C of E seeks spiritual guides, faith optional

THE job involves encouraging people to take perhaps the ultimate leap of faith.

But when the Church of England advertised for two leaders to help guide Christians who believe they may be “called” by God to the priesthood, faith, it hastened to say, was not necessary.

Officials have now made an embarrassing climbdown after inviting atheists and members of other religions to lead a clergy recruitment drive intended to help secure the Church of England’s future.

The Church posted adver- tisements online on Wednesday for two new posts of “national young vocations adviser” and “national minority ethnic vocations officer” as part of a drive to ordain 6,000 new clergy in the 2020s to replace those reaching retirement. The ads said while experience in marketing and working with “millennials” (those aged around 30 or younger) would be an advantage, a belief in the tenets of Christianity would not.

The Rev Arun Arora, Church of England director of communications, said new adverts would specify a “‘genuine occupational requirement’ for the postholder to be a Christian”.