as we seek to maintain a system with changing volunteer and financial resources, as well as a loss of purpose and vision for mission and outreach. Investing in vital congregations is about providing direct accompaniment to help each local expression of our church discern and embrace the next faithful step on their ministry path, and to offer greater ongoing supports in administrative and operational aspects of parish life.

Position Summary:

This two-year role is designed to foster adaptive change and faithful imagination in parishes at various stages of vitality and transition. The Coordinator of Missional Renewal will lead and accompany parishes as they discern sustainable and purposeful futures. The Coordinator will work closely with congregational leadership to identify and implement their next faithful step from a menu of multiple pathways for ministry expression.

Key Responsibilities:

Discernment & Planning Support

• Facilitate parish-level discernment using adapted resources and frameworks provided by the diocese.
• Support parishes in evaluating their missional viability and engaging in “multiple futures” conversations.
• Help parishes consider and embrace options such as revitalization, shared ministry models, alternative space usage, or legacy planning and closure.
• Coordinate with the Executive Council and Episcope Circle to ensure aligned and strategic support.

Pastoral & Relational Leadership

• Build trust and offer compassionate leadership to parishes in transition.
• Engage in difficult conversations with empathy and clarity about endings, change, and the opportunity for new life.
• Work with clergy and lay leaders to offer pastoral and liturgical resources to support healthy transitions.

Collaboration & Communication

• Work closely with diocesan leaders to ensure integrated support.
• Share regular updates with the diocesan executive and synodical structures.
• Liaise with the Enterprise and Development Committee around physical space use and property issues.

Innovation & Capacity Building

• Promote and support models such as lay-led ministry, ecumenical partnerships, and regional teams.
• Encourage local leadership development and the stewardship of legacy gifts.

Qualifications Required:

• Proven ability to facilitate group discernment and lead difficult conversations.
• Strong understanding of Anglican ecclesiology, polity, theology of mission, and congregational development.
• Experience with strategic planning, conflict resolution, or transition ministry.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Familiarity with both rural and urban parish contexts.
• Demonstrated pastoral sensitivity and experience in walking with communities through change or grief.

Qualifications Preferred:

• Ordained or lay leader with theological training.
• Experience working with congregations in transition, decline, or closure.
• Background in mediation, coaching, or organizational development.
• Knowledge of liturgical and pastoral resources for transition and closure.
• Awareness of the context of the diocese of Edmonton.

Working Conditions:

• Travel throughout the diocese, including driving to rural and remote communities, will be required.
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends as parish needs dictate.
• Office space provided; hybrid/remote work possible depending on context.

Term & Review

• This is a two-year contract position, with performance reviewed annually.

To apply for this position, please send your CV and a cover letter to Sarah Kemp at [email protected]

Your cover letter should indicate your reasons for interest in this position and highlight your relevant experience.