Contents
- Retreats and Grants
- Sabbaticals
- CMD (Continuing Minsterial Development)
- LLM Continuing Ministerial Development Grant
Retreats and Grants
Clergy are encouraged to take time away from the parish for an annual retreat. The Living Ministry research project showed that 99% of clergy who took a retreat found this ‘highly beneficial’ or ‘moderately beneficial’.
Diocesan Retreat Grants
In Leeds Diocese all licensed clergy can apply for an annual retreat. (For stipendiary clergy this consists of up to five days on top of their normal holiday allowance and taken on weekdays rather than across a weekend). The retreat grant is for up to a maximum of £210 per calendar year (including travel costs as part of the £210). This grant does not carry over to the next year. Under certain circumstances, claiming standard subsistence rate may be permissible. Please discuss with your Ministerial Development Officer if you feel this may apply to you.
A record is kept of your Retreat Grant accounts. If you wish to know what is in your accounts, please ask your area MDO or the Ministerial Development Administrator.
The process of applying for this is described below:
STEP 1: Check first with your area MDO to see if they feel your potential application fits the criteria for a retreat grant. To discover the name and contact details your Episcopal Area Ministerial Development Officer (MDO), please check here
STEP 2: Once an MDO has agreed your application, the simplest process is for you to pay for the event yourself and claim the money back using the electronic retreat grant form: Electronic Retreat Grant Claim Form
Under certain circumstances, claiming a standard subsistence rate may be permissible. Please discuss this with your MDO if you feel this may apply to you.
Once you submit the electronic form, it will be processed and the diocese will reimburse you directly into your bank account.
Note 1: You must have some sort of proof of payment which you must make available upon request.
Note 2: Retreats at Scargill, Parcevall Hall and Mirfield, outside of specific diocesan-sponsored events, should be dealt with as for other non-diocesan course/events. If you are unsure, please contact your MDO.
Annual Review of Retreat Grants
All these conditions around retreat grants are subject to change upon annual review. Please check with your MDO prior to booking your retreat if you are unsure.
Clergy Support Trust Retreat Grants
You can also apply for a retreat grant from the Clergy Support Trust.
The Clergy Support Trust offers generous grants for all sorts of things:
- Financial support
- Emergency grants
- Health grants
- Holidays
- Retreats
- Sabbaticals
- Fitness and leisure activities
- First baby
- Education
You are advised to try their eligibility checker (you are eligible for a grant if you do not own a property and have less than £200,000 in savings, or if you do own a property and have less than £16,000 in savings).
You can also access free and confidential counselling through the Clergy Support Trust. This is available to all clergy and is not means tested.
Click here for where you may choose to go to retreat.
Sabbaticals
Clergy can apply for a sabbatical when they have been ordained for 10 years or more. Clergy who have already had a sabbatical, may apply for a subsequent sabbatical after a further 7 years or more. Sabbaticals would not usually be given during your first year or two in a new post, or shortly before you retire.
The Director of Clergy Development sends out information early each year, inviting applications for the following year. Applications are then discussed at the Bishop’s Staff Meeting in May or June.
If you are interested in taking a sabbatical:
- Raise this in your annual Ministry Development Review
- Please feel free to discuss this with your area Clergy Development Officer or the Director of Clergy Development. Names of the CDOs and the DCD can be found here
CMD (Continuing Minsterial Development)
CMD Courses, Retreats and Quiet Days Update
An update is published 10-12 times per year. The aim is to publish the update for a named month in the middle of the previous month e.g. the November issue will be published mid-October. There may be a 2-month update over summer or Christmas / New Year seasons. The update is sent by email to all licensed clergy and licensed lay ministers (LLMs) in Leeds Diocese.
CMD Resources Update
A Resources Update is published 1-3 times per year, depending on whether there are any new resources to advertise. The Resources Update includes: book reviews, theological library Information, how to create a DLP account and clergy welfare information. The update is sent by email to all licensed clergy in Leeds Diocese.
CMD Grants for clergy and how to access them
You can apply for a grant to attend training courses that support your ministry.
- In Leeds Diocese licensed clergy may apply for a CMD grant.
- All licensed clergy will have £250 a year, which can be used to pay for training events and courses. Whatever you do not spend in the calendar year will be carried over to the next year, for up to three years. This means that if you do not use your grant for the next two years by the third year you will have an accumulated total of £750 in your account.
- A record is kept of your CMD Grant accounts. If you wish to know what is in your accounts, please ask your area MDO or the Ministerial Development Administrator.
To apply for funds from your CMD account:
STEP 1: Check first with your area MDO to see if they feel your potential application fits the criteria for a CMD grant; priority will be given to events that fulfil the training needs identified in your MDR. To discover the name and contact details your Episcopal Area Ministerial Development Officer (MDO), please check here
The criteria for use of the CMD grant are that if fulfils at least one of the following:
- The grant use positively impacts on your ministry
- Recommended in your MDR
- Conferences and courses relevant to your ministry or your future development in ministry
- Formal qualifications in theology
- Training (Examples include: spiritual direction, mental health first aid, counselling, communications, Bridge-Builders, etc.)
- Some individually guided retreats in conjunction with the annual retreat grant.
Please note: There is a restriction of £40 per year on the use of CMD grants for books/library memberships (N.B. in certain circumstances there can be consideration of discretionary exceptions)
STEP 2: Apply for your CMD grant as follows:
Non-diocesan Courses/Events:
Once an MDO has agreed your application, the simplest process is for you to pay for the event yourself and claim the money back using the electronic CMD grant form: Electronic CMD Grant Claim Form (for clergy)
Please note, you must have some sort of proof of payment which you must make available upon request.
Once you submit the electronic form, it will be processed and the diocese will reimburse you directly into your bank account.
Diocesan-Promoted Courses/Events (e.g. LYCIG, Spiritual Directors’ Annual Gathering, pre-retirement conference @ Scargill, spiritual director training)
Once an MDO has agreed your attendance, go to the booking page of your chosen event. There will usually be some method (unique to each course/event/venue) of explaining that the diocese will pay your invoice (up to the amount in your grant pot). Ask the MDO who agreed your attendance if a CMD Grant Application is required and if necessary fill it using the CMD Grant Claim form link above.
Funds to pay for your course/event will be deducted directly from your CMD account so that the diocese can pay the invoice.
Please note, that courses at Scargill, Parceval Hall and Mirfield, outside of specific diocesan-sponsored events, should be dealt with as for non-diocesan course/events above. If you are unsure, please contact your MDO.
Travel and Accommodation Expenses
If you wish, expenses for travel to and from a training event may be claimed from your CMD grant along with the cost of the event itself.
The usual rule about this is that your travel costs do not exceed 50% of the cost of the event. This is to avoid claims to travel to the USA, for instance, for a day conference! Sometimes there is no charge for attendance at a conference, in which case your travel costs are bound to exceed the cost of the event. In such cases, the person assessing your claim will exercise their discretion and good sense.
Reasonable accommodation expenses may also be claimable, again, not exceeding the cost of the event (with discretion in certain circumstances).
NB - All travel and accommodation costs are deemed part of the total £250 per year CMD grant (i.e. travel and accommodation are part of the CMD grant, not additional to it)
Annual Review of CMD Grants
All these conditions around CMD grants are subject to change upon annual review. Please check with your MDO prior to booking your CMD event or retreat if you are unsure.
LLM Continuing Ministerial Development Grant
All Licensed Lay Ministers (including those with Permission to Officiate) will be able to apply for a grant of up to £75 a year, which can be used to pay for training events, courses and books. A record is kept of your claims.
To apply for a CMD grant:
Check with the Warden of Readers Administrator (anne.payne@leeds.anglican.org) first to see if your potential application fits the criteria for a CMD grant; priority will be given to events that fulfil the training needs identified in your Working Agreement.
Once the Warden of Readers Administrator has approved your claim,complete the online CMD grant form below:
LLM CMD Grant Application Form – Fill in form
Once your claim form has been received, the Warden of Readers Administrator will then arrange for the diocese to reimburse you directly into your bank account.