We have been sharing stories about the type of roles people play in the life of the diocese. In this piece, we speak to The Revd Heidi Huntley, Strategic Rural Dean.

 

After three years as a Strategic Rural Dean, Revd Heidi Huntley still knows this is where God wants her to be.

When she first saw the vacancy for Kerrier’s Strategic Rural Dean (SRD) in 2023, Heidi felt such a ‘strong sense of God’ and knew she had to apply.

After being offered the position she relocated from Hertfordshire, where she served as vicar at the Parish Church of St John the Baptist for 10 years, to Helston.

“God asked me to take on this role,” Heidi says. “I saw the advertisement for the Strategic Rural Dean in Cornwall – it knocked me for six. I had a real strong sense of God calling me to this.”

Today, her role within the diocese sees her working with 21 churches in the Kerrier deanery, she is also an oversight minister and is a co-director of a Community Interest Company.

As part of her role, she provides advice and oversight of safeguarding in parishes and supports safeguarding training, has fortnightly meetings with Deanery Implementation Teams and attends chapter meetings with clergy, readers and lay leaders where they have a service and a lunch together.

“The day to day in my job is a real mix,” Heidi explains, “I love to be out visiting and seeing people where they are.

“I can be meeting with clergy, worship leaders, church wardens or travelling to Truro to talk to someone from the Diocesan Advisory Committee.

“I see my Strategic Rural Dean role as a bridge between senior leadership in the diocese and people in the deanery – a bridge to support both.”

Another part of her role as SRD is carrying out the deanery’s plan for renewal and sustainability – a document outlining Kerrier’s mission to support local communities and welcome all into the church.

She says: “Working with Revd Susie Templeton, our Pioneer Priest, we have lots of exciting seedings which are starting to flourish. Susie now has three Wild Churches taking place across Kerrier and we’re both trying to increase the Church’s link with our local schools.

“I have been encouraging several of our churches to try Café Church and this has been well received. One of our churches holds a Tea and Toast event which welcomes young people from the local secondary school for a warm space, hospitality and games after school. Susie also piggybacks what may appear as secular dates in the calendar, such as Halloween, and invites families from the community where she can share Christian significance behind that celebration.”

Heidi says being a Strategic Rural Dean hasn’t always been easy, but she is still certain this is where God wants her to be.

She says: “It has been quite a challenging three years in this role, and it is taking time to build. I didn’t anticipate this to be a quick job. God tends to work slowly with me – I was at my last parish for 10 years.

“Sometimes it takes a long time to achieve something rather than overnight.

“Working with the people locally, they are so inspirational. They work so hard to keep our churches open.

“I believe everything that has happened in my life, makes sense and has led to this point.”

 

You can read more about Revd Heidi Huntley here: Kerrier welcomes new Rural Dean – Truro Diocese : Truro Diocese