The Archdeacon of Walsall, one of the most senior clergy members of the Diocese of Lichfield, is to retire to become a freelance church growth consultant.

The Venerable Bob Jackson, has combined his role as Archdeacon of Walsall, responsible for legal and administrative support for churches in Trysull, Walsall, Wednesbury, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton deaneries, with an innovative role as bishop’s growth officer.

The Archdeaconry of Walsall is in the Wolverhampton Episcopal Area of the Diocese of Lichfield. The Bishop of Wolverhampton, the Rt Rev Clive Gregory, paid tribute to his close colleague.

“In his dual role as Church Growth Officer for the Wolverhampton Episcopal Area and Archdeacon of Walsall, Bob Jackson has fulfilled a tremendously challenging brief with great success," he said. "He has inspired, counselled and encouraged the mission of churches of all traditions and shown great pastoral sensitivity in his care for the clergy and congregations of his Archdeaconry."

The Bishop of Lichfield, the Rt Rev Jonathan Gledhill, also paid tribute, saying: “I knew when I offered him the job that he was well-qualified as Growth Officer and he has made an outstanding contribution to enabling parishes and congregations to stop declining and to start growing again.

"What I didn’t know was that he would also, within the limits of a half post, be an outstanding archdeacon. I have lost count of the number of times when he has walked straightforwardly into a minefield, sorted a problem, walked out again and left everyone feeling better about themselves.

"This gift we will miss as much as the Growth teaching.”

Mr Jackson explained his reasons for leaving, saying: “Over the past five years I’ve combined the two roles of archdeacon and leading a growth strategy. This has been a great privilege, mainly because I’ve worked closely with many wonderful churches, clergy and church leaders.

“During the past few years our churches have stopped shrinking and we are seeing increasing signs of real growth, especially among the younger generations.”

He added: “I’m retiring as archdeacon to concentrate on church growth consultancy so I hope to maintain links with churches in Lichfield Diocese as our ‘Going for Growth’ strategy gathers pace.”

Mr Jackson will retire in August, at the age of 60. Before then, he will take inspiration from Walsall author Jerome K Jerome and spend a week with the Bishop of Wolverhampton and the Archdeacon of Lichfield on a “three men on a boat” tour of the Wolverhampton Episcopal Area. The week-long canal tour, in July, will take the three senior clerics to growing churches and new churches in the Black Country and south Staffordshire.

The search has already begun for Mr Jackson’s successor. There are four archdeaconries in the Lichfield Diocese. Alongside Walsall are the Archdeacons of Lichfield, Salop and Stoke-upon-Trent. Walsall is the newest archdeaconry in the diocese, having been created in 1997. Bob Jackson is only the second priest to hold the title, following the appropriately named first Archdeacon of Walsall, the Ven Tony Sadler.