The Diocese offers a range of opportunities for those in ordained ministry, spanning early career to retirement. We are presently working with CPAS to offer a leadership course. Servants and Stewards is a 12-month programme which helps to develop emerging and existing church leaders. The course combines teaching, mentoring and practical skills and focuses on the characteristics and skills of Christian leadership.
Our next cohort is open now, to apply, please contact the Revd Mark Melluish
The six Church of England dioceses of the West Midlands support clergy in their development from their first post of primary responsibility through to retirement. For a full list of the training and support on offer please visit the CMD West Midlands website
CMD Allowance
The Diocese provides an allowance (currently £280 per year) for all licenced clergy to put towards any CMD type conference or training, retreat or spiritual nourishment. For further information or to make an application please contact Revd Mark Godson
Download an Application Form (Word Doc)
Ecclesiastical Ministry Bursary Awards 2024 are now open for applications.
The MBAs are open to all members of the clergy from Anglican Christian faiths. The awards will provide financial support for sabbatical breaks and projects planned for 2025.
All applicants for a Ministry Bursary Award must complete the application forms by 30 September 2024. For more information including eligibility criteria and to download an application form please visit www.ecclesiastical.com/mba
Study Leave Grant
Those undertaking Study Leave can apply for a grant of £600 towards the costs involved. (CMD Grant can be added to this – raising the total to a maximum of £880)
This is because refreshment and renewal should be part of the normal cycle of ministry, building on the rhythm of quiet days and annual retreats. Theological learning is a life-long process and the world is changing more rapidly than ever before. Clergy used to work at a pace that allowed time for reflection and study as part of normal ministry. Increased demands have made it difficult to do this, and many readily admit to a lack of time for personal and spiritual nurture.
Study Leave comes in two forms:
- Full Study Leave: Full Study Leave ('FSL') of three months' duration
- Shorter Study Leave Shorter Study Leave ('SSL') of four weeks' duration.
Study Leave is often raised at the time of Ministerial Review. Or, it can come from discussions within a Clergy Chapter meeting. Alternatively, it is quite in order for any priest within the Diocese to make a direct application through the Archdeacons.
To take the idea further, the most important next step is to speak to the relevant Archdeacon.
If you would like to download any of the standard documents about Study Leave, then please right-click on one of the links below, and select 'Save Target As...' You will then be able to save each document to your computer.
The Diocese makes a grant of £600 for authorised Study Leave. Further funds can be sought from grant-making bodies. Below are some that make grants for clergy study leave/sabbaticals. (click on the links below to their web information on grants)
- Sons of the Clergy
- The Cleaver Fund
- Saint Georges Trust
- St Boniface Trust
- Ecclesiastical Ministry Bursary Awards
- Some Grant Making Bodies and Sources of Funding (This comes from the Lichfield CME Office but may still be useful.)