Vacancy: Modern Church Administrator

Modern Church Administrator

Background information about Modern Church

Modern Church is the main society promoting liberal theology in the churches of the UK. Founded in 1898, it was originally an Anglican society, but now its members come from many branches of the Christian faith. It embraces the spirit of free and informed enquiry and seeks to involve the Christian faith in an ongoing search for truth by interpreting traditional doctrine in the light of present day understanding. To this end it believes in open discussion, critical scholarship and willingness to change. It holds an annual conference on contemporary issues. Membership includes subscription to the journal Modern Believing. Its President is Professor Elaine Graham.

Trustees meetings are usually held in February, May and October, in Birmingham and London. Currently meetings are held on-line via zoom. The residential Council Meeting is usually held in March at Hinsley Hall, Leeds. The Annual General Meeting takes place in July during the course of the annual conference which is held at High Leigh Conference Centre in Hertfordshire.

Further information about Modern Church can be found on its website: www.modernchurch.org.uk

Administrator Job Description

The administrator works from home for up to 12 hours a week for a salary of approximately £24,720 (pro rata) per year.  Hours to be agreed with the successful candidate. Travel expenses to meetings, etc are paid, as are additional hours where required for attendance at conferences etc.

The Administrator reports to the Chair of Trustees and has a day to day working relationship with the General Secretary and the Communications Officer.

There will be a 6 month probationary period for the newly appointed administrator.

The Administrator supports the work of the General Secretary, the Communications Officer and the Treasurer – the first two of these posts are paid, while the Treasurer is a volunteer member of the Board of Trustees. 

It is hoped that the administrator is able to store items such as basic stationery, some books and journals, publicity material, banners etc. Modern Church owns a laptop and a laminator for the administrator’s use.   

Listed below are tasks related to various aspects of the work of Modern Church:

Trustees Meetings

• Book venues about a year in advance; organise any equipment required, lunches, arrival and departure.
• Agree an agenda with officers, send out to trustees along with relevant papers
• Write up minutes and finalise with officers; action as agreed in meeting.

Residential Council Meeting

• Book a year ahead
• Circulate Council members after trustees meeting in September/October (when details of costs, programme, etc can be discussed) with cost and preliminary booking information.
• Organise agenda, papers to be circulated, etc. Take leaflets, fliers, books for council members to circulate, buy, etc.
• Manage bookings for individual Council members to attend and their contributions to the costs.

Annual Report and AGM

• Prepare draft of annual report for May trustees meeting
• Prepare notice of AGM and elections for insertion in April mailing and April Signs of the Times
• Organise elections to council; i.e. notify council members whose three years has been served and ascertain who is to stand for election. 
• Prepare papers for AGM, held at annual conference. 
• Prepare for election of council and election of trustees
• Lodge the signed off Annual Report with the Charity Commissioners

Annual Conference

• The administrator’s role has varied depending on who chairs the conference and who is conference secretary. They are the liaison between all those involved, including the booking secretary, ensuring that all loose ends are joined up. This has involved:
• Publicity: liaising with others over design of flyer, circulation of flyer from previous conference onwards, press publicity, circulation to theological colleges and other interested groups; upload relevant material to website
• About 4 weeks before the conference, emailed/written to all those attending with travel information, a final programme and joining instructions.
• Prepared wallets for each conference member given out on arrival with detailed information about speakers, the programme, evaluation forms, badges etc
• Arrived early at the conference centre to ensure that rooms are arranged as required and that sound and recording systems are set up. Also to meet students who are helping with practical tasks at the conference.
• Responsibility for badges, evaluation forms etc

Day Conferences

• Assisting with organisation, advising on programmes, publicity, etc

Liverpool University Press and journal – Modern Believing

• Liaise with LUP over publicity of journal at events; liaise with editor and his assistant re adverts in journal; liaising with the printing manager re inserts (2 a year) and re extra copies of journal.

Membership

• Maintain a dialogue with LUP re subscriptions and membership and with volunteer council members in order to develop personal relationships with members
• Being a contact point for members and act as go-between with LUP 

Signs of the Times

• Keep a list of Affiliate members and supply an up-to-date list to printers ahead of publication

Modern Church Forum

• Support the organisation of Forum meetings (about every 6 weeks)

E newsletter

• Put together with the Comms Officer an e-newsletter once a quarter and liaise with Comms Officer re distribution

Liaising with other organisations eg Inclusive Church, PCN Britain, Greenbelt

• Participation, where appropriate, in meetings where joint events are planned

Publicity

• Support the work of the Comms Officer

Person Specification

Essential:

1. Able to present a positive image to enquirers through emails, letters and telephone conversations
2. A self-starter, well organized and able to see tasks through to completion
3. Skilled at using computers, especially with respect to word processing, emails and social media
4. Knowledge of Excel 
5. Supportive of liberal theology and the work of the Modern Church
6. Able to work co-operatively
7. Has adequate desk space and a small amount of additional storage space
8. Flexibility to travel to meetings, conferences, Greenbelt, etc

Desirable:

1. Experience of working in voluntary organizations
2. Familiarity with church structures and an interest in theology
3. Experience of running conferences

How to Apply

Submit a brief CV (including two referees) and a letter of application to:

chair@modernchurch.org.uk 

The deadline for applications is 8 April 2022 and interviews will take place on 6 May via the internet.

Further enquiries about the post can be made to any of the following:

Rev Alan Race: chair@modernchurch.org.uk (Chair of Modern Church Council)

Jonathan Draper: Jonathan.draper17@gmail.com (General Secretary of Modern Church)

Rosalind Lund: treasurer@modernchurch.org.uk (Acting Treasurer of Modern Church)