Items filtered by date: May 2025
15 November
The Revd Max Marsh, Assistant Curate of St Mary the Virgin Lewisham, Diocese of Southwark, has been appointed Priest-in-Charge of Ilkeston Holy Trinity and of Long Eaton St. Laurence, Diocese of Derby.
The Revd Charlotte Wallington, Assistant Curate of Hathersage with Bamford & Derwent and Grindleford, Diocese of Derby, has been appointed Priest-in-Charge of Wickham Market with Pettistree, Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.
14 November
The Revd Adele Barker, Bishop’s Chaplain, has been appointed Interim Chaplain to Retired Clergy in the Archdeaconry of Derby City and South Derbyshire, until such time as a permanent appointment is made.
7 November
The Revd Onyekachi (Julius) Anozie, Assistant Curate of Kirk Hallam, Diocese of Derby, has been appointed Vicar of St Hilda Ashford, Diocese of London. Julius will be licensed to his new post on 16th December, 2024.
The Revd Canon Peter Jenner, Curate of Upperby St John The Baptist (Carlisle) 1985-1988, Chaplain of the University of Reading (Oxford) 1988-1996, Priest-in-Charge of Mellor St Thomas (Derby) 1996-1999, Vicar of the same benefice 1999-2006, Vicar of Mellor St Thomas (Chester) 2006-2012, Rural Dean of Chadkirk 2008-2011, Senior Chaplain and Dean of Chapel at the University of Chester 2012-2022, Canon Residentiary of Chester Cathedral 2012-2015, who retired in 2022, and held the Bishop of Derby’s Permission To Officiate, died on Friday 1st November 2024. Funeral details will follow in due course.
The Revd Simon White, Curate of Chadkirk St Chad (Chester) 1990-1994, School Chaplain Stockport Grammar 1994-1999, Curate of Stockport St George 1994-1995, Team Vicar of Stockport South West 1995-1999, Priest-in-Charge of Stanley All Saints and St Andrew (Derby) 1999-2002, Priest-in-Charge of West Hallam and Mapperley 1999-2002, Rector of West Hallam and Mapperley with Stanley 2002-2013, Vicar of Tideswell 2013-2023, who retired in 2023, died on Saturday 2nd November 2024. A service of thanksgiving will be held in the New Year.
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Churches in the Diocese of Derby that have tried contactless giving have hailed the devices a success.
Contactless giving has become an important tool for encouraging generosity within parishes and, to help parishes understand the advantages, the Church of England’s National Giving Team distributed 50 free contactless devices to parishes in the Diocese of Derby, thereby facilitating easier giving in an increasingly cashless society.
The devices - essentially simple card readers - allow visitors and congregation members to make donations effortlessly during services, weddings, christenings, and even quiet moments of reflection in the church.
This is particularly relevant as fewer people these days are carrying cash.
One church to try contactless giving is Horsley St Clements, which installed a card reader in August 2024.
The church reported that income soon increased considerably and that more than £300.00 was donated in September - money that the church says would not have been received without the device.
Many churches in the UK are adopting cashless methods to encourage spontaneous donations, especially from visitors or infrequent attendees who are inclined to give but want to pay digitally.
This has led to the launch of a Try-Before-You-Buy scheme, whereby a church can use a contactless donation device to assess how it may work in its own church context without the risk of capital outlay.
Making it easy for people to give
Steve Johnson, the Diocese of Derby's Living Generously Adviser, has been a key figure in this initiative.
He said: "What we have to do is lower barriers to participation and engagement in church life, making the church more accessible and appealing to the broader community.
"The Diocese of Derby has embraced this as part of efforts to make giving easier, more convenient, and aligned with today's digital habits."
St Bartholomew’s Church, Hognaston, used the Try-Before-You-Buy option.
Treasurer Kay Wright said: "Our village church installed a contactless giving station in June this year.
"Within the first three months we collected £280.
"Whilst a portion of this may have been cash in the collection plate, it has made it so much easier for our congregation and visitors too!"
And Revd Sarah Watson, Derby City's area dean and priest-in-charge in Allestree, Quarndon and Darley Abbey, said: "Steve has been a tremendous support to our parishes giving his time & expertise which has really helped.
"The CollecTin trial led to us purchasing one. Increasingly people give and spend by phone or contactless card which can be (but not exclusively) generational and younger visitors have especially commented favourably."
The benefits of contactless giving are that congregations and visitors can give easily, without needing to carry cash, and that they can give quickly via card or mobile.
This in turn makes it easier for both the church and donors to keep track of the funds and churches are reporting higher donation amounts.
And St Werb's in Derby has reported that the advantages have gone beyond occasional giving.
Alex Dann, the Operations Manager there, said: "We now have a contactless donation point by way of a grant, QR codes linking with Give A Little and the majority of our regular givers using the Parish Giving Scheme, which has resulted in regular automatic gift aid payments boosting our cash flow."
Many contactless systems allow donors to add Gift Aid to their donations, meaning churches can reclaim an additional 25% on eligible donations. This provides a significant boost to the funds raised, especially during a period like Christmas when giving increases.
Steve Johnson said: "Churches that have adopted these devices have praised their ease of use and the financial benefits they bring, helping ensure their sustainability in the future.
"Contactless donations continue to increase month by month, with September 2024 being the highest month so far and they will surely rise further at the end of the year."
And so as we approach Advent and Christmas 2024, a season of generosity and reflection, our churches find themselves at the intersection of tradition and modernity. While the heart of Christmas remains unchanged, the way people give has evolved, with contactless giving becoming a vital tool for churches.
In 2024, contactless giving is more than a modern convenience—it’s a critical tool for Diocese of Derby churches during Advent and Christmas.
It ensures that the spirit of generosity is met with accessibility, helps churches adapt to changing financial habits, and supports their ongoing missions.
By embracing these technologies, churches can focus on what truly matters: spreading the message of hope, love, and compassion during this sacred season.
31 October 2024
The Revd Samantha (Sam) Tredwell, Vicar of Long Eaton St John, Diocese of Derby, has been appointed Vicar of St Mary with Christ Church and Holy Apostles, Diocese of York.
25 October 2024
The Revd Mick Fitzsimmons, Assistant Curate of Barlborough and Clowne, has been appointed Team Vicar in Leek and Meerbrook, Diocese of Lichfield.
17 October 2024
The Revd Canon Christine (Chris) Dyer has stepped down as Chaplain to Retired Clergy in the Archdeaconry of Derby City and South Derbyshire. Chris will continue to hold the Bishop of Derby’s Permission to Officiate. Details of interim arrangements will follow in due course.
The Revd Anita Matthews will be licensed as Priest-in-Charge (Vicar designate) of Derby St Peter and Christ Church with Holy Trinity, Diocese of Derby, on Sunday, 24 November at 2pm at St Peter’s Derby by the Bishop of Repton assisted by the Archdeacon of Derby City and South Derbyshire.
Full time permanent stipendiary
This is an exciting role leading a missionally active civic church in the beautiful market town of Ashbourne alongside supporting the mission and ministry in surrounding smaller villages.
The Diocese of Derby is pleased to announce that Lisa Marriott has been appointed as Head of Safeguarding.
Lisa joins the Parish Support Team from Derbyshire County Council, where she was the team manager in the Children's Services, Early Help and Safeguarding team.
On starting her role, Lisa said: "I am thrilled to be here at Derby Church House to support parishes and churches with their safeguarding responsibilities.
"I am extremely passionate about safeguarding and making people feel safe and being able to live their life how they want to live it.
"I want us to be transparent about the way we work and for people to have full confidence in our churches as safe places where we welcome everyone."
Lisa also holds the designation Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser (DSA) and will advise the bishop on matters relating to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.
She will lead the Safeguarding team and sit within the operational Senior Leadership Team.
We love all the creative and different ways churches are engaging with their parishes and beyond.
Our vision is The Kingdom of God, Good News for All and it's great to see how so many churches in the Diocese of Derby are sharing stories of their success in achieving transformed lives through growing church and building community.
Here are some of the social media stories that have caught our eye recently:
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Join one of our A Church Near You workshops, run by the diocesan communications team, and benefit from the national advertising campaign during advent.
Sign up here
Bookings close on Friday 18 October
Making sure your A Church Near You page is up to date is really important.
As always, the Church of England's national campaign will be sending people to the main A Church Near You website.
From there, people can find the relvant pages for our churches and if your details are not there, you will be missing out on attracting potential visitors to your church over Chistmas.
Remember too that being an A Church Near You editor also gives you access to a whole load of Christmas resources that you can use for free!
A little time invested now could easily see you rewarded with people engaging with you for the first time over Christmas and beyond.
Adding information to ACNY is easy and the functionality is improving all the time. Incumbents are automatically editors of their church’s ACNY pages, but special arrangements are easily put in place for those parishes in vacancy.
People are already planning which events and activities they will attend this festive period so don’t leave it until Advent before updating ACNY – make sure you have access now so you can get everything in place before the seasonal rush!
At the very least:
- Ensure your contact details are up to date on ACNY. That means an up-to-date telephone number that people can call (if possible) and a link through to your church's website and/facebook page.
- Make sure your page's welcome message is there and is actually welcoming! Make it invitational and, most importantly, make it relvant to those visitors to the page who may not already be regularly enganed with the Church. We assume people know they arealways welcome in church, but the sad truth is that many don’t realise that or find it intimidating. A genuine, warm, welcome will ease any anxiety.
Ideally:
- Post details of all your Christmas services and special events (such as Christmas tree festivals). This makes them searchable and more easily findable by the general public.
- Use the system's 'tag' facility to make your events stand out even more.
- Add your other regular services and group activities. If people like what happens at Christmas, they may want to come back – so make it easy for them!
- Facilitate your facilities! Does your church have toilets? Accessible toilets? Do you serve refreshments? Is it wheelchair friendly? Do you have a hearing loop? It’s all useful information to let first-time visitors know what to expect.
- Lighten up! Christmas is a time of joy and hope and of giving and sharing, so let your communicatios reflect this and don't be afraid to inject a little humour.
See also:
>> How to become an editor of your A Church Near You page (CofE website)
If you struggle with your A Church Near You page, please contact the Communications Team. (Please note, the Comms team cannot give you access to your page or update it for you, but we can help you get there!)
Want to take this further?
Watch how to use your ACNY page as your main website
Bishop Libby has presented around 140 Bishop's Badges to those nominated for missional long service and missional innovation awards this year.
The special services, Bishop's Badge Schools and A Celebration of Lay Ministry, took place in Derby Cathedral in June, September and October.
The annual presentations celebrate ministry and service in churches and communities, recognising the distinguished service and dedication of many individuals contributing in Jesus’s name to the mission of their church.
And in schools, children are honoured for their commitment to generous faith, courageous hope and life-giving love.
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In 1927, the Diocese of Derby was founded and Bishop Edmund Courtenay Pearce, the first Bishop of Derby, arranged for a medal to be struck to celebrate this new beginning.
Copies of the medal were presented to prominent members of the diocese and to all those being confirmed in that year.
In recent years, the seventh Bishop of Derby, the Rt Revd Dr Alastair Redfern, arranged for a replica of this medal to be minted and mounted in the form of a badge.
As the eighth Bishop of Derby, Bishop Libby continues this tradition.
Each year these badges are awarded based upon recommendations made to the bishop, as a gesture from the diocese to acknowledge outstanding service to God's church.
Receiving their Bishop's Badges on Sunday, 6 October, were:
Awards for Missional Innovation
Andrew Baldwin, St Michael, Stanton by Bridge
Caroline Cooke, Holy Trinity, Ilkeston
Helen Crisp, Holy Trinity, Ilkeston
Rachel Hewitt, St Michael with St Mary, Melbourne
Richard Maltby, Holy Trinity, Matlock Bath
Peter Newberry, Holy Trinity, Matlock Bath
Awards for Missional Long Service
Clive Avery, St Michael with St Mary, Melbourne
Hilary Bartlett, All Saints, Bakewell
Nigel Bartlett, All Saints, Bakewell
Phillip Briggs, St Michael's, Pleasley
Mike Bromby, Christ Church, Cotmanhay and Shipley
Elizabeth Brookes, Boulton St Mary
Kate Bunting, Cathedral Church of All Saints, Derby
Alan Burlison, Glossop, All Saints
Catherine Butler-Worrall, Christ Church, Cotmanhay and Shipley
Eileen Chadwick, St John the Evangelist, Hazelwood
Elaine Chappell, St Leonard's, Scarcliffe
Catherine Clark, St John the Baptist, Tibshelf
Jodie Clarke, St Bartholomew, Old Whittington
Christine Dale, Holy Cross Church, Upper Langwith
Jackie Day, St Barnabas, Derby
Anne Doody, St Peter and St Paul, Old Brampton
David Edwards, St James, Smisby
Liz Eley, St Peter's, Littleover & Blagreaves
Phil Eley, St Peter's, Littleover & Blagreaves
Gill Flatman, St Edmund's, Allestree
Richard Flatman, St Edmund's, Allestree
Julie Franks, St John the Evangelist, Newbold with Dunston
Valerie Gamble, St Michael's, Pleasley
Michael Halls, St Oswald's, Ashbourne with St Mary's, Mappleton
Cathryn Haywood, St Michael's, Willington
Michael Hyde, St Oswald's, Ashbourne with St Mary's, Mappleton
George Johnson, St Wystan's, Repton
Louise Jones, St Barnabas, New Whittington
Anne Knyhynyckyi, All Saints, Wingerworth
Pauline Leigh, Holy Trinity and Christ Church, Chesterfield
Malcolm Lewins, St Michael's, Willington
Carol Lewins, St Michael's Willington
Judith Lovett, Loundsley Green Church (LEP)
Pat Mann, St Mark's, Winshill
Keith Mann, St Mark's, Winshill
Margaret Matthews, St Michael's, Kirk Langley
Gloria Methven, St Mark's, Winshill
Hamish Methven, St Mark's, Winshill
Godfrey Meynell, St Michael's, Kirk Langley
Rick Naylor, All Saints, Bakewell
Russell Parrish, St Barnabas, New Whittington
Pamela Pickard, Holy Trinity, Shirebrook
Mary Plevey, St Michael and All Angels, Brimington
Sheila Rice, All Saints, Heath with St Albans, Holmewood
Claire Riley, St Leonard's, Scarcliffe
Wendy Savage, St Michael's, Sutton-on-the-Hill
Carol Sharpe, St Bartholomew, Old Whittington
Tim Swift, St Bartholomew, Old Whittington
Pete Taylor, St Matthew's Church, Darley Abbey
Sandra Tye, All Saints, Heath with St Albans, Holmewood
Susan Wareing, St Barnabas, Derby
Patricia Whale, St Helen, Etwall
Dorothy Wibberley, St Bartholomew, Old Whittington
Michael Wilson, Glossop, All Saints
Richard Wood, St Edmund's, Allestree
Paul Woodhouse-Severn, St Peter and St Paul, Old Brampton
Christine Woodward, Benefice of West Hallam & Mapperley with Stanley
Receiving their Bishop's Badges on Sunday, 15 September, were:
Awards for Missional Innovation
Philippa Buchanan, St John, Long Eaton
Lucy Coleman, St Michael and All Angels, Brimington
Rosemary Corfield, St Anne's, Derby
Christine Hill, St Michael and All Angels, Brimington
Kevin Jones, St Peter, Elmton with St Mary Magdelene, Creswell
Robert Wheat, St Michael, Stanton by Bridge
Awards for Missional Long Service
Rosemary Annable, Cathedral Church of All Saints, Derby
Carol Austin, All Saints, Wingerworth
Frank Bagshaw, Cathedral Church of All Saints, Derby
David Baldry, Ashford-in-the-Water
Marlene Bennett MBE, St Martin, Alfreton
Stuart Boon, St Bartholomew and St Luke's, Derby
Ann Capstick, Glossop, All Saints
Christopher Charlton, Derby Diocese
Carole Clay, St Bartholomew and St Luke's, Derby
Tom Corfield, St Anne's, Derby
Margaret Crosdale, St Katherine's, Rowsley
Les Dodd, Cathedral Church of All Saints, Derby
Sue Elson, St Mary the Virgin, Newton Solney
Jennifer Hogg, St John the Baptist, Tibshelf
Hilary Hull, Ashford-in-the-Water
Janet Jordan, St Michael and All Angels, Brimington
John Loveless, St Edmund's, Castleton
Derek Marbeck, Glossop, All Saints
Diana Marshall, All Saints, South Wingfield
Maggie Mellish, St George, Ticknall
David Meredith, Christ Church, Belper
Cheryl Mulvey, St Peter's, Hope
Tim Norman, St Mary the Virgin, Newton Solney
Pamela Pickard, Holy Trinity, Shirebrook
Brenda Pickford, Glossop, All Saints
Christine Pycroft, Glossop, All Saints
Lesley Richardson, Glossop, All Saints
Barrie Rogers, St Mary the Virgin, Newton Solney
Richard Taylor, Derby Diocese
Eileen Margaret Taylor, St Michael and All Angels, South Normanton
Lynn Warren, St Katherine's, Rowsley
John Whitfield, St Edmund's , Castleton
Keith Womble, St Lawrence, Whitwell with All Saints, Steetley
It feels timely to call your attention to the fact that October is data collection season!
The national church is asking every parish to be particularly vigilant over the next few weeks as they record attendance numbers which will be included in the ‘October count’, an important part of the annual Statistics for Mission return.
I’d be really grateful if you could be sure that data is accurately gathered at all of your worship services (not just Sunday worship) over this period.
As you engage with the Stats for Mission return (which doesn’t have to be submitted until the beginning of 2025) some of the language is strange and may not be how you would describe activities in your context.
If you have any questions about the form or things that need ‘interpreting’ for your situation then don’t hesitate to speak to either myself, your incumbent, or area dean - we’re here to help!
Equally, if you’re struggling to navigate the online portal then do, please shout out.
Your information is just as important as any other church and we do want to capture the important things you can tell us, not least, the history of your church in numbers.
On a more general note, can I just say a very big THANK YOU for collecting this information for us – it really is invaluable.
I do appreciate that in the busyness of church life it might not seem the most glamorous or important job but, when put together with other churches from the deanery, diocese and country it paints a really helpful picture of what God is doing and how He is doing it.
This picture tells us what’s ‘fruitful’ and what’s ‘less fruitful’ – through this we can offer training, advice, and ideas to all ministers as to how they might best engage in Mission & Ministry in their communities.
It also helps see how the church is changing and how we might best train ministers for the models of ministry needed in the future.
Be encouraged, from the earliest days the church has been collecting Stats for Mission – if you don’t believe me, read Acts 2:41!
Alongside Stats for Mission, we, working with other Church House colleagues, collect information around the financial position (Financial returns) and Energy use (Energy Footprint Toolkit) of churches.
These are also equally vital in helping us understand the strength and health of the church so that we can know how best to help and support.
Once again, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Your assistance in this is greatly appreciated, nothing is ‘lost in the machine’, every scrap of information helps build the picture we need to navigate these changing times.
Rev Canon Matt Barnes
Director of Discipleship, Mission & Ministry
