On Sunday, 20 September 2026, and our very own Lynda Herbert joined the service from St Mary’s Hook for the national church online service to mark Disability Sunday.

Ahead of her sermon, Lynda spoke with Revd Ian Webb from St Swithin’s, Holmesfield.

In this special extended service, we heard the personal stories of disabled people, plus how churches are better equipping themselves to serve their communities and be accessible for all.

The service also explores Mark's gospel and the account of the paralysed man, and what that means for us today.

Thank you Lynda for your role in this service and your continued dedication to the Disability Inclusion Action Group (DIAG).

We are pleased to announce the candidates for election to the General Synod.

Voting details will be sent shortly, in the meantime, the candidates election addresses and Q&As are available on the website.

Candidates for election to the House of Clergy

Bryony Taylor - view election address [PDF]

Emma Sykes - view election address [PDF]

Gary Weston - view election address [PDF]

Jason Ward - view election address [PDF]

Joanna Honour - view election address [PDF]

Julian Hollywell - view election address [PDF]

Phil Mann - view election address [PDF]

Sarah Watson - view election address [PDF]

 >> Summary of Clergy Candidates and Nominators [PDF]

Candidates for election to the House of Laity

Andrew Whysall - view election address [PDF]

Bethany Sutherland - view election address [PDF]

Emily Brailsford - view election address [PDF]

John Payne - view election address [PDF]

Kat Alldread - view election address [PDF]

Louisa Wass Griffiths - view election address [PDF]

Peter Kelsey - view election address [PDF]

Rachel Bond - view election address [PDF]

Richard Lindop - view election address [PDF]

Stephen Wall - view election address [PDF]

Steve Johnson - view election address [PDF]

Sue Cavill - view election address [PDF]

>> Summary of Laity Candidates and Nominators [PDF]

"The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away" Job 1:21

Aidan Melville recently left his role as Head of Communications in the diocese to commence his training for ordination at St Hild, Sheffield. For full continuity, we have welcomed Jane Appleton as the interim Head of Communications for a period of three months.

Aidan's journey to ordination

Upon leaving the diocese, Aidan said: “I’ve been in the formal discernment process since 2023, but it is something that I believe God laid on my heart while I was a teenager.

I wouldn’t have used the term ‘priesthood’ back then, but a desire to serve God and the Church in some capacity has always been with me. It wasn’t until we moved to Sheffield in 2017 that my thinking around this began to shift to ordained ministry.

It’s a call that I have tried to test in a number of ways: serving in local government, joining the various PCCs of the churches I’ve been a part of, holding various offices within them, and most recently working for the Parish Support Team in the Diocese of Derby.

What each of these experiences has confirmed is that the Kingdom of God is best served in local church contexts: providing space for his people to gather in worship and prayer, equipping and inspiring them to join God in what he is doing in their communities and the lives of those around them. I hope to draw alongside people in their discipleship, to learn from them as we seek to serve God together.

As I prepare to start training, I am convinced of the perfectness of God’s timing. It is sad to leave the diocese, having only been here for 18 months, but I am excited for what God has in store - for all of us.”

A homecoming for Jane

As she arrives in the diocese, Jane Appleton shares, “I grew up in the diocese, in Rosliston, part of Mercia Deanery, and I went to school in Newhall, before going to university in Birmingham. My mum lived in Derby most of her life. Oxfordshire has been my home for many years now, but my ties to Derbyshire are strong. I’m therefore thrilled to be able to help out.

I have had a long career in communications, mainly over 21 years in the NHS but also in the private sector and charities, as well as leading communications in the Diocese of Oxford until earlier this year. In my spare time, I’m a member of my local PCC, a Trustee of my local almshouse charity, and love being outdoors, either in my garden or on a long hike. I look forward to meeting you all, serving God in this Diocese and my home county.”

Jane can be contacted by email – jane.appleton@derby.anglican.org.

Please do join us in holding Aidan in your prayers as he commences this exciting pathway, and Jane for her valued support at this time.

Preparations are underway for a special Evensong service, following the recent accouncement that The Ven. Matthew Trick, Archdeacon of Derby City and South Derbyshire, has been appointed as next Dean of Guernsey.

Bishop Jackie Searle (Acting Bishop of Derby) and The Very Dean of Derby invite clergy, congregation members, friends of Matthew and community partners, to Evensong on Sunday, 20 September 2026 at 17:15 as this special service will be a "Celebration of Thanksgiving for Matthew's ministry".

If you plan to come, please do let us know by 11 September 2026 via email to Sue.Hidderley-Burton@derby.anglican.org for catering purposes.

It promises to be a truely special and memorable service.

The Festival of Creation in Christ

As I write this at the beginning of August, which one of us has not been thinking about the impact of global warming and environmental sustainability? Our garden lawns are brown, almost grey, starved of water for so long. As we drive through Derbyshire, we see fields not just brown but bare of crops as a second round of planting is not yet possible.

In July, at its summer meeting in York, the General Synod of the Church of England passed a motion establishing the Festival of Creation in Christ, to be celebrated on the first Sunday of September. This development has ecumenical roots in the worldwide Church. The Catholic Church has for long time celebrated the Season of Creation from the beginning of September until the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi on 4th October, and many Anglican parishes have followed this lead.

At Derby Cathedral, in our ecumenical Lent Groups over the past few years we have read carefully two documents written by the late Pope Francis, namely Laudato Sí and Fratelli Tutti, both drawing the world’s attention to the inter-connectedness of the whole of creation and establishing an integral ecology that has helped us to see more clearly the impact of the current crisis in declining biodiversity, adverse weather conditions and the unjust impact of climate change on disadvantaged communities.

The new Festival which at Derby Cathedral we plan to celebrate on Sunday 6th September will give us the opportunity to offer thanks to God for his creation and for the redemption of the world, and it will help us reflect on how we might best act and take responsibility for the care of a broken creation. The papers presented to General Synod in July said this: “The title ‘Creation in Christ’ emphasizes that creation is understood through the person and work of Jesus Christ: created through him, sustained in him and destined for renewal in him.”

One way to respond is invite parishioners to read the helpful new publication, a teaching document from the Church of England ‘s bishops, Hope for All creation: A theological response to the environmental crisis. It’s accessible, easy to read and makes many links between what we might think and what we might do. It’s a small step to read such a document but do it together in small groups – then we can only imagine what might emerge in terms of collective action!

May we use our experience and our learning from these recent weeks to shape a church response to the huge challenge that our generation faces so that we can support our children and grandchildren in the generations to come. Why not celebrate the Festival of Creation in Christ this year as a first step?

The Very Revd Dr Peter Robinson
Dean of Derby

Bishop Jackie, the Acting Bishop of Derby, is delighted to announce that the Revd Sarah Watson has accepted her invitation to be the Acting Archdeacon of Derby City and South Derby.

Sarah will remain the Priest in Charge in the Benefices of Allestree St Edmund & Darley Abbey; Allestree St Nicholas; and Quarndon, Allestree.

She will legally be Assistant Archdeacon from Monday, 24 August 2026, and become Acting Archdeacon on Tuesday, 29 September 2026.

Sarah will be sharing her time between her parish and Archdeacon role.

Revd Sarah said "It is an honour to have accepted Bishop Jackie’s invitation to serve as Acting Archdeacon for Derby City and South Derbyshire.

Having lived in Derbyshire for nearly a quarter of a century and served in a variety of contexts and roles including as Area Dean for Derby City Deanery, I have greatly valued building relationships with clergy, parishes, schools, and community partners. I look forward to continuing those partnerships in this new role. I am looking forward to getting to know Mercia Deanery more closely and working alongside our churches and communities as we seek to make the gospel known and serve the people of Derby City and South Derbyshire.

 

I also want to express my gratitude to Archdeacon Matthew for all he has given to the Diocese of Derby and especially to the Archdeaconry. I am particularly thankful for his encouragement, wisdom and support during my tenure as Area Dean. I hold Matthew and his family in my prayers at this time of transition as they prepare for this new chapter of ministry and life".

Please pray for Sarah as she prepares to take on these new responsibilities.

His Majesty The King has approved the appointment of The Venerable Matthew Trick as the next Dean of Guernsey. Matthew currently serves as Archdeacon of Derby City and South Derbyshire and Residentiary Canon of Derby Cathedral. 

As Dean, Matthew will become the senior Anglican priest serving the Bailiwick of Guernsey, including Guernsey, Alderney, Herm and Sark. Alongside his responsibilities as Dean, he will also be licensed as Vicar of Sark, serving the Anglican community on the island and maintaining a regular pastoral and liturgical presence there.

His appointment comes at an important moment for the Deanery as churches continue to serve their communities while engaging with opportunities around mission, safeguarding, governance, children and young people, and the Church's contribution to public life. The Deanery of Guernsey is attached to the Diocese of Salisbury, with the Bishop of Salisbury holding pastoral responsibility and episcopal care for the island.

Matthew is already familiar with the Bailiwick, having served as a Locum Priest on Alderney in both 2023 and 2024 and regularly visited the islands. He and his family have developed a strong affection for the Bailiwick and look forward to becoming part of island life. 

His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor of Guernsey, Lieutenant General Sir Richard Cripwell KBE CB, said:

“I am looking forward to welcoming Matthew to the Bailiwick. Having previously spent time in Alderney he already knows what a special place the Bailiwick is and how important the role of the Church is within it.”

Commenting on the news of the appointment, the Right Reverend Karen Gorham, Acting Bishop of Salisbury, said:

“It is a joy to welcome Matthew and I look forward to working with him. In recent years we have cultivated an increasingly rich partnership between the Diocese of Salisbury and the Dean of Guernsey, as a valued member of our leadership team and Bishop’s Council. I will be delighted to licence Matthew at the end of September and am eager for him to share his gifts with us. We hold Matthew and his family in our prayers at this time.”

Matthew has served as Archdeacon of Derby City and South Derbyshire since 2022 and has extensive experience of supporting clergy and congregations, strengthening safeguarding culture, leading organisational change and helping churches develop sustainable patterns of mission and ministry. His ministry has spanned parish, cathedral, diocesan and national Church settings. 

Before moving to Derby, he served in parish and deanery roles in the dioceses of Winchester and Ely and in the Church in Wales. His ministry has included church growth and revitalisation, ecumenical leadership, youth and families work, community partnerships and the delivery of major community-focused projects. 

The Right Reverend Jackie Searle, Acting Bishop of Derby, said:

“I am delighted by Matthew’s appointment to be the next Dean of Guernsey: I am pleased for him, for the Guernsey Deanery and for the clergy and lay leaders of the area he will serve, and for the partners with whom he will work beyond the Church.

“I have worked with Matthew only for a short time, but he has been a valued colleague in ministry and an outstanding Archdeacon of Derby City and South Derbyshire. He will be deeply missed in the Diocese and by colleagues at Church House in Derby, but we know that he will bring the same dedication and commitment to this new role with faithfulness and grace. I pray that he and his family will know God’s richest blessing as they move into this new chapter together.”

Adding to Bishop Jackie's comments, The Very Reverend Dr Peter Robinson, Dean of Derby, said:

“On behalf of the Derby Cathedral community, I offer my congratulations to Matthew on his appointment as Dean of Guernsey. As a Residentiary Canon, Matthew has served people of the Cathedral with distinction over the past two years. Matthew's membership of Chapter has made a significant impact in helping the Cathedral serve the diocese of Derby effectively. As our growing younger lead Matthew has inspired our children's and young people's team and brought committed leadership that has enabled this work to grow in both depth and numbers.

 

 “We shall miss the whole family who have worshipped regularly with us during their time in Derby: their daughter has been one of our choristers and their son a member of our Sunday School. We send our prayers and good wishes not only to the family but also to the Guernsey Church as you welcome Matthew and begin a new chapter in your life together.”

 

Alongside his church responsibilities, Matthew brings significant governance and charity-sector experience. He is Vice-Chair and Treasurer of YMCA Derbyshire, where he has helped provide strategic leadership for an organisation working across housing, education and community services. He has been a strong advocate for partnership approaches to tackling housing need, child poverty and social inequality. 

Gillian Sewell, Chief Executive of YMCA Derbyshire, said:

"Matthew has been a passionate advocate for collaborative approaches to addressing the housing crisis for young people, child poverty and social inequality, recognising that meaningful change can only be achieved through partnership and shared leadership.

He combines practical leadership experience with a strong academic interest in public service, governance and the role of the Church in contemporary society. He is currently completing a Masters in Public Administration at the University of Birmingham and previously completed a Masters in Theology and Ministry at Durham University.

Speaking about his appointment, Matthew said:

"I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me through this appointment and look forward to serving the people, churches and communities of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. My family and I already know and love the islands through our time on Alderney and visits across the Bailiwick. I am committed to serving the whole Bailiwick, listening well, building relationships and supporting the mission and ministry of the Church in every island community.

 

"The Church has a vital role to play in Making Jesus Known, nurturing hope, serving local communities and contributing to the common good. I look forward to working with churches, civic leaders, charities, schools and community partners to support the wellbeing and flourishing of the whole Bailiwick."

Matthew is married to Sarah, they have two children, Isabelle (11yrs) and Henry (7yrs). The family will move to the Bailiwick in late August ahead of him taking up the role in late September. 

Dear Friends,

We are reaching the end of July and I have been with you as Acting Bishop of Derby for three months, which seems to a good moment to write to you all. As you will know, my role is part time. I am spending 2-3 days in the Diocese each week, mostly based in Derby, and mostly at the beginning of each week, with some flexibility. Thank you for your prayers, and your patience, as we continue to journey together.

We are pressing on with the appointment of a new Bishop of Repton. This is work that +Libby began with consultation back in March. The process is that firstly a case for the appointment has to be put to the Dioceses Commission who next meet in September. The paperwork for this is being prepared, and the Diocesan Secretary Will Hagger and I will attend a meeting in Manchester to make the case. If the response is positive, the appointment process will start. I would expect it to be at least six months from then before the new Bishop arrives. Please keep this in your prayers, I will update you as we go along.

Comings and goings:

In the last three months we have warmly welcomed the Venerable Emma Sykes as Archdeacon of East Derbyshire. Emma brings much wisdom and experience to the role and to the team and it is very good to have her on board.

And we will soon be welcoming a new Diocesan Director of Education. More details will follow, but for now I want to record my warmest thanks to Liz Seymour, the Deputy Director, who has been Acting Director of Education in recent months. I know how much her leadership and connection with schools and parishes have been appreciated. As Liz resumes her Deputy role, we are thankful to have a full-strength Education team.

Focus and priorities:

My focus since starting has been to get to know the Diocese afresh, and to hear how God is working in all our varied communities. There is great encouragement in the most recent mission statistics. Across the length and breadth of the diocese there are signs of life and growth – the kingdom of God among us. As well as the statistics, there is much encouragement in the stories that don’t show up in the numbers – the commitment to the poor, the creativity of the small and rural, those who are growing in depth and discipleship as well as those places growing numerically, and all of us reaching out with God’s love wherever we may be and in many different contexts. Those contexts include our 111 church schools, a variety of chaplaincies, and some new worshipping communities. Thank you for all you are doing to share the gospel of Jesus Christ – good news for all.

The Bishop’s Leadership Team have been discerning priorities for the next 6-12 months, and I share them with you. Much of this you will know or be aware of, and there will be more information to follow.

• People and Places: Ensuring appointments – paid and voluntary - parochial, resource churches, new worshipping communities, chaplaincies, schools, and parish support team are aligned with the diocesan vision and values. There will be work on the shape of ministry, the gifts, character and skills needed, and models of church and ministry. The Archdeacons and the Strategy and Engagement team are leading on this.
• Resourcing Churches: Identifying potential resourcing churches/parishes, in a range of contexts and expressing the breadth of Anglican tradition. The Mission, Evangelism and Parish Revitalisation Department (MEPR) is leading on this.
• Mission Action Planning (MAP): Rolling out newly refined MAP resources and tool kit, for the benefit of every benefice/parish/worshipping community. MEPR is leading on this too.
• Growing Younger: Enabling and encouraging children, young people and families, to come to faith and become part of the church family through partnering with schools, establishing new worshipping communities and nurturing discipleship in children and young people, including putting Church Schools at the heart of mission. MEPR and the Education team are leading on this.
• Income generation: Increasing generosity, stewardship and giving; using income strategically; ideas for income generation that haven’t been tried. Mark Titterton, Executive Chair of the DBF, and Will Hagger, Diocesan Secretary are leading on this.
• Communication strategy: Appoint new head of communications who, as part of their role, develops a communications plan based on the vision and agreed priorities. Develop a new website for the diocese. The Strategy and Engagement team is leading on this.
• Appointing a new Bishop of Repton: Aim to have a new Bishop of Repton in post Spring/Summer 2027. I am leading on this.
• Centenary Celebrations: 2027 marks the hundredth year of the Diocese of Derby, and of Derby Cathedral. Please look out for more information and be thinking about what you can do. The Strategy and Engagement team is leading on this.

I am seeing this season we have together as an opportunity – an opportunity to notice what God is doing, to take some decisions and actions, and to set a tone and direction for the future. It is a transitional space – which means we can experiment a bit, and you can put it down to having an Acting Diocesan Bishop if it doesn’t work out!

In our recent Bishop’s Leadership Team residential we read Luke 5:1-11. Jesus borrows Simon Peter’s boat and teaches the crowd from the boat. Afterwards he says to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch’. Simon answers ‘Master we have worked all night long but have caught nothing.’ It’s a way of saying ‘we’ve tried that, why would it be different this time?’ We had the sense of Jesus saying to us: ‘Go again, put your nets on the other side’. So, we go again with all our endeavours to show love and to share the gospel of Jesus …  being faithful to our calling in the knowledge that it is Jesus who asks us.

Finally, I thank God for you and I assure you of my prayers. There is so much in our Diocese to be thankful for. I ask for your prayers too, and am grateful. May August be, as we always hope, ‘a quieter month’ – do please take care of your good selves and your households – may this Summer period bring rest, refreshment and joy.

With every blessing,

The Rt Revd Jackie Searle

Acting Bishop of Derby

Ad Clerum are messages written by the Bishop 'to the clergy'. A list of previous Ad Clerum can be found below:

• 31 July 2026, by Rt Rev Jackie Searle - Acting Bishop of Derby

‘Blessed are those whose strength is in you; whose hearts are set on pilgrimage’ Ps 84:5

Towards the end of May, just a few weeks after starting as Acting Bishop of Derby, I spent a week on pilgrimage. My heart had been set on walking the Camino do Santiago (‘The Way of St James’) for many years – and retirement offered the opportunity. I wanted to make space for reflection on the pilgrimage of life. I hoped to connect with God and my Christian heritage, seeking wisdom and spiritual insight. And I wanted to walk those ancient paths in the company of fellow pilgrims. It is a matter of God’s sense of humour that as I embarked on my travels, I found myself called into ministry in the Diocese of Derby. This is how life is as people of faith. We trust our ways to God and trust God’s timing too. In the end, it was the perfect time to reflect on being back in Derby, on God’s providence in the twists and turns of the journey of life.

It has now been three months since Archbishop Sarah asked me to step in as Acting Bishop of Derby, to cover for Bishop Libby while she is off sick, and we continue to hold her in our prayers. While this role is temporary, and indeed I am only working part-time, it has still been a season of blessing and activity. It was a pleasure to join the Women in Ministry day at St Alkmund’s in Derby in May, the first liturgical act in my ministry here in the Diocese, and to symbolically receive my mitre and crozier from those gathered.

I also had the privilege of ordaining five priests and three deacons, and licensing a priest from North India to serve in ministry in the Church of England in June. I enjoyed meeting with them individually before their ordinations, to hear the stories of their calling and how God in his faithfulness has drawn them to this point in their lives.
 
I have already written about confirming four people at St John the Baptist in Tideswell in May, but I have also confirmed a further five in a service at St George’s Ticknall in June.

It has also been a pleasure to welcome the Venerable Emma Sykes as Archdeacon of East Derbyshire. Emma brings much wisdom and experience to the role and to the team and it is very good to have her on board. Among all of these duties, I have been meeting with many of you in churches, parishes chaplaincies and communities, as well as diocesan colleagues at Church House.

It is perhaps no coincidence that my journey along the Camino coincided with this chapter of our diocesan life. On the sixth day, our last day of walking, our guide gave clear instructions – though we had walked at our own pace up until now, for the very last section of the day, the two miles into Santiago de Compostela, we would walk together. Our group had bonded, with deep conversations at times, and companionable silence at others. To arrive together, at our destination, was a moment of great joy, and tears – we had done it. We had come to the holy place. That evening many of us attended the Pilgrims’ Mass in the Cathedral – people of all nations and many languages, united in our worship and gratitude. A prayer at the end of the Mass was said in English: ‘As you kept them safe on their Camino way, may you keep them safe on their journey home; may they live the gospel of Jesus as their Camino of life continues.’

As we journey together in the diocese for this season, may we, as God’s pilgrim people, live the gospel of Jesus. With gratitude for our companionship and with prayers and blessings for the journey we share.

Bishop Jackie
The Rt Revd Jackie Searle Acting Bishop of Derby