St Martin’s Church, Seamer, Scarborough, has confirmed that a fire broke out in the early hours of this morning, prompting an immediate response from the fire service. No one was injured, and the Fire Investigation Officer has determined the fire was accidental.

The fire caused significant damage to the north aisle of the historic church building. While the affected area is contained and there is no structural damage, the entire church will require professional cleaning before it can be safely reopened. The church has already begun working with its insurance provider to assess the damage and initiate the clean-up and restoration process. It is hoped that this work can begin promptly in the new year.

Vicar of Seamer, East Ayton, and Cayton, Revd Claire Sodeman said: “We are deeply saddened by this incident, but profoundly grateful that no one was hurt. We are holding our church family and wider community in prayer, and we are thankful for the swift response of the fire service. I know I have felt surrounded by love and prayers myself this morning.”

Despite the disruption, St Martin’s Church has confirmed that its Christmas services will continue as planned, with alternative arrangements in place:

• Christmas Eve outdoor Christingle and Crib service – 3pm (shortened service; attendees are advised to dress warmly
• Holy Communion for Christmas – 9pm on Christmas Eve and 10.30am on Christmas Day, both held in the Church Rooms and led jointly by the Ven Andy Broom, Archdeacon of the East Riding, and Revd Claire Soderman

Revd Claire added: “As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ in these upsetting circumstances, we hold fast to the message of Christmas. Emmanuel – God with us. We trust in the strength, peace, and love that comes from God, revealed in Christ, especially in times of challenge.”

Further updates will be provided as restoration plans progress.

Media contact

Laura Beesley, Head of Communications

07354 996 052 | comms@yorkdiocese.org

The Revd Dr Catherine Reid, Chaplain to the University of York, has been appointed Vicar of the Parish of Manuka, Canberra, in the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn in the Anglican Church of Australia. Catherine will begin her new appointment on the 8th February 2026.

Catherine said, “My time as Chaplain at the University of York has been rewarding and fruitful. The nature of this ministry has been lively and vibrant, and it has been truly wonderful from start to finish. It has been a joy to journey with young adults as they discover the realness of God and grow in faith and confidence. I will carry you with me, and I give thanks to God for all the Chaplaincy community, students and staff at the University.

“My work in the Diocese, in more recent years, has also included vocations work, and it has been a privilege to contribute to this, as it has also been a privilege to teach on the York School of Ministry for several years. I will always appreciate how York School of Ministry (YSOM) connects theological study with growth in discipleship, and I myself have learned a great deal from being a tutor in this learning community.

“In some sense, I leave the diocese and my ministry context with a heavy heart. This is the nature of ministry, as it’s about friendship in Christ together. In another sense, I am enlivened by the adventure in the Gospel ahead and, trusting in God’s faithfulness to my family and myself, I leave excited and hopeful of good things to come.’

The Rt Revd Flora Winfield, Bishop of Selby, adds, “Catherine and her family head off on this exciting adventure in ministry with blessings and support from her colleagues, and with great sadness to lose her from the team. She has been a hugely appreciated parish priest and chaplain, theologian, teacher and friend to many in the Diocese of York and beyond, and we will miss her lively engagement and pastoral commitment very much. Catherine and her family are in our prayers for their coming move, and for all the new challenges and opportunities which this will offer.’

Following Catherine’s departure in January, the diocese will explore future possibilities for chaplaincy provision at the University of York.

This month marks the end of the Multiply project, a six-year initiative that has inspired and equipped leaders to create new worshipping communities across the diocese.

Committed to the Church of England’s vision of “A Christian Presence in Every Community”, Multiply set out to reach new disciples, particularly among people in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Over the years, the project has helped many discover faith and find a place in the life of the Church

The project aimed to support thirteen new worshipping communities, along with additional funding to appoint part-time lay pioneers, providing frameworks for growth, and guidance from the diocesan team. For many leaders, this support made it possible to undertake work that was previously unsustainable on a purely voluntary basis.

Last month, leaders and their teams gathered for their final away day at Bishopthorpe Palace for worship, prayer, and to share experiences of the joys and challenges of pioneering new worshipping communities.

The Rt Revd Barry Hill, Bishop of Whitby, said: “It was a great joy to spend the day with Multiply leadership teams as we heard together so many stories of God at work and considered what the scriptures, research, theories and our experience say sustainability looks like in new churches and at times of leadership transition.

“As we discussed how fragile most new churches (and perhaps many time-honoured churches too) feel, we recalled that most of the images Jesus shares of the Kingdom are of something which starts small, vulnerable and precarious. Such feelings are not a sign of failure but a testimony to the faithfulness of God.

“It was a day of much testimony and so much to give thanks for. Whilst some of the specifics entitled Multiply come to an end, the work and call continues.”

As Multiply draws to a close, we give thanks for all who have served, prayed and supported this work. We hope that the seeds planted through this project will continue to bear fruit in the years ahead, as new communities flourish and the good news of Jesus Christ is shared in fresh ways.

The new Archdeacon of York will be formally collated at a ceremony at York Minster on Saturday 10th January 2026, during Evensong at 5.30pm.

The Revd Canon Liz Hassall, previously Rector of the York City Centre churches and Associate Area Dean of York, succeeds Sam Rushton, who served as Archdeacon from 2019 to 2025. Liz took on the role of Acting Archdeacon of York in April 2025 and represents the diocese on the Church of England’s General Synod.

All are welcome to attend the ceremony, but space in the Quire may be limited to the choir, robing clergy, and invited guests. Please note that visibility and sound quality will be significantly reduced for those seated in the Nave. If you have not received an invitation to robe, please assume ordinary dress.

In addition to the collation at York Minster, a public service will take place at Selby Abbey on Sunday 1st February at 2pm where Liz will be welcomed by The Rt Revd Dr Flora Winfield, Bishop of Selby. The event promises everyone an opportunity to celebrate Liz’s arrival and commit her ministry to God.

The Reverend Tom Mumford has been appointed Chaplain to support the Bishop of Selby in her role as Lead Bishop for the Diocese of York. In this new role, Tom will be responsible for providing the Bishop with spiritual, liturgical, administrative, strategic and practical support, and sharing in pastoral oversight.

Welcoming Tom to the role, the Bishop of Selby, the Rt Revd Flora Winfield, said: “Tom brings to this new role a strong commitment to the parochial ministry of the Church of England, a profound sense of God’s work in his own life and a prayerful approach to the Church’s pastoral mission and theological vocation. I am looking forward very much to working with Tom, and to the rich contribution he will make to our ministry together in the diocese, in support of parishes and deaneries.”

The Revd Tom Mumford is currently the Vicar of Ipswich Minster and Assistant Area Dean of Ipswich in Suffolk. He also serves the wider diocese as Diocesan Interfaith Advisor, leads on the Suffolk Ministry Development Programme, and is a member of the Bishop’s Council and the DBF finance committee. As well as serving as a parish priest for the last seven years, Tom is also a Non-Executive Director of the University of Suffolk, a fellow of the Westminster Abbey Institute, and holds other church and charity roles both locally and nationally.

Based at Bishopthorpe, Tom will join the team there and in the Diocese of York in mid-March. This role, in common with the bishops and their support staff, is funded nationally by the Church Commissioners.

Tom said: “York was the place I first explored the Christian faith in my early 20s and discovered not only the love of God in Jesus Christ, but also a sense of call to be a priest. It will be a wrench to leave Ipswich and parish ministry where I have enjoyed some extraordinary years, but I feel as if I am being called to return to my spiritual home, both to support the mission and ministry of the diocese, and also of my wife as she explores her own call to be a parish priest. I am excited to see what God has in store for us all in the coming years, and I look forward to meeting the bishops, clergy, staff and people, and serving you all, so that together we may know more fully what it means for us to live Christ’s story.”

This month, the East Riding Archdeaconry will see the ordination of The Revd Barbara Bancroft as priest and Rosie Coles as deacon. Both will be ordained by The Rt Revd Dr Eleanor Sanderson, Bishop of Hull.

As a priest, Barbara will be able to carry out the full range of sacraments in the community and congregation, including presiding at Holy Communion.

Deacons are called to serve in the community and support the life of the church. Those preparing for this ministry will begin as an Assistant Curate in a parish within the diocese.

Revd Barbara Bancroft

Barbara serves as a deacon at Emmanuel Church, Bridlington, and at Barmston with Fraisthorpe.

She first came to Bridlington in the mid-1980s as a newly married science teacher and soon began worshipping at Emmanuel. While working as a hospital and home tutor, Barbara felt called to explore ordination as a priest around 2011. After a long period of discernment, she was ordained as a Distinctive Deacon in 2016.

Barbara trained part-time for three years with the Yorkshire Ministry Course, based in Mirfield.

She is blessed with two supportive daughters and sons-in-law, and four wonderful grandchildren.

Barbara said: “I loved being a deacon for several years, setting up a homeless meal and establishing a pattern of 24/7 prayer events, but in 2024, I knew God was calling me to Priesthood once more. It has been both exciting and frustrating at times, but I’m really looking forward to this next stage in my ministry with God.”

Rosie Coles

Rosie worked as a nurse for many years before spending a short period volunteering with the Iona Community in 2008. During that time, she first sensed a call to ministry when she was invited to lead morning worship in Iona Abbey.

Over the next decade, Rosie became a member of the Iona Community and trained as a Methodist minister at York St John University. Since 2018, she has served as a part-time hospital chaplain at Scarborough Hospital, a role she finds deeply fulfilling.

Rosie and her husband Roger moved to Scalby in 2020 and became part of the congregation at St Laurence’s.

Rosie said: “It has been a surprise and a delight to discover that God is still calling me to local ministry, and I am excited at the new opportunities to live out my faith and share God’s story, and the ways in which the Church of England is affirming and supporting me in this.”

Presidential Address

“I know it’s not quite Advent, and it’s certainly strange behaviour since, actually, I don’t really like Christmas carols very much, but around this time of year and including this week while driving around the diocese, I often turn to my Spotify Christmas Carols selection. And this week – again, not a carol I particularly like very much – See Amid the Winter’s Snow came up, and one line really struck me – the final line:

Teach us to resemble Thee,
In Thy sweet humility.

“And as we look, or begin to look towards Christmas, as we look back on what has been a difficult, challenging, and tumultuous year for the Church of England and one that has impacted me personally in all kinds of wonderful, but also difficult and painful ways, these Advent words seem more important and relevant than ever.

Read the full presidential address on our news pages at dioceseofyork.org.uk/news.

Safeguarding Report

Diocesan Secretary Canon Peter Warry shared the latest safeguarding report and confirmed that summary notes for the Archbishop’s Council will now appear at every Synod meeting as a standing item.

In response to the Stokesley Deanery motion (July), Synod noted the INEQE audit, which gave independent assurance of current practice and suggested areas for improvement. Recruitment is underway for an additional Safeguarding Adviser to strengthen diocesan support.

Safeguarding Week was a huge success, with nearly 500 people taking part (up from 360 last year), showing strong commitment across the diocese.

More parishes are now using safeguarding hubs and dashboards, and extra training and support for Parish Safeguarding Officers is planned.

Synod was reminded that the safeguarding bulletin remains a key resource for PSOs: dioceseofyork.org.uk/safeguarding.

Living Christ’s Story

Dr Mark Scott, Head of Programme Delivery introduced the Project Delivery Framework, which will guide progress and help ensure the programme has the greatest possible impact.

Mark highlighted the need for a clear strategy and defined outcomes so that success can be measured effectively. Current work is focused on improving data collection to support this.

Synod also received an update on the national bid timeline and how this will progress.

Financial Overview and Draft Budget 2025

Director of Finance Kathryn Rose shared an overview of our current financial position and introduced the draft budget.

Free Will Offerings have seen a 4-5% increase – the highest in over 20 years. Many parishes are meeting or exceeding their contributions, and Synod was asked to thank parishes for their commitment and encourage any outstanding pledges.

General Synod Report

Lucy Gorman and the Revd Dr Christian Selvaratnam gave a report on the July sessions of General Synod (GS).

Key discussions included the £1.6 billion three-year spending plan, long-term funding strategies, and clergy pensions, with GS approving measures to improve financial support and calling for an independent review of retirement provision.

GS made significant legislative progress, including final approval of the National Church Governance Measure, Armed Forces Chaplains (licensing) Measure, and national redress scheme.
GS voted to remove “Issues in Human Sexuality” from the vocations process and reaffirmed opposition to assisted suicide, calling for better palliative care funding.

Vocations and the future of ministry

Revd Canon Sam Taylor, recently appointed Diocesan Director of Ordinands and Adviser on Vocations, outlined the current picture nationally and locally, noting that fewer candidates are coming forward for stipendiary and self-supporting ministry. While diocesan numbers remain low, ordinations are expected to rise from six in 2026 to ten in 2027.

Plans for 2026 include Vocations Roadshows and initiatives to support younger vocations, such as the Stepping Up event in March. Revd Sam also noted that encouraging vocations begins with prayer and personal invitation. Vocation Sunday (26th April) in particular offers an opportunity for churches to share stories of calling, both lay and ordained.

Question time

Tina Pownall (York Deanery) asked what pastoral support had been offered to LGBTQIA+ clergy and lay people in the diocese since the House of Bishops’ statement on LLF (15 October). Archbishop Stephen responded that LLF Listeners were appointed to provide confidential support. Mona-Karina Theodosius, Diocesan Adviser in Pastoral Care, remains available. He emphasised that pastoral care continues to be offered confidentially and that bishops’ doors remain open to anyone affected by the LLF process.

Sammi Tooze (General Synod) asked whether, under Canon B5.2 (subject to B5.3), ministers may devise and use suitable forms of service for occasions where no authorised provision exists. The Archbishop confirmed that Canon B5 allows limited discretion, provided services do not depart from Church of England doctrine. He noted that Prayers of Love and Faith remain commended for use under this discretion.

Elections 2026

Diocesan Secretary, Peter Warry, outlined the election processes for the next triennium, including parochial representation on Deanery Synods.

Peter also noted that General Synod elections will take place in 2026 and thanked current members for their commitment and service. The electorate for General Synod will be those elected to Deanery Synods at the 2026 APCMs.

Growing younger news

Angela Brymer, Children and Youth Adviser, shared encouraging stories of children and young people’s growing involvement in diocesan life, and invited more young adults to take part.

Angela highlighted support for parishes through online training and planned in-person sessions, thanked those who have helped collect data to improve resources, and encouraged sign-up to the Children and Youth mailing list on our website.

Angela also presented findings from our first Listening Process, designed by young people in our GROW groups. She shared video clips from some of those involved. The final report is available on our website at https://dioceseofyork.org.uk/nw9l

Next meeting: Saturday 14th March 2026
in-person event, venue to be confirmed

Download notes

Printable version of Diocesan Synod notes for November 2025.

I know it’s not quite Advent, and it’s certainly strange behaviour since, actually, I don’t really like Christmas carols very much, but around this time of year, and including this week, while driving around the diocese, I often turn to my Spotify Christmas Carols selection. And this week – again, not a carol I particularly like very much – See Amid the Winter’s Snow came up, and one line really struck me – the final line:

Teach us to resemble Thee,
In Thy sweet humility.

And as we look, or begin to look towards Christmas, as we look back on what has been a difficult, challenging, and tumultuous year for the Church of England and one that has impacted me personally in all kinds of wonderful, but also difficult and painful ways, these Advent words seem more important and relevant than ever.

Don’t worry, this address isn’t going to be a review of the year, but I do want to draw some conclusions about what has happened this year in the Church of England since the publication of the Makin Review and the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, through to the happy news of Bishop Sarah’s nomination as the next Archbishop of Canterbury. And ‘Teach us to resemble Thee, in Thy sweet humility’ is not only a good place to start, but, I believe, an aspiration to reach for.

Indeed, I am the person most connected with those three words that summed up the Church of England’s vision and strategy for the 2020s: that God was calling us to be a simpler, humbler, and bolder Church.

Saying this, I am mindful that nowadays, if you want to find a precise location on the map, the most accurate method is to type three words into the relevant app.

These three words – simpler, humbler and bolder – take us straight to Jesus, particularly to his sweet humility, and the injunction of Paul, who says to the Church in Corinth: “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11.1)

With our safeguarding failures, the Church of England has been humbled, and we need greater independence to ensure proper scrutiny and safety going forward. Work is being done on that, and I am pleased in my year as the one archbishop standing to have played a small part in bringing that forward. And here in the York Diocese, I’m hugely grateful for our safeguarding team, for the hundreds of Parish Safeguarding Officers, for the work of our DSA and their team. And I want to celebrate again our annual Safeguarding Week, which happened last week, because it is a hugely positive contribution to the life of the diocese.

But we also need humility and boldness in other areas of our lives. The processes around Living in Love and Faith have left us in a place where trust has been damaged, and where recent decisions about what would be required if we were to go forward have pleased and reassured some bits of our church, but deeply hurt and dismayed others. None of this gives me any joy. I am pleased that the Prayers of Love and Faith are commended and can be used in existing church services, and will be a blessing to faithful same sex couples in our church. But I am very mindful of the concerns and anxieties this causes some, and of the ways in which others who hoped for more feel, at the moment, very let down.

Humility, yes, but also boldness. This year, the Church of England grew numerically for the fourth year running in this diocese. We are seeing the number of young people and young adults being confirmed going up. This is very good news, and we need to take hold of it. Maybe even seeing the connection between a church that is humbler and now a church that is becoming, with that humility, bolder in sharing the gospel. And more people are responding.

Finally, one of the features of my ministry this year, has been a huge amount of ecumenical engagement on the world stage.

I attended the funeral of Pope Francis, the inauguration of Pope Leo, I accompanied His Majesty the King on that historic visit to Rome a few weeks ago, where I had the enormous, and not so many years ago unimagined, privilege of leading worship alongside Pope Leo in the Sistine Chapel and seeing our King, in the afternoon, installed again in the Church of Saint Paul’s Outside the Walls, reviving a tradition that was lost at the Reformation and is itself a powerful sign of what a reconciled universal church might begin to look like. Not one where all differences are erased, but where fundamental love for Christ and one another put all differences into proper perspective. A week later, I was back in Rome to see Saint John Henry Newman declared a Doctor of the Church – the 38^th in 2000 years, and only the second Englishman, the other being Bede. In order to become a Doctor of the Church, everything Newman wrote was scrutinised and found to be consistent with the teaching of the Universal Church, that is, everything he wrote and every sermon he preached as an Anglican as well as a Roman Catholic.

And in September, I was in Mechelen to mark the Centenary of those historic talks between the Anglican and Roman Catholic Church, which were pioneered by the friendship of Lord Halifax, an Anglican layman from Yorkshire and Cardinal Mercia. And the current Lord Halifax was with me, as was the current Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels who has already written to ask whether he can come and visit York.

And this has also been the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. At the beginning of the summer, I attended a conference in Chichester where Bartholomew the Ecumenical Patriarch spoke about the unity our credal definitions give us, and I was honoured to host him at a dinner in London, where he gifted me a pectoral cross of Constantinople, which I meant to put on this morning to show you, but forgot.

I also attended a conference organised by the World Council of Churches on the persecuted church in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region of Azerbaijan and I heard absolutely harrowing stories of ethnic cleansing. Just last week, I was in the Holy Land hearing traumatising testimonies of how Palestinian people, including Christian Palestinian people, have basic rights denied them and their lives and futures squeezed out of them.

And throughout this year, and despite all the other things that have come into my diary, I have managed to maintain something that the Lord laid on my heart a few years ago: what I’ve been calling a Lord’s Prayer tour. Over and over again, I’ve been giving the same talks about how these words, the words Jesus gave us, don’t just teach us how to pray, they teach us how to live, and particularly the enormous power and significance of the opening word, ‘Our’. Not my father or your father. Not my God or your God. Not my church, not your church, not my way of saying things or your way of saying things, but ours. And therefore, we belong to one another and must bear one another’s burdens and have mutual responsibilities one to another, and cannot say of others, I don’t need you. And we should give honour to the weaker parts, and should not tolerate anyone being left behind. We should seek out the lost. We should turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile. All the things we see in Jesus Christ, all the things we need to nurture in ourselves. “Teach us to resemble Thee, in Thy sweet humility.”

And this, dear friends, is so important for our life together in this great diocese, where with humility and boldness we must continue to pay attention to our own unity and mission.

I give thanks that following our successful roadshow earlier this year, the Free Will Offer for next year has gone up, and gone up above inflation. This is a huge encouragement. More, of course, is needed. Flourishing and better financially resourced parishes in some parts of the diocese do need to give generously to support parishes in less well-resourced and more challenging circumstances. We all need to examine our stewardship and give in response to God’s abundant generosity to us in Christ, holding fast to the biblical principle of what it means to be the church, a body where we belong together.

Quite simply, we cannot live Christ’s story on our own because it is a story that binds us to God, who is a trinity of persons, and a church, which is a diversity of people. It also means that in changing circumstances, our plans need to flex and shift, as we’ll hear more about later. It’s now apparent that we need to grow our way out of our financial challenge, holding on to our vision of ministry belonging to the whole people of God and of the urgent need for an increase in vocations. And yes, of course, all vocations, but particularly vocations to ordained ministry. This is a priority for the whole Church of England and a priority for us. And I’m really grateful for the work our fabulous new Diocesan Director of Ordinands, Sam Taylor, is pioneering and for the support she is receiving across the diocese. Again, more of that later. We need more priests so that the whole people of God can be nurtured and supported in their ministry.

So I continue to pray for a simpler, humbler and bolder church here in our Diocese of York and across the Church of England.

I continue to believe that we can find ways of living together with our disagreements over human sexuality and human identity, and I continue to long for us to be a church where everyone is counted in. I believe we must do better to be a safer church and submit to independent scrutiny.

I rejoice when there are opportunities to bring us closer together, and I despair when we turn on one another. I also want to say how very, very grateful I am in what has been a challenging year for me, for the prayers and support of this diocese, which I love very much. And I especially want to thank Bishop Flora, Bishop Eleanor and Bishop Barry for the additional burdens they’ve carried this year and also to Peter Warry and those who serve in the diocesan office, and for our fabulous team of archdeacons.

Sisters and brothers, it is together that we are called to live the story of Christ, to be like Christ, and to be simpler, humbler and bolder in our faith.

See, amid the winter snow. See, amid the horrors in Gaza, the privations in the West Bank, the persecution of Christians in many places across the world and other places of horror and conflict. See, amid the polarisation in our society, the denial of human rights, the shocking inequalities of wealth and opportunity, even the terrible abuses that too many people continue to suffer, see amid our own crises and challenges, our opportunities for mission, and the spiritual thirst in our society. See, amid all the difficulties of the world, the coming of Jesus Christ, the dawn of hope.

Sacred infant, all divine,
what a tender love was Thine,
thus to come from highest bliss
down to such a world as this.

Teach us to resemble thee.

The people of Jamaica are facing immense hardship following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa. Here in the Diocese of York, we have parishioners who were born in Jamaica or have Jamaican heritage living and working in our communities. They are asking how we can respond through prayer and practical support.

Pray for Jamaica and the Caribbean

You can find a prayer resource from the Diocese of Southwark here – Prayers for the people of Jamaica and the Caribbean – The Diocese of Southwark

Give to Relief Efforts

The Church of England is part of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, which has shared details of how member churches are responding and provided a secure link for donations: Responding to Hurricane Melissa – CTBI

Other trusted ways to give include:

• The Red Cross – https://www.redcross.org/
• The Jamaican National Bank – https://www.jnb.com/
• Windrush National Organisations – http://www.windrushnationalorganisation.com

Many dioceses are already working with local partners. In Croydon, the Croydon BME Forum is collecting physical donations and sending them to Jamaica. You can help by purchasing items from their Amazon wishlist: Jamaica – cbmeforum

Whatever you can give – whether prayer, money or goods – will make a real difference and will be received with gratitude.

Yvonne Bowling, Co-Chair for Racial Justice, Diocese of York

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our Advent and Christmas resources for 2025, inviting churches, communities, and individuals across the diocese to embrace this year’s theme: Joy.

Complementing the Church of England’s national resources, we have developed a suite of tools to help people of all ages reflect on Advent and Christmas in meaningful ways. Content includes videos, a downloadable reflective journal, the latest episode of our Worship Working Group podcast, and links to our Advent worship and Jesse Tree resources for children and young people.

If you are a church preparing for Advent and Christmas, you can find a range of helpful tools, templates, and guidance from the Church of England, including a digital planner, on the Digital Labs pages.

Have a story to share about how your church is engaging with the local community over Advent and Christmas? Get in touch by email at comms@yorkdiocese.org.

Movements of clergy and others, into, out of and between posts in the Diocese of York

The Reverend Canon Michael Cranmer Cansdale, Vicar of the Benefices of Newby and Scarborough St Luke, has been appointed additionally as Area Dean of Scarborough for a period of 5 years with effect from Wednesday 5th November 2025. He was commissioned at St Mark, Newby on Wednesday 5th November 2025.

The Reverend Canon David Casswell, Priest-in-Charge of York St Hilda, has retired with effect from Monday 10th November 2025.

The Reverend Bill Dewing, Assistant Curate (House for Duty) of Osmotherley and the Hillside Parishes, will be re-licensed as Assistant Curate (House for Duty) in Osmotherley and the Hillside Parishes. He will be licensed by the Bishop of Whitby at 21 Thornton Road, Stainton, Middlesbrough on Monday 26^th January at 9am.

The Reverend Nicholas John Garside, Interim Priest-in-Charge of the Benefice of Riccall, Barlby and Hemingbrough and of the Benefice of Bubwith and Skipwith, has been appointed as Vicar of the Benefice of Riccall, Barlby and Hemingbrough and of the Benefice of Bubwith and Skipwith, held in plurality. He was licensed by the Bishop of Selby at St Helen’s, Skipwith, on Wednesday 15th October at 7.30pm.

The Reverend Richard Grant, Assistant Curate of the Benefice of Thirsk has been appointed Vicar of the Benefice of Easingwold with Raskelf. He was collated by the Bishop of Selby at St John the Baptist and All Saints, Easingwold, on Tuesday 21st October 2025 at 7.30pm.

The Reverend Christine Haddon-Reece, Priest-in-Charge of the Benefice of Lastingham with Appleton-le-Moors, Rosedale and Cropton, will retire on 22nd January 2026. Her final service will take place at St Mary’s, Lastingham, on Thursday 22nd January 2026 at 7.00pm.

The Archbishop of York has appointed the Reverend Canon Elizabeth (Liz) Claire Hassall, (Rector of the Benefice of York All Saints, Pavement with St Crux and St Michael Spurriergate, held in plurality with St Olave with St Giles, York St Helen Stonegate with St Martin Coney Street and York St Denys; Associate Area Dean of York; and Acting Archdeacon of York) as the next Archdeacon of York.

Having served her curacy in the Headland Benefice in Bridlington Deanery, Canon Hassall became the Rector of the Benefice of Crayke with Brandsby and Yearsley, held in plurality with Coxwold and Husthwaite, until the end of 2020 when she moved into her current role with the York City Centre churches. Since March 2025, she has been serving as the Acting Archdeacon of York.

Her collation as the Archdeacon of York will take place in York Minster on Saturday 10th January 2026 at 5.30pm.

The Reverend Shirley Elizabeth Hebden, Priest-in-Charge (House for Duty) of the Benefice of Beeford with Frodingham and Foston, has been reappointed as Priest-in-Charge (House for Duty) of the Benefice of Beeford with Frodingham and Foston, for a period of two years. She will be licensed by the Bishop of Hull win a private ceremony at Hullen House on Wednesday 17th December.

The Reverend Debbie Long, Assistant Curate at the Benefice of Derwent Ings, has been appointed as Assistant Curate at St Edward the Confessor, Dringhouses until 29th June 2028. She was licensed by the Bishop of Selby on Wednesday 5th November 2025.

The Reverend Boyle Osaro Omobude, Chaplain of Roseberry Park Hospital in Middlesbrough, will retire with effect from 30th November 2025.

The Reverend Mark Poole, Priest in Charge of the Barmby Moor Group Benefice, has been appointed as Vicar of the Barmby Moor Group. He will be collated by the Bishop of Selby at St Catherine’s, Barmby Moor, on Monday 17th November at 7.30pm.

The Reverend Jennifer (Jenny) Ruth Rankin, Assistant Curate of Hull, St John Newland, has been appointed as Assistant Curate (to be known as Associate Vicar) of the Benefice of Derringham Bank for a period of three years. She will be licensed by the Bishop of Hull at the Ascension Church on Thursday 27th November 2025 at 7.30pm.

The Reverend Robert Stone, Rector of the Benefice of Rodings, Easters and Great Canfield in the Diocese of Chelmsford, has been appointed as Rector of the Benefice of Weighton Wold held in plurality with Goodmanham and Sancton. He will be instituted by the Bishop of Selby at All Saints, Market Weighton, on Wednesday 12th November at 7.30pm.

The Reverend Miriam Thurlow, Assistant Curate in the Benefice of Bridlington Christ Church with Bessingby and Ulrome, has been appointed as Assistant Curate (known as Associate Vicar) of the Benefice of Bridlington Christ Church with Bessingby and Ulrome. She will be licensed by the Bishop of Hull in a private ceremony at Hullen House on Tuesday 16th December 2025.

The Reverend Samuel Tyndall, 20s-40s Minister for Marton-in-Cleveland with Easterside, has been appointed as Priest-in-Charge of the Benefice of St Martin of Tours with St Cuthbert, Middlesbrough. He will be licensed by Bishop of Whitby will be held at St Martin’s, Whinney Banks, on Wednesday 14th January 2026 at 7.00pm.

The Reverend Canon Richard John Walker, Canon Diocesan at Chester Cathedral and Bishops’ Advisor for Diocesan Discernment of Ordained Ministry in the Diocese of Chester, has been appointed as Priest-in-Charge of Malton and Old Malton. He will be licensed by the Bishop of Selby at St Michael’s, Malton on Tuesday 16th December at 7.30pm.

The Reverend Matthew Woodcock, Priest-in-Charge of the Benefice of Acomb St Stephen, has been appointed as Vicar of Acomb St Stephen. He will be collated and inducted by Bishop of Selby at Acomb St Stephen on Tuesday 25th November at 7.30pm.

Honorary Canons

The following Canons were collated by the Archbishop, and admitted and installed by the Dean at York Minster on Saturday 7th June during Evensong:

• The Revd Canon Adam Gaunt as Prebend of Botevant
• The Revd Canon Michael Gobbett as Prebend of Fenton
• The Revd Canon Sam Taylor as Prebend of Warthill

The following Canons were collated by the Bishop of Selby (acting as the Archbishop’s Commissary), and admitted and installed by the Dean at York Minster on Saturday 1st November during Evensong:

• The Revd Canon Dianne Gamble as Prebend of Fridaythorpe
• The Revd Canon Graham Potter as Prebend of Husthwaite
• The Revd Canon Tessa Stephens as Prebend of Langtoft

Prior to the above installation service, also on Saturday 1st November, the Revd Canon Graham Potter was licensed by the Bishop of Whitby to undertake his new role as Deanery Strategy Enabler for Middlesbrough. As previously announced, he will continue in his role as Area Dean of Middlesbrough.

A meeting of the York Diocesan Synod will be held via Zoom on Saturday 29th November 2025
commencing at 9.00 am. The meeting will finish around 1 pm.

The business to be discussed at the meeting will include:

• Living Christ’s Story
• Financial Overview and Draft Budget
• Report on the July Sessions of General Synod
• Vocations
• Elections 2026 – Deanery Elections and General Synod
• Children and Youth News

The full agenda is available to download here.

---

The York Diocesan Synod is the governing body of the Church of England in our diocese.

It considers matters sent to it from General Synod and from deaneries, formulates diocesan policy, advises the Archbishop as appropriate, and votes on the funding of stipends and administration. Lay and ordained members elected by Deanery Synods serve for three years.

All Synod meetings are open and public (unless it is a meeting in closed session for a specific item), but only members are entitled to speak or vote.

A meeting of the York Diocesan Synod will be held via Zoom on Saturday 29th November 2025
commencing at 9.00 am. The meeting will finish around 1 pm.

The Business to be discussed at the meeting will include:

• Living Christ’s Story
• Financial Overview and Draft Budget
• Report on the July Sessions of General Synod
• Vocations
• Elections 2026 – Deanery Elections and General Synod
• Children and Youth News

The full agenda will be published at least a week before the meeting.

Questions or New Business requests

Under Standing Orders, Diocesan Synod members may submit Questions or request New Business for the Agenda, in writing, signed and sent by email attachment to kirsty.mccullough@yorkdiocese.org, or delivered to the Secretary, York Diocesan Synod, Diocese of York, Amy Johnson Way, Clifton Moor, York YO30 4XT by hand or by post, by the following dates:

• *Questions, Motions and Amendments arising from the Agenda: to arrive by 4.00 pm 21/11/2025
  
• *Questions not arising from the Agenda: to arrive by 4.00 pm 21/11/2025
  

* Members are reminded that under Standing Orders they are entitled to submit two original questions for answer at a meeting of the Diocesan Synod, and a member who has asked a question may ask one supplementary question in respect of each original question. Questions shall not ask for an expression of opinion or for the solution of either an abstract legal question or a hypothetical problem, and should relate to the business or duties of the committee chair or officer addressed.

The York Diocesan Synod is the governing body of the Church of England in our diocese.

It considers matters sent to it from General Synod and from deaneries, formulates diocesan policy, advises the Archbishop as appropriate, and votes on the funding of stipends and administration. Lay and ordained members elected by Deanery Synods serve for three years.

All Synod meetings are open and public (unless it is a meeting in closed session for a specific item), but only members are entitled to speak or vote.