The Pioneer Project in the Diocese of Bath and Wells launched in January 2018 following a successful bid to the Church Commissioners for mission funding. The grant from the Strategic Development Fund came to £1.5M and was match funded by the Diocesan Mission Development Fund. The aim was to deliver an innovative project to create nine new pioneer posts to catalyse pioneering activity across Somerset.
The funding was to be applied over a 5-year term to the end of 2022. However, the nature of the Project means it will not be technically complete until the last pioneer post comes to an end in March 2026. Four years on from the award of grant funding, Revd Tina Hodgett the first Pioneer Project Leader has written a mid-term report on the progress of the project and shared a video celebrating pioneering in Bath and Wells.
Head of Mission Support and Ministry Development, Charlie Peer said, “It is hugely encouraging to see how pioneering has grown in the diocese over the last four years. Putting in the funding application for the pioneer project was a bold step for the diocese, but we have seen the benefits as so many of the things we hoped for have already started happening.”
Charlie said, “The mid-term report was put together by Tina, before she left the role earlier this year. Together with the accompanying video stories, it gives a wide perspective on the exciting ways that God is at work through pioneering people and parishes across the diocese of Bath and Wells. It also contains things that we are learning through all this – these are fascinating, and I encourage everyone who is involved in mission and ministry, in any way, to read them and reflect on what this all means for the growth of the church.
“There are also some key facts and figures which give insight into how we can measure the impact of the project on the life of the diocese. All of this together paints an inspiring picture of something that is growing into much more than just a ‘project’ and will continue to grow and be part of our future as the Church of Christ in the 21st Century.”
Find out more about pioneering in Bath and Wells.
Downloads
Pioneer Project Mid-Term Report