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11 April 2005

The Rev. Canon Stephen Roberts is to be the new Archdeacon of Wandsworth in the Diocese of Southwark. He succeeds the Ven. David Gerrard, who retired at the end of 2004. He will take up his post early in the summer of 2005.

Stephen Roberts, 46, has been Senior Diocesan Director of Ordinands in the Diocese of Southwark and Canon Treasurer of Southwark Cathedral since 2000.

He trained at Westcott House, Cambridge and served curacies at St Mary's, Riverhead, in the Rochester Diocese and at St Martin in the Fields in the London Diocese. He came to Southwark Diocese, as Vicar of St George's, Camberwell, in 1989. He was Rural Dean of Camberwell from1997 to 1999 and before that was the Assistant Diocesan Director of Ordinands for the Woolwich Episcopal Area.

Commenting on his appointment Stephen Roberts said, ‘I am excited by the opportunities and challenges presented by this next stage in my ministry and to using my experience as a Rural Dean and as Director of Ordinands in a new context working with the clergy of the Wandsworth Archdeaconry. I look forward to working with the Bishop of Kingston and the Archdeacon of Lambeth in furthering God’s mission and ministry in the Kingston Episcopal Area’.

The Rt Rev. Dr Tom Butler, the Bishop of Southwark, comments, The Bishop of Kingston, The Rt Rev. Dr Richard Cheetham and I are delighted by this appointment. Stephen is an able and experienced priest who will bring with him to this post a good knowledge of the Diocese and of its priests. We have benefited greatly from his wisdom in his work as Diocesan Director of Ordinands and his pastoral care and concern for those amongst whom he works combined with his ability to think clearly and strategically will be of great value to the Wandsworth Archdeaconry’.

SHORT BIOGRAPHY: the Rev Canon Stephen John Roberts

Born in Stoke on Trent, 6 December 1958
1971 -1978: educated Newcastle-under-Lyme High School
1978 -1981: King’s College, London: Bachelor of Divinity
1981 -1983: Westcott House, Cambridge: Federation Certificate
1983: Ordained Deacon. 1984: Ordained Priest
1983 -1986: Assistant Curate, St Mary, Riverhead with St John, Dunton Green Rochester Diocese
1984 - 1986: Rochester Diocesan Synod
1985 - 1986: Rochester Diocesan Board of Training
1986 - 1989: Senior Curate, St Martin-in-the-Fields, London Diocese
1986 - 1989: Chaplain to British School of Osteopathy
1986 - 1988: Tutor, Reader Training, Diocese of London
1989 - 2000: Vicar, St George, Camberwell Warden, Trinity College Centre, Peckham, Southwark Diocese
1991 - 2000: Southwark Diocesan Synod
1991 - 2000: Southwark Archdeaconry Pastoral Committee
1992 - 2000: Chaplain to Southwark MS Society
1994 -1999: Chaplain to Blue River Project, Bermondsey
1986 - 1987: Acting Rural Dean, Camberwell Deanery
1987 - 2000: Rural Dean, Camberwell Deanery
1997 - 2000: Heythrop College, London MTh in Pastoral Theology
2000 - Senior Diocesan Director of Ordinands,
2000 - Canon Treasurer, Southwark Cathedral
2000 - Council of Management, SEITE
2001 - Bishops’ Selector
2002 - Vocations Sub-Committee, Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns
2001- 2002: Diocesan Working Party into participation of Minority Ethnic People in Authorised Ministries

NOTE: An Archdeacon is a senior member of the clergy, responsible to the Diocesan Bishop for an area. The Archdeacon usually inducts new incumbents into their parishes, shares the pastoral care of the clergy and does much practical, legal and administrative work.

The Archdeaconry of Wandsworth comprises the five Area Deaneries of Battersea (9 parishes), Kingston (13 parishes), Richmond and Barnes (11 parishes), Tooting (11 parishes) and Wandsworth (12 parishes).

Ends.

Diocesan Communications Officer
Tel: 020-7939 9400
Mobile: 07831-694021
Fax: 020-7939 9468