The Formation Team

Who are we?

We are a team of people whose vocation is to discern, train, resource and equip confident lay and ordained ministry within the Anglican Diocese of Leeds.

What do we do?

We build confidence by empowering, equipping, and enabling God’s people to worship and minister in the ways they are being called. Our work is rooted in deep investment in people and relationships, expanding participation in ministry and in doing so, nurturing the growth of our churches.

How do we do this?

We carry out our work with truthfulness, joy, and kindness; enabling a space where a variety of people are free to think aloud without fear of judgment.

The Formation Team is made up of the Vocations Team, the Ministerial Development Team, the Lay Training Team, and the Deaf Ministry Team

Vocations Team

Most of the Vocations Team's time involves working with those exploring a call to ministry in the church, meaning we are here to support and encourage everyone to discover God's purpose for our lives, especially in formal roles within their local church. 

If you want to discuss God's call upon your life, and you are not yet sure what that means, we'd like to talk with you. Please get in touch!

The Vocations Team supports lay and ordaned vocations through the shared discernment process, this includes formal training through to licensing or ordination as deacon. After that, responsibility passes to the Ministerial Development Team.

Ministerial Development Team 

There is a team, Ministerial Development Officers working together across the diocese. Each Ministerial Development Officer (MDO) oversees both the Initial Ministerial Education for the Curates (IME) and Continuing Ministerial Development (CMD) for the clergy and Licensed Lay Ministers in their own episcopal area. 

Please contact the MDO for your episcopal area with any queries about CMD or with requests for CMD grants. If there is a vacancy, please contact Steve Proudlove, Director of Formation.

	The Revd Steve Proudlove Director of Formation Ministerial Development Officer, Bradford Episcopal Area
	The Revd Brian Greenfield Interim Ministry Lead Ministerial Development Officer, Leeds Episcopal Area
	Ministerial Development Officer, Ripon Episcopal Area Vacant, contact The Revd Steve Proudlove
	The Venerable Cat Thatcher Ministerial Development Officer, Wakefield Episcopal Area 07902 102513
	The Revd Dr Sarah Farrimond Ministerial Development Officer, Huddersfield Episcopal Area 07943 738638

The Lay Training Team

The Lay Training Team are here to support and encourage confidence in ordinary people who want to flourish in discipleship and ministry. We help people to think about their own Christian journey and what God might be calling them to do. This might be in ordinary, everyday life, or in church.

We run a variety of short courses – many of which can be accessed online and done at your own pace. We also run longer courses for those thinking about leadership roles on their local congregation. Sometimes we work in Episcopal Areas or in deaneries where there has been a specific request for training and support.

Our courses are open to anyone in our diocese. There aren’t any academic expectations or expectations. We are all lifelong learners, and we learn from others just as much as they learn from us. Please do be in touch if you’d like to know more.

	The Revd Helen Collings Lay Training Team Leader (Widening Participation)
	Mandy Thorlby Lay Training Officer
	The Revd Canon Dr Erik Peeters Lay Training Officer (Lay Ministry Pathways)
	Anne Payne Lay Training Administrator

Deaf Ministry

Revd Dr Tracey Raistrick Minister Among Deaf People

Ministry with Deaf People in the Diocese of Leeds serves the Deaf Community (people whose first or chosen language is British Sign Language [BSL]) in the areas around Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield and Ripon, and the Yorkshire Dales. The Minister Among Deaf People in the Diocese of Leeds is the Revd Dr Tracey Raistrick, currently based in Keighley. 

Licensed Lay Ministry Training Pathway (LLMTP)

The Licensed Lay Ministry (LLM) Training Pathway provides training for Licensed Lay Ministry in partnership with St Hild College.  St Hild provides academic teaching through Common Awards (Durham University) online and in-person at Bingley in The Trinity Centre and at Mirfield, in The Mirfield Centre. The diocese provides formational activities to complement the academic studies together with overall discernment throughout training.

To find out more please contact one of the team below. 

	The Revd Steve Proudlove Director of Formation
	Jess Fort Ministerial Administrator
	The Revd Dr Ben Leighton Director of Reader Training at St Hild

The Warden of LLMs and the team
	The Ven Bill Braviner Warden of LLMs and Archdeacon of Halifax
	Anne Payne Warden of LLMs Administrator
	Fiona Schneider Area Warden of LLMs for the Bradford Episcopal Area
	Michael Pemberton Assistant Area Warden of LLMs for the Bradford Episcopal Area
	Ian Grange  Area Warden of LLMs for the Huddersfield Episcopal Area
	Andy Mattacks Assistant Area Warden of LLMs for the Huddersfield Episcopal Area
	Ann Nicholl  Area Warden of LLMs for the Leeds Episcopal Area
	Michelle Dearlove Area Warden of LLMs for the Ripon Episcopal Area
	Bob Matthews Assistant Area Warden of Readers for the Ripon Episcopal Area
	Freda Jackson  Area Warden of LLMs for the Wakefield Episcopal Area