Ministry Team Developments

Following an appointment process in December, the Reverend Jenny Bridgman has been appointed as Director of Ministry (0.6 FTE) with effect from 1^st January 2026. Jenny serves alongside the Reverend Canon Simon Chesters, who continues as Director of Ministry (0.4 FTE). This collaboration provides strong and sustainable leadership for the Ministry Team, and ensures effective staffing provision for this key area of diocesan life.

Bishop Mark writes:

“I am honoured and pleased that the Reverend Jenny Bridgman has accepted my offer to share the post of Director of Ministry with the Reverend Canon Simon Chesters. Jenny is a highly experienced and able priest who has served in a variety of contexts around this Diocese, and I look forward to working with her and Simon in this newly shaped role.”

Within this arrangement, Jenny holds lead responsibility for the Director of Ministry role, including strategic oversight, governance and coordination of the Ministry Team’s work. Alongside this, she continues to hold responsibility for diocesan oversight of Initial Ministerial Education Phase 2 and clergy transitions, ensuring that curate development and formation, and safeguarding assurance, remain robust and coherent.

Simon holds operational responsibility within the Director of Ministry role, with a particular focus on delivery, continuity and pastoral coherence across the team’s work. In addition, he will lead the diocese’s work around vocational discernment, ensuring consistent pastoral care and oversight for those exploring a call to ordained ministry, and maintaining strong links between discernment, formation and deployment.

At the heart of the Ministry Team’s work is a commitment to supporting the flourishing of ministry in all its forms. This includes encouraging and nurturing vocations to lay and ordained ministries, particularly among those who may feel overlooked, unseen or excluded, and working with parishes to help notice, name and support the gifts God has given.

Alongside this, the team remains focused on resourcing clergy and lay leaders for the realities of ministry today. This includes attention to formation, safeguarding, transition points and ongoing development, as well as a clear commitment to clergy wellbeing, recognising that healthy ministry is sustained through good support, clear systems and attentive pastoral care.

Jenny writes:

“I’m delighted to be stepping into the shared role of Director of Ministry. Together as a diocese, we will continue to work to grow vocations, resource ministry, and enable fresh, life-giving ways of being church, with the flourishing of all God’s people at its heart. I’m deeply thankful for Simon, the Ministry Team, and colleagues across the diocese, and excited by the collaborative ways of working emerging in this season of Epiphany, as Christ calls, equips, and sends God’s people in hope.”

As we enter a new season, the Ministry Team will continue to be available, accessible and engaged across the diocese. You are warmly encouraged to be in touch, to invite the team to visit, and to share where conversation, support or encouragement would be helpful. Whether around vocation, formation, wellbeing or the challenges and opportunities of ministry in a particular context, the team is committed to working alongside parishes and individuals with openness, care and hope. You can reach them on ministry@chester.anglican.org and read more about their work here.