Pioneer Projects
There are a number of pioneer people and projects in the diocese and they are described below.
Sue Forrest-Redfern, Mission Support Priest
Sue is working in schools and churches in the East Bolton area. She is half time in this role. She is also a school chaplain at St Catherine’s Academy. She has begun ‘Awesome’, a Christian, all-age community meeting in the school and ‘Encounter’ which attracts pupils and teachers to an innovative worship experience.
Roger Reece, Mission Support Priest
Roger is working half time as a mission support priest in Ashton town centre based at the parish church. His role puts him out and about the shopkeepers, market and town-centre users. He is pioneering ways to share the good news in this context. His other ministry is as chaplain to the police.
Chris Fallone, Mission Support Priest
Collyhurst is a challenging area for Christian ministry with many social needs and Chris works full time to create opportunities for mission and Christian ministry in the area. He is active in community development and the local schools. He also has responsibility for the Church of the Saviour, Collyhurst.
Peter Horlock, Mission Support Priest
Pete is based at Holy Trinity Platt and has two half-time pioneer projects. One is a church plant called ?. He also works with Oasis to support Christian business workers in the city.
Paul Dever, Mission Support Priest
Paul is both team vicar at St Elizabeths, Horwich and young adults missioner for the Bolton Archdeaconry.
Jo Farnworth, Mission Support Priest
Jo is team vicar at St Martin’s, Droylsden and also young adults missioner for the Rochdale Archdeaconry, engaging with the 18-40 age group. This includes being a listening ear and giving advice, making presentations to PCCs, congregations, deanery chapters and synods about aspects of mission to young adults and also giving hands-on help to plan and set up new initiatives. In time, it may be that there are also opportunities to develop Fresh Expressions for young adults in different parts of the archdeaconry.
Rochdale Archdeaconry includes a wide range of parishes in terms of location and tradition and it is important that her work as a missioner reflects this. In particular, there is recognition that mission in this archdeaconry will need to have a broadly Catholic perspective. Across the archdeaconry the majority of young adults have children and so a significant element of her work is likely to include mission to families.
Jan Harney, Ordained Pioneer Minister
Jan was licensed in 2011 to the Astley team as an ordained pioneer minister. She has previously pioneered community based projects such as a community choir in Astley, ‘Take Time out’. She has recently graduated as a ‘social entrepreneur’.
10 minute video of the work of Mission Support priests (youtube).
