Scarborough and
Woodlands-Wembley Downs

Scarborough and Woodlands-Wembley Downs

Full-time Priest and Half-time Assistant Priest

Who we are

St Paul’s and St Columba’s are two small, mature, mainstream Anglican congregations based in the coastal suburbs of Perth. Our main Sunday services are Eucharists based on the APBA liturgy with a moderately Anglo-Catholic flavour (Priests and LPMs wear robes and the altars are dressed) including a mix of hymns mostly, though not exclusively, of a traditional style.

Both parishes are caring and friendly, with members committed to welcoming newcomers and visitors. They run several small groups including a Mothers’ Union Branch, a Cursillo Group at St Paul’s and a Men’s Club at St Columba’s. Both churches operate prayer chains to pray for people in special need. St Paul’s runs an Op Shop and holds bi-annual fetes which are a source of revenue, an income generator for mission and a means of reaching out to the community. Both parishes value thought-provoking Bible-based preaching, and St Paul’s has a regular Bible study group.

The parishes also face many challenges in common. Our congregations are aging, and less able than they once were to provide voluntary services and organise activities. As most members have passed retirement age, income from regular donations has declined, although there are many faithful regular givers in both communities. This means that neither parish can afford to support a full-time priest, as they have in the past, though both parishes have significant financial assets. Both communities also recognise that, with predominantly elderly congregations and few new people joining, their current path is unsustainable in the longer term. For these reasons, the parishes have decided to collaborate on an innovative new approach to ministry. Under the proposed shared ministry model, they will support two clergy for a combined equivalent of one full-time and one half-time priest who will share responsibility for ministering to both parishes on an equal basis. This model will allow the parishes to share some administrative and organisational functions, while retaining their separate identities.

Who we are looking for

In seeking feedback from our congregations, by far the most frequent comment was that we want clergy who are caring and pastoral. We also want people who can nurture what is best in our parishes but are also able to lead us in making the changes needed to attract new worshippers and to become sustainable communities in future. Many parishioners value good preaching that is thought-provoking, bible-based and relevant to their lives, and enjoy intellectual and theological challenges in study groups and discussions. We also want clergy who will continue to encourage the congregations to get involved in church activities, including participating in the liturgy. We intend to retain our mainstream Anglican worship style, and value inclusive theology.

For inquiries please contact:
The Venerable Tony Drayton
tdrayton@perth.anglican.org