In 1976 Milton and Hallfold created a joint Pastorate and a minister was duly called. In 1978 Trinity and Milton decided to join together and create St. Andrew's United Reformed Church and this new church continued to share ministry with Hallfold. In 1978 Castleton had formed a joint pastorate with Providence, Middleton which came to an end in 1990 when Providence closed and Castleton were left very fragile by a difficult ministry. By 1992 Castleton, Heywood, Hallfold and St. Andrew's were all looking for ministry and so they were grouped together and a newly ordained married couple were called to the Rochdale Area Group. This seems to have worked well until 1995 when their first baby was born and one resigned. The Pastorate were unable to finance the purchase of a second manse so the other continued on his own with the four churches until Heywood joined the Rochdale West Pastorate in 1997.

Bamford is the biggest of the Rochdale churches and so has always been able to support its own minister. However they were asked to form a Pastorate with Heywood and Norden and so create two three church Pastorates in Rochdale with one stipendary and non-stipendary minister each. The non-stipendary minister for Rochdale West has never materialised and the non-stipendary minister who was in place at Rochdale Central Pastorate (Castleton, Hallfold, St. Andrew's) on my arrival in 1998 resigned soon afterwards because of ill-health.

Littleborough had shared ministry with Milnrow until 1982, but after Milnrow's closure had not seriously sought full-time ministry. An Elder had emerged as a natural leader and was recognised as the Elder in Pastoral Charge. By 1999 he had decided it was time to retire and at the same time a non-stipendary minister had moved into Littleborough. It was therefore decided that Littleborough would join the Rochdale Central Pastorate and be served by the stipendary and non-stipendary minister that the three church Pastorate had anticipated. At this point Rochdale Methodist Mission came into the equation forming a Local Ecumenical Partnership with St. Andrew's to create a Methodist and United Reformed Church.

By the 2005 the situation has changed once again. In 2001 the Pastorates were re-arranged - Littleborough went on their own with a non-stipendary Minister, Castleton and Heywood formed a half-time Pastorate and called a Minister who also served as a District Minister, Bamford & Norden and Hallfold & St. Andrew's formed two full-time Pastorates. At the end of 2001 the non-stipendary minister left Littleborough and they have had no Minister since that time. In 2002 the Minister at Castleton and Heywood died, it was a shock to us all and subsequently Heywood closed and in 2004 Castleton sold their building and moved in with the local Methodist Church. They have no formal Ministry but there is some unofficial sharing between myself, the Methodist Deacon and an Elder who moved from Alkrington & Providence to help at Castleton. In 2005 the Minister at Bamford & Norden retired, hence that is now in vacancy. I can continue at Hallfold & St. Andrew's - the only United Reformed Minister in the town.

The questions and answers which follow relate to the situation in 2000.

I asked the Elders to think about their involvement in a multi-church pastorate, what it meant in terms of ministry and to reflect on the strength and weaknesses of the situation. What follows is a flavour of the responses [1].

What do you see as the role of the church in your life and in the community?

• "To proclaim Christ's gospel, make known the Good News of the love of God through worship, learning, pastoral care and mission."
• "to enable me to obtain spiritual refreshment each week; to find help and encouragement and power to meet lifes cares and demands and pleasures."

What role do you expect from an Ordained Minister?

• Pastoral care
• Leadership
• Lead worship, prayer & services
• Helping us to work out the practical application of loving God and loving our neighbour as ourselves
• Spiritual guidance
• Teaching
• Being known within the community
• There in times of need - sickness, bereavment, family problems
• Vision
• To be an enabler and encourager
• To chair Church and Elders' Meetings

Have your expectations changed by belonging to a Multi-Church Pastorate?
Most have not changed their expectations of ministry, those that have done so recognise the growing pressures of administration and time and therefore do not expect to see the Minister as much as they would have once done. But the tone of those responses is still a wish that the Minister could be more personally involved in the life of the church and more available to each member.

What roles do you see being fulfilled by the present ministry?

• Sorry I really can't answer this. I do think the job is almost impossible.
• He works to the best of his ability, but it must be difficult ...
• As above except the strong leadership bit! It's not your style.
• Leading worship monthly and taking communion. Leading joint group services and chairing Church and Elders' Meetings. Leading Youth Group.
• As above plus administration and clerical
• Leadership, learning, vision - coupled with frustration.
• To update our ways of thinking. To give us new vitality, new ideas.
• He's doing his best but he is just treading water.
• Interest in the ecumenical life of the town
• Some progressive dilution of expectations with the realisation that one man only has less than 24 hours/day available.
• Our minister does all of the above - but he is overworked doing them.
• Leadership in Worship, Much Pastoral visiting; Chairing of meetings; Numerous Weddings; Numerous Baptisms.

What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of a Minister serving a Multi-Church Pastorate?

• Strengths are linked to strengths of belonging to a Pastorate. Weakness is that the Minister could be overworked and under pressure.
• Weakness - lack of communication. Strength - The opportunity to deal with four very different churches from which experience can be acquired.
• I can't think of any strengths except a wider experience. It takes longer to know his flock intimately, therefore longer for him to be able to help and steer them in the right direction. They would be too busy with meetings and paperwork for many spiritual moments.
• He or she must feel very frustrated sometimes with difficult decisions to be made and priorities to be taken. Strength should come from experience of Elders and members within the church family and by [the Ministers] commitment and involvement with church life over the years. Weakness is [that the Minister] can not be in four places at once and this is perhaps where the larger churches receive more attention.
• I cannot see any strengths. The weaknesses are less time and the minister more burdened.

Are there any other points you wish to make about being part of a Pastorate?

• How do we work together/meet together as part of Pastorate without extra meetings - are there some things we can do together?
• It is often refreshing to meet our friends in the other churches and to see how they cope with our common problems of finance, buildings etc.
• I feel that most members (not all) have never taken the view that they are part of a Group. They still feel as if they were a sole congregation and have expectations as such, other than the Minister preaching on a Sunday.
• There is a feeling of strength and support belonging to a Pastorate.
• We need another non-stipendary minister - or student minister or any help at all!
• By sharing this seems to be the only way we can have the services of a minister. So we have to go along with it and do our best to help him.
• Bamford Chapel is the poorer since the pastorate was formed. This is due to the workload of the one and only minister, and we have had to agree to a plan to reduce his workload at Bamford, thus enabling him to spend more time at the other two churches. I repeat, that the District in my view has not been fair with Bamford, as one of the "sops" to our agreeing to the formation of the pastorate was that the Stipendary Minister would have the assistance of a Non-Stipendary Minister, indeed he was "called" on that basis.

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