Welcome!
New to Sheffield Diocese or a clergy family? Then this group might be for you!
We are a network of spouses, partners and families of the clergy within the Diocese of Sheffield. We are here to support and encourage each other through connection and friendship, with a shared understanding and mutual support.
We welcome all partners of clergy in active ministry holding the Bishop’s license.
A message from Bishop Pete
My dear friends,
Clergy are blessed with a glorious vocation, but thriving in ordained ministry is not to be taken for granted. All clergy are different, and different kinds of support contribute to flourishing at different seasons of life. Single clergy will require support, and God willing will find support, in a particular way. So, will clergy with school age children, or clergy caring for elderly relatives.
Partners Together is just one vehicle for support, but an important one. For clergy who are partnered, their partnership is a vital source of support — and support for the partner is therefore a vital investment in our Diocese. Different partners have very different preferences for accessing support, often based upon very different understandings of their own vocation and ministry.
Our hope is that Partners Together will be a flexible, adaptable, beautiful community of support, to enable clergy partners to thrive — and therefore clergy to be as fruitful as possible in the ministries to which God has called them!
Cathy and I have been married for almost 40 years. For over 35 of those years, I have been ordained. But in that time, Cathy’s need for support (and mine) has shifted and changed. Partners Together is not ‘one size fits all’. It seeks to acknowledge and respond to the particular circumstances of our clergy, stipendiary and self-supporting.
If you are the partner of one of our clergy, please do consider what your own support needs might be, and those of your partner, and then please help us to meet them!
With every blessing,
Pete
Get in touch
If you are new to the Diocese you’ll get the chance at welcome events to sign up for Partners Together and get our news in your inbox.
WhatsApp
Everyone is welcome to join for support and information. Please contact us to be added to the group (see above)
Partners Together Committee
It’s lovely to be part of a group of wonderful people all walking similar paths. Together this group has hundreds of years of wisdom, experiences, advice and inspiration. It’s pure joy to slot into a group who instantly ‘gets it’, everyone fits in, we all understand and we are all encouraged. The group does lots of brilliant things throughout the year. This sort of thing really keeps you going and fill you up. Highly recommended!
Zoey Steele, Committee Member
Planning Team Members
You are welcome to join our planning team, we are always happy to have new people on board! We just have a separate WhatsApp group and do the very occasional meet up. Please contact Joy if you’d like to join.
| Position | Person |
|---|---|
| Chair | Zoey Steele |
| Vice Chair | Derek Barraclough |
| Secretary | Joy Bishop |
| Treasurer | Sennette Wroot |
| Planning team members | Laura D’Silva, Mark Middleton, Mussarat Iqbal, Lucy Gowers, Jo Chamberlain, Kinder Kalsi |
Support
Any of us can struggle and need support, so please use these links if you’re suffering in relationships, with mental health and wellbeing or financially.
- If you or a family member would like to explore counselling, Sheffield Diocese now offers confidential support to clergy and their family. Contact CMCS Area Coordinator Jane Knights – jane.cmincs@gmail.com or mobile 07867 009183. Jane finds a counsellor and then passes on details to you. Only Jane and the counsellor know your identity throughout the whole process.
- Talking with senior clergy like your Area Dean can open up avenues of support such as St Luke’s Healthcare and various hardship funds as well as other trusts. Bishop Pete, Bishop Sophie and senior clergy encourage everyone to seek out any help they need, confident that they’ll be treated with respect and discretion.
- Patricia Hunt, FRSA, is the Bishop’s Advisor on Pastoral Care patricia.hunt@sheffield.anglican.org
- Supporting clergy health and wellbeing – advice from the Church of England.
- The Sheldon Community in Devon host the excellent Sheldon Hub which partners are welcome to engage with.
- Broken Rites is an interdenominational group offering mutual support and information to separated and divorced spouses and partners of clergy and ministers.
- Relate have really useful tips and advice with web chats and online counselling.
- In times of crisis you can always contact Samaritans on 116 123.
- Refuge have a 24hr helpline for domestic abuse on 0808 2000247 as well as a webchat facility
- The Government site ‘Report Domestic Abuse’ lists other numbers that might be helpful including Galop, Men’s Advice Line and Rape Crisis.