Who we are and what we do


The Network for Ministry Development (NMD) is the people and programmes looking after a wide variety of educational and formational needs for the Diocese of York.

The work of the NMD includes:

• Continuing Ministerial Education for Clergy
• CME 1-4 for those in curacies
• Initial Training for Readers
• Continuing Ministerial Education for Readers
• The Programme for Lay Education and Ministry (ProLEM)
• Courses for discipleship under Foundations of Faith
• Courses for ministry under Equipping God’s People
• The Personal Review of Ministry for Clergy

The people involved are:

Elaine Bielby: Priest in Charge of Welton with Melton and East Riding Archdeaconry CME Officer

Phil White: Priest in Charge of St. James with Holy Trinity Scarborough and East Riding Archdeaconry CME Officer

Rachel Hirst: Training and Parish Development Adviser in York Archdeaconry

Anne Heading: Vicar of Ingleby Greenhow and Cleveland Archdeaconry Parish Development Officer

Robert Wivell: Diocesan Co-ordinator for the Personal Review of Ministry

Details of how to contact any of us can be found at the back of this handbook, and on the NMD web site.


The NMD exists to assist clergy and lay people in continuing their personal and professional development in ministry. This is done under three main headings:

• Continuing Theological Education
• Continuing Spiritual Formation
• Pastoral Theology and Skills

We also look to provide initial education and formation for some forms of lay ministry through the Programme for Lay Education and Ministry (ProLEM).

These aims are addressed in a number of ways.

• By working together with clergy and lay people to find the most appropriate ways of meeting their CME needs;

• By putting on CME events in the Archdeaconries and in the Diocese;

• By putting people in touch with events taking place regionally or nationally

• By providing some funding to enable people to take part in courses, conferences and sabbaticals;

• By providing Diocesan Courses for adult Lay Education and Lay Minstry.

Working together with people to find the most appropriate ways of meeting their CME needs means giving time to individuals (and where appropriate, groups) to discern those needs and to find the best ways of meeting them. This is primarily a consultancy role. (From time to time this consultancy model of working will lead to events being put on in the Archdeaconries to meet an expressed need. Events of a more general nature may also be put on to meet the general aims of CME in the Diocese.)

It may also be appropriate to suggest that CME needs might be met through regional or national events, and that the CME Officers often have information about them, and there is a range of information available on the NMD web site.

More formal courses, sometimes leading to a further or higher degree, and conferences run by many organisations within and outside the Church, may also be appropriate ways of meeting CME needs. The CME Officers are happy to help with information and guidance in these areas. They may also be able to help with funding.


Some Methodist Resources

Our Covenant Partners – The Methodist Church, York and Hull District

Training and Development Officer: Ms Viv Morrissey 0113 268 7267 vivmorrissey@btconnect.com The Training and Development Officer works alongside District groups and volunteers to develop the mission and ministry of the church through adult lay education and training for specific roles. The remit includes Children’s and Youth work and Safeguarding.

Local Preachers: responsibility for initial and continuing training is with the Circuit Local Preachers’ meetings. The District Local Preacher’s Secretary, Gordon Peacock, supports and encourages the work and shares good practice. Tel 01904 425598 pavo@alva91.fsnet.co.uk. District Local Preacher Tutor Mrs Judith Edwards 01482 634193. Her role is to advise and support the Local Preacher Tutors in the District.

Continuing Development in Ministry(CME): District events are the responsibility of a group chaired by the District Chair Revd Stephen Burgess. The role of group Secretary is vacant at the time of going to print. Enquiries to Training and Development Officer.


The York Institute for Community Theology
York Institute for Community Theology is a Methodist theological institution and resource centre based at York St John College. It seeks to serve and enable the ministry and mission of the whole Church. The Institute contributes teaching to York St John academic programmes and offers in its own right vocational exploration and pre-ordination training for the Methodist Church. The Institute offers occasional study and resource days aimed at supporting both lay and ordained ministries within the wider Church. In partnership with the Centre for School Education the Institute has developed the ‘Working Together’ series.

Contact Details:
Address: York Institute for Community Theology, York St John College, Lord Mayor’s Walk, York, YO31 7EX

Director: Revd Richard Andrew Secretary: Mrs Suzanne Parkes
Tel. (01904) 716518 Tel. (01904) 716430
E-mail: r.andrew@yorksj.ac.uk
E-mail: s.parkes@yorksj.ac.uk

CLAY: Resources for Training

A new ecumenical resource for education and training across Yorkshire.
CLAY An inter-denominational group of Training Officers representing Anglican, Methodist, URC, Roman Catholic, Baptist and Salvation Army Churches are now producing, twice yearly, a joint leaflet of learning opportunities taking place in the Yorkshire region. “Christians Learning Across Yorkshire” is a menu of events open to ecumenical participation, at a variety of venues. Examples from the present edition are as diverse as a Powerpoint for Your Church , Spirituality and Music, Editing Parish Magazines, and Green Theology. York and Hull District is now part of the group and future editions will hopefully carry news of some events in this part of the area.

Details from Viv Morrissey, the Training and Development Officer for our partners in the York & Hull Methodist District, on 0113 268 7267.
vivmorrissey@btconnect.com

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