Items filtered by date: December 2015

His Majesty The King has approved the nomination of the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, Downing Street has announced.

Bishop Sarah will be the first woman to hold the office. 

She will be installed in a service at Canterbury Cathedral in March 2026. Sarah Mullally has been the Bishop of London since 2018, the first woman appointed to that role, and before that was Bishop of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter. Prior to her ordination in 2001, she was the Government’s Chief Nursing Officer for England – the youngest person ever to be appointed to that role at the age of 37 – having previously specialised as a cancer nurse. Bishop Sarah has described nursing as "an opportunity to reflect the love of God".

The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) for Canterbury nominated Bishop Sarah following a process of public consultation and prayerful discernment that began in February this year. The Canterbury CNC was made up of representatives from across the Church of England, global Anglican Communion and the Diocese of Canterbury. 

Bishop Sarah said: “As I respond to the call of Christ to this new ministry, I do so in the same spirit of service to God and to others that has motivated me since I first came to faith as a teenager. 

“At every stage of that journey, through my nursing career and Christian ministry, I have learned to listen deeply – to people and to God’s gentle prompting – to seek to bring people together to find hope and healing.

“I want, very simply, to encourage the Church to continue to grow in confidence in the Gospel, to speak of the love that we find in Jesus Christ and for it to shape our actions. 

“And I look forward to sharing this journey of faith with the millions of people serving God and their communities in parishes all over the country and across the global Anglican Communion. 

“I know this is a huge responsibility but I approach it with a sense of peace and trust in God to carry me as He always has.” 

Lord Evans, Chair of the Crown Nominations Commission for Canterbury, said: “It has been a great privilege to have chaired the Crown Nominations Commission as it sought to discern who God is calling to lead the Church of England and Anglican Communion as Archbishop of Canterbury. 

“That discernment began with the public consultation, which heard the voices of thousands of people as they expressed their hopes for this nomination, and continued all the way through to the Commission’s final meeting. 

“I would like to thank all those who took part in this process, particularly those who took time to share their views in the consultation and the members of the Commission who worked so diligently over several months, ably assisted by the Appointments Secretaries and by the Appointments and Vocations team at Lambeth Palace. 

“I shall be praying for Bishop Sarah as she prepares to take up this new ministry in the coming months.”   

Bishop Anthony Poggo, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, said: “I welcome and commend the nomination of Bishop Sarah as the next Archbishop of Canterbury and invite the churches of the global Anglican Communion to pray for her as she prepares to take up this important ministry. 

“May God grant her wisdom and discernment, as she seeks to listen to Member churches, encourage mutual support, and foster unity. 

“The Anglican Communion Office is fully committed to supporting her ministry as she works with other Provinces and the Instruments of the Anglican Communion. 

“Let us pray that God will pour out His Spirit on the Anglican Communion to boldly share Christ's transformational love and the hope of the Gospel in today’s world.”

Read Bishop Libby's response here 

23 October

The Bishop of Derby is delighted to announce that the Revd Matthew (Matt) Green, Curate of Emmanuel Loughborough, Diocese of Leicester, has been appointed Rector of the Benefice of Aston-on-Trent, Elvaston, Weston-on-Trent and Shardlow, Barrow-upon-Trent with Twyford and Swarkestone, Diocese of Derby, subject to all legal and safeguarding requirements being fulfilled.

The Bishop of Derby is delighted to announce that the Revd Laura Neilson, Assistant Curate of the benefice of Dinting Vale and the Glossopdale Mission Community, Diocese of Derby, has been appointed interim part-time Priest-in-Charge of the benefice of Charlesworth and Gamesley and of the benefice of Dinting Vale, Diocese of Derby. Laura will be licensed on Sunday, 23 November 2025 at 4pm at Holy Trinity Dinting Vale by the Bishop of Repton assisted by the Archdeacon of Derbyshire Peak and Dales, subject to all legal and safeguarding requirements being fulfilled.

16 October

The Bishop of Derby is delighted to announce that the Revd Frances (Fran) Smettem, Assistant Curate in the benefice of Chew Valley West, Diocese of Bath and Wells, has been appointed Priest-in-Charge of the benefice of Eyam with Foolow and Baslow, and Priest-in-Charge of the parishes of Curbar and Stoney Middleton, Diocese of Derby, subject to all legal and safeguarding requirements being fulfilled.

9 October

The Revd John Drackley, Curate of Eckington, (Derby) 1959-1962, Curate of the Good Shepherd with St Peter’s Lees (Southwark) 1962-1963, Curate of Derby St Thomas (Derby) 1963-1967, Curate of Matlock and Tansley 1967-1977, Priest-in-Charge of Radbourne, of Longford and of Dalbury and Long Lane 1977-1982, Curate of Turnditch and Hazelwood 1982-1995, Curate of Matlock St Giles 1995-1998, who retired in 1998, held the Bishop of Derby’s Permission to Officiate 1998-2016, and was for many years Secretary of the Diocesan Advisory Committee, died on Sunday, 29 June 2025.

The Bishop of Derby is delighted to announce that the Revd Phil Michell, Rector of the Benefice of Hulland, Atlow, Kniveton, Bradley and Hognaston and Area Dean of Carsington, Diocese of Derby, has been appointed Lead Agricultural Chaplain to Derbyshire Rural Chaplaincy and will hold the Bishop of Derby’s licence in the same diocese, subject to all legal and safeguarding requirements being fulfilled.

The Revd Fay Price, Assistant Curate in the Benefice of Derby St Alkmund and St Werburgh, Diocese of Derby, has announced her resignation as she moves to the Diocese of Gloucester. Fay’s last day in post will be Wednesday, 3 December 2025.

2 October

The Bishop of Derby is delighted to announce that the Revd Christopher (Chris) Neilson, interim Priest-in-Charge of the benefice of Whitfield, Diocese of Derby, has been appointed to the same benefice on a permanent basis. This took effect on 25 September 2025.

The secondment arrangement with the Diocese of Leicester, whereby Carolyn Shoyer has been Director of Education for the Diocese of Derby, is concluding on 31st October 2025. Carolyn will return to her role as Director of Education in the Diocese of Leicester fulltime. We thank Carolyn for her leadership of Derby Diocesan Board of Education for the past 4 years. Liz Seymour, currently Deputy Director of Education, will become interim Acting Director of Education effective 1 November 2025.

The Bishop of Derby is delighted to announce that the Venerable Matthew Trick, Archdeacon of Derby City and South Derbyshire and Residential Canon of Derby Cathedral, Diocese of Derby, has also been appointed Acting Archdeacon of East Derbyshire from 1 October 2025.

Administrator (Bishop of Derby’s Office)

Media reports link the recent increase in national flag displays to concerns about UK migration levels. I understand that migration is a genuine concern for many, including Christians, and I don’t wish to dismiss these anxieties. It’s important to acknowledge that our church communities include first, second and third generation migrants. For Christians seeking to faithfully follow Jesus, reflecting His holiness and partnering in extending God’s Kingdom on earth, the migration debate often overlooks a crucial question: human dignity. In this month’s article, I want to explore how we can balance concerns over UK migration levels with thinking, speaking, and acting in ways that prioritise human dignity.

When addressing such a topical political issue, I recognise that blanket terms like “migration” or “immigration” are problematic. These terms are too broad to properly distinguish between those entering the country by established routes to fill skill shortages, those seeking asylum, and those entering via improvised means. I understand that much of the concern expressed through protests and flag displays relates specifically to the latter. Another challenge of terms such as migrant, ‘illegal’ immigrant, or asylum seeker is the labelling of an individual by their documented or undocumented status. This risks reducing the fullness of a person’s identity, character and life story to a single label, and an often weaponised label too.

Applying our Christian faith to current issues, injustices, and inequalities is central to following Jesus. Our deep faith traditions inspire us to act with consideration for others, especially the vulnerable, poor, and marginalised. The prophet Jeremiah wrote, ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls’ (Jeremiah 6:16). Our faith in Jesus, the Good News of the Gospel, and the biblical vision of God’s Kingdom penetrating our daily lives offers an antidote to the indignity some groups face in our society. I’m making not a political argument but a theological one: while there are legitimate concerns about  migration and the perceived pressure on local communities, our Christian faith calls us to think, speak and act in ways that uphold the dignity of others.

Our faith’s approach to speaking of migrants with dignity begins in Genesis, where we learn that all creation is made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). Migrants possess inherent worth and dignity not because of our political ideologies or personal opinions, but because they, like all humanity, are made in God’s image. The Bible clearly connects our innate dignity and worth with justice. Proverbs 31:8-9 instructs us, ‘Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.’ Ultimately, we find our dignity in Jesus. The Apostle Paul reminds us in Galatians 3:28 that social and cultural differences do not separate us from our unity in Christ and our common dignity in Him.

Those deeply concerned about migration levels often worry about preserving what they see as solid foundations in society. The underlying suggestion is that high migration levels threaten our British way of life. Before our current  debates, the late Pope Benedict suggested that society’s solid foundations depend on affirming human dignity:

A society lacks solid foundations when, on the one hand, it asserts values such as the dignity of the person, justice and peace, but then, on the other hand, radically acts to the contrary by allowing or tolerating a variety of ways in which human life is devalued and violated, especially where it is weak or marginalised.

Across our churches, chaplaincies and fresh expressions in the Diocese of Derby, our vocation must be to promote the innate dignity and self-worth of all people made in God’s image. This doesn’t mean ignoring genuine concerns about migration, but it does mean that how we articulate those concerns matters. Christians are called to point people to Jesus, in whom we discover our common humanity, and to reflect our own dignity in how we welcome others and pray for justice for everyone on earth.

Bless all who seek refuge on this earth.

Meet their needs for safety and for home.

Move the hearts of your people to show them welcome.

Cause wars to cease and bring justice,

to the nations that no one will need to flee again.

Amen.

The Ven Matthew Trick

Archdeacon of Derby City and South Derbyshire

 Holy Trinity Church, Chesterfield, was alive with activity as they marked 200 years since the beginning of the modern railway.

George Stephenson Day took place on Saturday 27 August – the anniversary of the first journey of Locomotion No. 1; the engine Stephenson built in 1825.

That short 26-mile journey from Shildon to Stockton changed the world, opening up travel, trade and opportunity in a way never seen before.

Over 800 visitors walked through the doors of Holy Trinity on the Saturday. Families, railway enthusiasts, local historians and locals came together to learn about George Stephenson, who is buried at Holy Trinity.

A costumed interpreter brought him to life, meeting visitors, posing for photographs and gave talks on “The Railway That Changed the World.”

Revd Jilly Hancock said “There was a wonderful atmosphere all day, full of curiosity, conversation and community spirit. Revd Malcolm Pyatt led a short service of reflection and thanks, and it was a day full of God’s blessing, as we celebrated both our heritage and the people who made it possible. Our hope is that through this project, Stephenson’s legacy and the light of God’s presence in this place, will continue to inspire future generations.”

The celebrations continued on Sunday, with a service of thanksgiving, giving glory to God for the vision, courage and creativity that shaped our modern world.

Among those who attended the service were the Duke of Devonshire, Sir Andrew Haines - Chief Executive of Network Rail, Pam Liversidge - President of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, the Mayor and Mayoress of Chesterfield, HM Lord-Lieutenant, High Sheriff Sir Richard FitzHerbert Bt and Mr Tom Ingle.

The service gave thanks not only for George Stephenson but also for the generations of railway workers, miners, engineers and families whose work has shaped Chesterfield’s story.

The weekend formed part of a wider heritage project, supported by a £240,600 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, alongside contributions from East Midlands Railway, Cross Country Rail, the Raymond Ross Fund, Graysons Solicitors and Holy Trinity Church.

Over the next two years, the project will see Holy Trinity transformed into both a place of worship and a heritage destination, with new interpretation displays, school and community activities and a dedicated visitor space within the church.

As well as celebrating Stephenson’s life and achievements, the project will explore Chesterfield’s wider industrial story, the growth of the town in the Victorian era, the Clay Cross Company and the region’s mining history.

It will also mark 40 years since the Miners’ Strike, providing space to reflect on how industry has shaped our communities and our faith.

Holy Trinity has always been proud of its connection to George Stephenson, but this weekend was a reminder that his story is about more than engineering. It’s a story of vision, perseverance, and faith, qualities that still inspire us today.

Featured on the photograph (L-R): HM Lord lieutenant, Sir Andrew Haines, Pam Liversage, Duke of Devonshire, High Sherriff of Derbyshire and his police cadet, Revd Jilly Hancock, Revd Malcolm Pyatt, David Nightingale, Mayor of Liverpool, Mayor of Chesterfield

Are you passionate about seeing the Church grow younger? Do you have the vision, creativity, and leadership skills to inspire and equip others? If so, we want to hear from you! 

As our Diocesan Lead for Growing Younger, you will:

• Lead the Growing Younger Team and drive our strategy to engage children, young people, and families.

• Collaborate with church leaders, schools, and communities to create thriving faith environments.

• Champion innovative initiatives and support the development of young leaders.

• Work in one of the most beautiful and diverse parts of the country, within a supportive and dynamic team.

 Why Join Us? 

• Be part of a transformative mission that is making a real difference.

• Enjoy a generous benefits package, including 30 days annual leave, a non-contributory pension scheme, and more.

• Experience the beauty and diversity of Derbyshire, from idyllic villages to bustling urban centres.

Position: Diocesan Lead for Growing Younger
Location: Derby Church House, Derby
Salary: £45,078 p.a. (or the option to proportionately sacrifice salary to £43,278 and remain in the Clergy Pension scheme)
Hours: 35 hours per week (flexible working options available)

Apply Now! Applications close on 22nd October 2025 at 12.00 noon. 

>> Information pack for candidates

>> Download application form

>> Download Recruitment Monitoring Form

Our Growing Younger team recently met with Revd James Lee, Team Vicar in the North Wingfield Team about how his team are encouraging families with a new Sunday afternoon service.

Q: Hi James, can you tell us a bit about yourself? 

James: My name is Revd James Lee and since last September, I’ve been Team Vicar in the North Wingfield Team, which is a team of five churches just south of Chesterfield.

Q: What was your motivation for starting your new service? 

James: Of our five churches, four meet on Sunday mornings, but St Barnabas Danesmoor has been a small afternoon congregation for many years, meeting at 5pm. Soon after I started I had a strong sense that there was a brilliant opportunity here for a family-friendly afternoon service for the many families who access the St Barnabas Centre throughout the week. I found that others I spoke to felt the same – and the scale of opportunity was confirmed by seeing 92 people (including nearly 50 children) come to our Christingle service last December.

And so a small team of us began working to launching this new service, which we decided to move to 4pm (as a better time for families) and call ‘St Barnabas@4’.

Q: What does the service look like now? 

James: We launched St Barnabas@4 in February and it’s been a fun roller-coaster ride ever since. If you were to walk in on a Sunday, you’d find us sat round tables in a relaxed style, with paper for drawing/doodling covering each table, with pens, fidget toys and a craft available, as well a play area at the back.

But as you stay, you’ll find that we seek to incorporate many of the normal parts of a regular service – songs, confession, Bible reading, prayers and a short talk – but with a very clear communication that it is ok for children to make noise, run around and play. This has been the most frequent comment from parents – that they’ve been able to come and relax and enjoy it, because they’re not constantly stressing about the noise their child is/could make.

Q: How have you seen your ministry grow? What do you think was the catalyst for this? 

James: We were blown away by having 71 people there on our first week, though I was always aware that ‘regular numbers’ would likely fall off from that. We’ve settled into an average of around 40-45 people each week, about half of whom are children, which is great.

But more than just numbers, it’s been really exciting to see a sense of community and belonging begin to grow – we’ve recently seen our first baptism, with interest in thanksgiving services too. We’re looking to grow our team as well, encouraging people to consider how they might be able to get involved.

As to a catalyst for growth – I think the excellent connections developed over many years at the St Barnabas Centre have been a big part of it, as well as the importance of sharing food together at 5pm each week too! It’s been really encouraging to see people start to invite their own families and friends to come along too!

Q: What is your recent success? 

James: Aside from the blessing of having a baptism a few weeks ago, we’ve had some big highlights over recent months, particularly having a live donkey (and a horse) with us on Palm Sunday and having a big Easter Party with over 100 people coming along!

Q: How has this impacted your wider church community?

James: It’s been an encouragement within our Team of church to see so many children and young people coming along, with St Barnabas going from our smallest congregation to nearly the largest, and is helping us think through what more we can be doing to engage with children and young people across the team.

It’s also given us a closer connection point between the brilliant work of the team at the St Barnabas Centre, and all they do for the community, and St Barnabas Church.

Q: Do you have plans going forward for your current ministry, or anything new starting? 

James: My key watchword for St Barnabas@4 is ‘sustainable’ – it’d be very easy to come in, do a flashy new thing and then fizzle out after six months, but  we’re determined to build something stable and faithful to last for many years to come – still looking to make things good quality and staying fresh, without going in for gimmicks etc.

Our focus at present is building something to last, though we are always considering how to adapt and make things better. Our hope is, in time, to introduce a simple celebration of communion, and explore whether those who attend might be interested in a smaller bible study group. There’s lots of other possibilities too – the challenge is being patient to see what God is calling us into next!

Q: What has challenged you or your team, or continues to challenge you?

James: One of the challenges has been starting with a relatively small team, without a long lead-in time before we launched. But alongside that, it’s been encouraging to see people getting involved in helping out in lots of different ways too.

Also, building community takes time! Many of those who come along have little history of attending church and there are weeks where the number of people there fluctuates a lot, which is normal – I have to keep reminding myself not to judge things solely on numbers!

Q: How would you encourage churches who are thinking of starting out with a children’s or youth ministry? 

James: I would encourage all churches to have ‘Growing Younger’ as a key part of your discussions at PCC and as a church team – to think through what will best enable you to reach children and young people in your area.

Also, have courage to try things! We had no idea how things would go with St Barnabas@4, no idea if anyone would turn up, but we felt this was the opportunity God was leading us towards – so we went for it!

Q: We would love to pray for you, what specifics can we pray for? 

James: Please do pray for us as we continue to get established, for God to be at work to bring more people along, as well as building us into a loving, caring, welcoming community of people who are getting to know Jesus better together. 

Please pray as well for us to continue to find creative and engaging ways to help both adults and young people to be engaging with God’s Word, and to be able to build something that is sustainable for the long term.

Last weekend saw two special services take place to say farewell and thank you to the Venerable Karen Hamblin, as she looks forward to her retirement.

The services were held on Saturday 13th at St John’s church, Walton and on Sunday 14th at Derby Cathedral. 

The special evensong at Derby Cathedral was beautifully sung by the Girls and Lay Clerks of the Cathedral Choir, the first lesson was taken from Isaiah 63.1-16 and the second lesson, read by archdeacon Karen, was Corinthians 1.8-25. Prayers were led by Archdeacon Matthew and Archdeacon Nicky. 

The sermon was taken by Revd Alicia Dring, who reflected on why people are called to ministry.

“A life in ministry is costly and demanding but it is worth every moment to see lives changed, communities built, and hope restored. Karen, I have seen you do this throughout your life. Planting seeds, watering with encouragement and kindness, pruning with love when needed, but always, always encouraging growth.”

She also presented Archdeacon Karen with an olive tree, explaining that Karen often gave olive trees to couples she married as something to grow with them throughout the seasons of their marriage. 

“Here is an olive tree for that next season. One where you continue to share God’s light and love and hope, but maybe now there will be time and space to sit and actually watch things grow rather than having to dash onto the next thing.” 

At the end of the service, Bishop Libby reflected on Karen time in the diocese and how she shown such Generous Faith, Courageous Hope and Life-giving Love. She added that it was appropriate that Karen’s last day in ministry had been spent at the Bishop’s badge service honouring the gifts, ministry, service and mission of the whole people of God across the whole diocese.

Archdeacon Karen was then divested of her Archidiaconal Cope by Archdeacon Matthew and Archdeacon Nicky. The cope was taken to the high alter marking the end of Karen’s role as an Archdeacon. 

Karen was presented with a hamper of goodies and joined guests for refreshments after the service. 

You can watch the service on Derby Cathedral’s YouTube channel here

Photos from the service are here

Rev Ailsa Hunt was ordained as Priest in July this year. We asked her to reflect on her curacy so far, and where she has seen God at work in the communities around her. 

"I started curacy licensed to one church (Kirk Hallam) but am now licensed to five, with my training incumbent Rev Christine French now priest in charge of the West Hallam, Stanley, Stanley Common and Mapperley benefice too. I love the variety which this has brought to my curacy and am grateful to serve in several different contexts.

"I started my curacy holding tight to this verse: “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 27: 13), and certainly I have seen the Lord’s goodness in too many ways to mention! One example is through a reflective prayer space I ran in a state primary school, during Children’s Mental Health Week. It was themed around Psalm 139: 14, helping the children to think about words of affirmation – what made them amazing and wonderful. It was hard that some children struggled to think of something amazing about themselves, but then a beautiful glimpse of God at work when other children gently suggested something to them.

"Ministry with children has also helped me to grow in readiness to speak of the hope that is within me! I remember one evening when I was talking to a local cubs group about Easter. I had spoken about Good Friday and then everyone started talking at once – “Jesus lived with the Romans?” “They put nails in his hands?!” “That was not a good Friday.” “Why did Jesus have to die?”. I love how children’s quick-fire theological questions have challenged me to get better at communicating Christian hope in a succinct way which works for the context.

 "For me the biggest joy so far of being a priest is being able to offer formal blessings. I find there is a hunger for blessing in our parishes. Last year I was asked by one village school to do formal blessings in collective worship, and had to explain that I couldn’t until priested. It was a moment to treasure when I could offer a blessing for the year 6 leavers at this little school. I have long been drawn to Celtic blessings and poems of blessing, and often use Jan Richardson’s beautiful book Circle of Grace. Being able to offer blessings myself feels like a fulfilment of something that has been tugging at my heart for a long time."

25 September

The Revd Josephine (Jo) Harbidge, Assistant Curate of the benefice of Walton St John, Diocese of Derby, has been appointed Academic and Formational Tutor at St Hild College. Jo's last day in post will be 31st October 2025. 

The Revd Katherine (Kate) Plant, Priest-in-Charge of the benefice of Breadsall and of the benefice of Morley with Smalley, Diocese of Derby, has been appointed part-time Associate Vicar of Bingley Holy Trinity with St Wilfrid's Gilstead, and St Michael and All Angels Cottingley, Diocese of Leeds.

18 September

The Revd Nicholas (Nick) Green, Vicar of the benefice of Walton St John, Diocese of Derby, has been appointed Priest-in-Charge of Christchurch Stockton, Diocese of Durham.

The Bishop of Derby is delighted to announce that the following clergy have taken on additional responsibilities in the diocese alongside their current roles, and were licensed on Sunday 7th September, as follows:

The Revd Katrina Jenkins: Assistant Curate (Associate Priest) in the benefices of Matlock Bank and Tansley, of Darley, South Darley and Winster, and of Matlock Bath and Cromford.

The Revd Stephen Monk: Assistant Curate (Associate Priest) in the benefices of Matlock, Dethick, Lea and Holloway and of Matlock Bank and Tansley.

The Revd Richard Reade: Assistant Curate (Associate Priest) in the benefices of Matlock, Dethick, Lea and Holloway, of Darley, South Darley and Winster, and of Matlock Bath and Cromford.

The Revd Catherine (Cathie) Watson, Assistant Curate in the Benefices of Allestree St Edmund and Darley Abbey, of Allestree St Nicholas and of Quarndon, Diocese of Derby, has announced her resignation as she moves to the Diocese of Bath and Wells. Cathie’s last day in post will be 24th September 2025.