For the future, the Methodist Church is going to need professionally trained and qualified supervisors to help supervise senior ministers and to train future supervisors. We are also beginning to be asked to help support other denominations in setting up their own systems.
For this reason it is willing to sponsor the professional training of 8 supervisors a year for the next few years in order that they might become accredited as senior practitioners with APSE (The Association of Pastoral Supervision and Education: https://www.pastoralsupervision.org.uk/ ).
We are therefore looking for suitably gifted and experienced people to undertake this training in addition to those who were sponsored to do this last year.
The bursary is equivalent to £1000 and can be applied to any training in pastoral supervision at diploma level that is approved by the Director of the Ministries Team. This funding can be used for course fees and where appropriate support some of the additional accommodation and professional supervision costs.
The bursary round will be advertised at the start of December and closing dates for applications will be 5th February 2025
Criteria for selection
To be eligible for the bursary you must
- Have successfully completed the course, Responsible Grace, or equivalent (25 hours)
- Have been in supervision for at least 1 year (at least 9 hours supervision experience)
- Have supervised others for at least 1 year under the Methodist Church’s Supervision Policy
- Be able to supply a reference from a supervisee and a supervisor
- Be willing to pursue accreditation as a supervisor with APSE at the senior level
- Be willing to supervise under the Methodist Supervision Policy for the three years following the course
- Be willing to offer (free of charge) at least 6 days per year for the three years following the course) to connexional training/briefing in supervision OR supervision beyond their local context
Those interested should apply to the dedicated Ministry Development Officer for Supervision through the inbox supervision@methodistchurch.org.uk and include:
- A reasoned statement why they would like to be considered and confirming your intentions to pursue APSE accreditation and to offer supervision within the Methodist Church for at least 3 years.
- A reference from their supervisor stating how long and how frequently they have been in supervision and commenting on their ability to make good use of supervision.
- A reference from a supervisee stating how long and how frequently they have met in supervision and how they have found that experience.
Suitable courses to which the bursary can be applied include the Diploma courses in Supervision. Group supervision course is not supported by the bursary.
The providers we use are
https://www.pastoralcs.org.uk/advanced-diploma-in-pastoral-supervision/