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Appointments

by
22 August 2025

Blackburn post

THE next Archdeacon of Blackburn is to be the Revd Jane Atkinson, Vicar of Little Thornton since 2017, and Area Dean of Poulton since 2022. She was ordained priest in 2014 and served her title as an NSM at St Michael’s, Kirkham, also in Blackburn diocese. She succeeds the Ven. Mark Ireland, who retired in April (Gazette, 17 January). She will be installed on 23 November.

 

Southwark archdeacons

THE Revd Dr Alun Ford, Bishop’s Chaplain and Hon. Minor Canon of Southwark Cathedral since 2020, and the Revd Gillian O’Neill, Vicar of St John the Evangelist, East Dulwich, since 2016, and Woolwich Area Director of Ordinands since 2021, are now Acting Archdeacons of Southwark until 22 November. The Revd Mark Eminson, Team Rector in the Merton Priory Team Ministry since 2019, and the Revd Caroline Clarke, Hon. Canon of Southwark Cathedral since 2023, and formerly Area Dean of Lambeth North, are to be Acting Archdeacons of Lambeth from 1 September until 12 December.

 

CLARE. The Revd Rory Clare, Assistant Curate of Camborne, Tuckingmill and Penponds, and of Crowan and Treslothan (Truro), now Rector of Holme Eden and Wetheral with Warwick (Carlisle).

CROMBIE. The Revd Calum Crombie, Chaplain of HM Prison Wymott, to be Chaplaincy and Faith Services Headquarters Adviser, and Learning and Development Officer for the HM Prison and Probation Service.

CROSBIE. The Revd Margaret Crosbie, Assistant Curate in the Shaftesbury Team Ministry (Salisbury), now Vicar of St Peter’s, Wootton, and Shippon (Oxford).

DAWSON. The Revd Sarah Dawson, Vicar of St George’s, Camberwell, to be also Area Dean of Camberwell (Southwark).

DAYNES. The Revd Leigh Daynes, Assistant Curate in the Becontree South Team Ministry (Chelmsford), to be Priest-in-Charge of St John’s, Margate, and All Saints’, Margate (Canterbury).

DAYNES. The Revd Leigh Daynes, Assistant Curate of Becontree South (Chelmsford), to be Priest-in-Charge of St John the Baptist in Thanet, Margate, and of All Saints’, Margate (Canterbury).

EATON-WELLS. The Revd Dr Katharine Eaton-Wells, Assistant Curate of Lilliput (Salisbury), now Chaplain of St Chad’s College, the University of Durham.

ELLMORE. The Revd Samuel Ellmore, Assistant Curate of Ecclesfield, to be Priest-in-Charge of Greasbrough, and of St Mary the Virgin, Rawmarsh, with Parkgate, and Oversight Minister for the Cornerstone (R4) Mission Area (Sheffield).

GILBERT. The Revd Anne Gilbert, Vicar of Deeplish and Newbold, and Rector of Rochdale, to be Area Dean of Rochdale (Manchester).

GILBERT. The Revd Howard Gilbert, Rector of Minchinhampton with Box and Amberley, and Priest-in-Charge of Avening with Cherington, and Hon. Canon of Gloucester Cathedral, to be also Area Dean of Stroud (Gloucester).

HARRISON. The Revd Shirley Harrison, formerly Priest-in-Charge of St John’s and St Luke’s, Heywood, now Vicar of Tottington (Manchester).

HOME. The Revd Sonia Home, Assistant Curate in the Avonside Mission Area (Bristol), to be Assistant Curate (Associate Vicar) of Hope Church Islington (London).

LONGDEN. The Revd Dr Lee Longden, Rector of St Paul’s, Kersal Moor, now Bishop’s Disability Adviser, and Assistant Curate (Associate Priest) of St Margaret’s, Heywood, and Heap Bridge (Manchester), remaining Hon. Research Fellow of the Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham, and Affiliate Researcher to Huddersfield University.

McMICHAEL. The Revd Natasha McMichael, Assistant Curate of Kelvedon and Feering (Chelmsford), to be Assistant Curate (Associate Vicar) of All Saints’, Fulham (London).

MORLEY. The Revd Robert Morley, formerly NS Assistant Curate of All Saints’, Milan, with Lake Como, to be Chaplain of the Church of the Holy Ghost, Genova, and All Saints’ Cemetery, Bordighera, Italy (Europe).

O’ROURKE. The Revd Stephen O’Rourke, Assistant Curate of Broom Leys (Leicester), to be Vicar.

POTTER. The Revd Graham Potter, Team Rector in the Eston with Normanby Team Ministry, to be Strategy Enabler for Middlesbrough, and Area Dean of Middlesbrough (York).

PREMRAJ. The Revd Dhanaraj Premraj, Vicar of New Addington, and Hon. Canon of Southwark Cathedral, to be also Area Dean of Croydon Addington (Southwark).

RANDALL. The Revd Jonathan Randall, Rector of Huntingdon (Ely), to be Senior Vision and Strategy Consultant in the Diocesan Support Team of the Church of England.

SHILLITO. The Revd Melanie Shillito, NS Assistant Curate of Coggeshall and United Parishes (Chelmsford), to be Priest-in-Charge of Blanchland with Hunstanworth and Edmundbyers and Muggleswick (Newcastle).

SUMSION. The Revd Paul Sumsion, Rector of Holcombe and Hawkshaw (Manchester), to be Chaplain at Lee Abbey (Exeter).

VENABLE. The Revd Zakarie Venable, Assistant Curate of St Thomas’s Extra-Parochial Place, Philadelphia, to be Priest-in-Charge of Shiregreen (Sheffield).

WARD. The Revd Eva Ward, NS Assistant Curate of Thirsk, to be Assistant Curate (Associate Priest) of Topcliffe, Baldersby with Dishforth and Skipton on Swale, and Dalton (York).

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