Who's Who

Originally from Hull, I qualified as a pharmacist before being accepted to train for the ordained ministry. I began my first appointment in Crewe in 1997 and subsequently served in the Middlewich and Vale of Aylesbury Circuits.

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I took up the role of Chair of District in September 2019 and am enjoying both the challenges of the role, the many and varied people who make up our congregations and the opportunities for pastoral conversation and missional possibilities.

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I am a lover of stories in their many forms as well as enjoying gardening, cooking and watching sport.

I am married to Andrew and we have two adult sons, Joel & Sam, and a small dog, Pepper, who has a big presence!

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I moved to the Chester and Stoke District in 2021 to serve as the Superintendent Minister of the North Staffordshire Circuit.  I was privileged to be invited to take on the role of Deputy Chair in 2022 and this role now runs alongside my Circuit ministry.

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Ordained in 2003, I previously served the Methodist Church in Devon and Jersey in the Channel Islands.

Prior to my training for the Methodist ministry my time and energy was largely taken up raising my three daughters and volunteering at my local church and before that I was an Air Traffic Control Officer in the RAF.  Joining the forces straight from school put me in good stead for all that was to follow!

 

Married to Peter since 2013, we share a love of sport (but only watching these days!) especially football and rugby.  I like to read, enjoy knitting and other crafts, and trips to the theatre.

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Originally from the Midlands, I’ve spent a lot of time in Yorkshire, where I met my wife Ruth and where our three children did most of their growing up. Originally studying theology & education, I was ordained in 1994, and I enjoy Methodist ministry! I so want to see the church facing its challenges and opportunities and make my little bit of difference in the world, that’s why I took on the part time role of Assistant Chair, whilst remaining a Circuit Superintendent as well.

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Appointed in September 2025, my responsibilities involve assisting the Chair in complaints & reconciliation, developing & encouraging discipleship, & supporting the role of lay employment around the district.

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I’ve always enjoyed making things, I built a Shepherd’s Hut for prayer in a Sabbatical some years ago, and last year achieved a lifetime ambition and qualified as a fireman on a steam locomotive. When not working you’ll either find me with Ruth in a field somewhere in our beloved caravan, praying in a shed on wheels, or on the footplate of a steam train!

I am the Regional Officer for Safeguarding (ROS) for the Methodist Church, aligned to the Chester & Stoke-on-Trent District.  The ROS takes a lead on issues relating to the safeguarding and protection of children and vulnerable adults.

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Within this role I have oversight over all the churches that fall within the confines of the district. This includes the oversight of compliance with Methodist Church Safeguarding procedures, working with Circuit and Church Safeguarding Officers, and Ministers. Through a mixture of advice and guidance to these groups and, where necessary direct contact with individual cases I work with both those who have the potential to cause harm and those who have experienced harm previously to help make our churches safer places for everyone to worship.

 

I co-ordinate the provision of the training resources for safeguarding in our district. In the most complex cases I take responsibility for the risk assessment and ultimately the design of safeguarding and behavioural contracts which provide boundaries and support for the small number of people in our churches that require these to attend worship safely.

The role is challenging but rewarding.

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My background and training include educational and youth work in Prisons and Youth Offending Institutions, Lay Chaplaincy in Ex-Offender Housing and work within the Probation Service both as a Probation Officer and within Quality, Practice Improvement and Training Delivery.

Outside of work I am an avid musician having led worship for several years across various Christian denominations.

I have been in this role since July 2011 with a background in administration, predominantly at Barclays and Focus DIY.

The role is part-time with my hours being weekday mornings, some evening meetings and the biannual Representative Synods on Saturdays.

I enjoy the variety of the role including: supporting the district officers, lay employment, safeguarding, stationing, property consents and grant making.

Duties include administrative tasks such as dealing with correspondence, photocopying, production and distribution of publications and communications, bookings and events, agenda preparation and minute taking, liaising with circuits, district and Connexion which includes various annual returns.

I exercise several roles at my local church in Sandbach. I also enjoy music, walking, gardening and baking.

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Originally from Manchester, I grew up in Nottingham, but have since lived in various other places across the country and even spent a year in the United States. With a degree in British Politics and Legislative Studies, I began my career in the Civil Service, Advertising, and later Westminster. However, a persistent call to ministry eventually led me back to Nottingham to begin the candidacy process for ordained ministry.

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After over a decade as a Presbyter serving two different Circuits, I now have the privilege of being the District Mission Enabler. In this role, I support local churches and Circuits in developing their mission and ministry, while also, taking a lead in our District's work on the Connexional initiative New Places for New People. Through this we are wanting to partner and support places where a deep sense of community exists and enable them to now go further allowing a deep sense of faith to organically emerge.

I am married to Zoe, and together we have three children--Ellie, Jessica, and Ezra--and two small dogs, Bramble and Poppy.

I am the Digital Enabler for the Chester and Stoke-on-Trent District and my role is to help and advise churches with anything that relates to the digital.

In the time that I have been in post my role has included: working with churches to review their online presence; advising churches on their use of technology, both hardware and software to support their acts of worship in house or online; running training sessions in the use of presentation and desktop publishing software; I have also advised and researched hardware and software that can support the administrative side of church life.

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Another part of my role has been to produce content for social media, particularly short videos to show some of the great work that churches around the district are doing as a way to encourage and inspire each other as we seek to fulfill Christ's great commission.

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In the past I have worked in education, teaching a variety of subjects across the ages ranges, from Primary to Adult education and I have worked in the Audio-Visual Industry supporting live events and working on AV installations.

Outside of work I am involved in my local Methodist Circuit as a Local Preacher, Worship Leader and Musician.

Appointed Synod Secretary from January 2025, with a working background in the NHS as a Clinical Psychiatric Nurse and Lecturer Practitioner, now retired. I am a Worship Leader at my local church and have more recently been in various leadership roles as a Circuit Steward, including Senior Circuit Steward and Chair of CLT Staffing Committee.

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As Synod Secretary, I am looking forward to working with ordained and lay colleagues across the District, to arrange, organise and plan the bi-annual Synod meetings. I am a current member of the District Policy Committee and have recently taken up membership of the District Lay Employment Sub-committee and the District Resourcing for Mission Group.

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I live in Alsager with husband Christopher and Alfie our elderly pug. We have two grown up daughters and three grandchildren. I enjoy walking, reading, the theatre especially musicals and dance, yoga, keeping fit, and playing the violin at our local Light Orchestra.

I am the Lay Employment Secretary for the District, a role I really enjoy.  Lay people, I believe, are a vital part of Methodism and I seek to encourage lay involvement with my head and my heart!

 

I really enjoy creating and reviewing new Lay posts with church members and circuits in our District along with collaborative support from the wonderful members of the District Lay Employment Sub-Committee (DLESC).  We are all committed to high standards in lay employment and are pleased to witness people answering God`s call to serve as lay employees.

 

In addition to meeting with the DLESC regularly, I lead two away days for lay workers and pastors in the District: one is a retreat day and the other a training day.

 

Prior to this role and my other current post as Lay Coordinator for Cheshire South Lay workers, I served in Mid Cheshire as a Church and Community Worker and in the Runcorn Circuit as a Family Worker, enjoying all of these roles. My initial work with the Methodist Church was as District Development Enabler, which began in 2008 - some of the contacts I made in those early days are still useful now!

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I was a teacher in my former profession and I taught in three authorities, particularly enjoying teaching RE to ‘A’ level.  I also enjoy birdwatching, hill-walking, cycling and swimming with my hubby Paul, along with socialising with our friends as often as possible!

I have been District Property Secretary since 2017, having been asked  to consider  the role as my previous career had been as a Senior Quantity Surveyor with a firm  in Altrincham. I have a number of other roles in the District  including  grant funding advisor; this follows on from having  previously been  employed by my Circuit as a Lay Worker seeking grants for church projects. These are roles which offer support to all churches and Circuits in the District, and I am happy to be contacted with any queries.

The District also offers Circuits assistance in the process of property sales and other property transactions, for which a fee is payable. I am the contact for this, and work closely with a Surveyor and Connexional Panel Solicitor.

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I enjoy my work in these roles as I feel they add value to our work as a Church in mission and outreach.

I am very involved in local politics, was elected as a Crewe Town Councillor in 2023, and see this as an extension of my work in the church. Both are ways to bring about change in the community - with the aim of helping and supporting people.

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I live in Crewe, and enjoy gardening. My favourite TV viewing is Gardener’s World and the Formula One Racing Season.