About Us

Bishop John: John Packer is the Diocesan Bishop

The Rt Revd John Packer is the first to bear the title of 'Bishop of Ripon & Leeds'. He was formerly Bishop of Warrington in the Liverpool Diocese. He took up this office on Sunday 16th July, 2000.

New Address:
Hollin House,
Weetwood Avenue,
Leeds
LS16 5NG
(0113) 224 2789
Bishop John
PA: Janet Slater
Office hours: Monday - Friday, 9.00am - 5.00pm.

 

Bishop James:James Bell is the Suffragan [or Assistant] Bishop

The Right Revd James Bell was formerly Director of Mission for the diocese and lives in Exelby near Richmond. He has pastoral responsibility with Bishop John for the whole diocese with a particular concern for rural issues and evangelism.

Thistledown,
Main St.,
Exelby,
Bedale
DL8 2HD
(01677) 423525
Bishop James
PA: Judith Richardson
Office hours: Mon-Thurs, 9.15 am - 2.15 pm. Office Closed on Friday.

 

Very Revd Keith Jukes: Keith is the Dean of Ripon Cathedral.

Minster House
Bedern Bank
Ripon
HG4 1PE

He can be contacted via the Cathedral Office:
(01765) 603462
Dean Keith

 

There are two Archdeacons for the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds - their role is as 'area managers' for the Bishop. They help to look after all the clergy in pastoral and practical ways, and support churches when they have no vicar.

Ven Peter Burrows: Peter is the Archdeaon of Leeds

3 West Park Grove
Roundhay
LEEDS
LS8 2HQ 
(0113) 269 0594 or Ven Peter Burrows
PA: Chloe Drummond.
Office hours: Monday - Friday 8.30am - 12.30pm, Tuesday 8.30am - 5.00pm.

Ven Janet Henderson: Janet is the Archdeacon of Richmond

Hoppus House
Smith Lane
Hutton Conyers
RIPON
HG4 5DX
(01765) 601 316  or Ven Janet Henderson PA: Vicki Barrière
Office hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10.00am - 2.30pm.

 

 

 

Philip Arundel is the Diocesan Secretary. He and his staff are located at the Diocesan Office at:

St Mary's Street,
Leeds,
LS9 7DP
(0113) 200 0545
philipa@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk

 

Clive Sedgwick is the Joint Director of Education for both Ripon and Leeds and the Diocese of Bardford.

The education team can be contacted at:

Windsor House
Cornwall Road
Harrogate,
HG1 2PW
(01423) 817553
admin@brleducationteam.org.uk

 

Adrian Alker is  Director of Mission Resourcing.

(0113) 200 0559
adriana@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk

Adrian is available to come alongside parishes and work with them to support and encourage mission.

Paul Hooper  is Director of Clergy Development

He is located at the Diocesan Office

(0113) 200 0557

paulh@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk

 

To find out more about the work of specific Diocesan Officers, click here.

 

 

Peter J Mojsa, Administrative and Deputy Secretary
Direct Line: 0113 200 0542
Email: peterm@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk
Synodical matters, Elections, Bishop's Council, Board of Finance, Pastoral Committee, Redundant churches, IT, DAC.

Jillian Whitehead, Administrative Executive Officer
Direct Line: 0113 200 0546
Email: jillianw@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk
Assists Admin & Deputy Sec with Pastoral Committee, Redundant Churches, Pastoral Measure, production of Diocesan Directory and General Office supervision.

Natalya Heap, Secretary
Direct Line: 0113 200 0545
Email: natalyah@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk
Diary for the Diocesan Secretary, annual fixed committee dates, synod elections, diocesan database.

Finance

Downloadable information on finance and parish share can be accessed in the Resources section of the site.

Norman Gardner, Financial Secretary
(0113) 200 0550

normang@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk

Paul Winstanley, Stewardship Adviser
(0113) 200 0555

paulw@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk

Sheila Hufton, Accounts Officer

(0113) 200 0551

sheilah@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk

Julie Seddon, Accounts Officer (mornings only)

(0113) 200 0552

julies@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk

Clare Bellamy, Accounts Officer (afternoons only)

(0113) 200 0553

clareb@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk

Property

Michael Lindley, Diocesan Surveyor
(0113) 200 0549

michaell@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk

Kath Hinchcliffe, Property Assistant

(0113) 200 0549

kathh@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk

Click on the photos to find out more about the work of specific officers.

Interfaith Charles Dobbin (0113) 268 4598

 

 

New Religious Movements     

Lesley Ashton (0113) 258 2923

 

Our link dioceses in Sri Lanka  

Barbara Belsham (0113) 273 7192

 

 

World Development  John Rutter (01765) 605638

 

 

Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser  Sue Booth (0113) 275 5266

 

 

The diocese of Ripon & Leeds is home to a great family of 169 Church of England parishes containing 267 churches which stretch right across 1,359 square miles of North and West Yorkshire and the south-western tip of County Durham.

At one end are the vast empty spaces of the Upper Dales (Herriot Country), as remote as any countryside in England, at the other is Leeds, with all the opportunities and difficulties of one of the great cities of the kingdom. In between lie Richmond, Ripon and Harrogate and the many small market towns and commuter villages of North Yorkshire.

For more about the diocese, its history and continuing work, click here.

The Diocese of Ripon and Leeds is in the Northern Province of the Church of England, and as such we are under the authority of the Archbishop of York.

The diocese itself is divided up into two archdeaconries, Richmond in the north and Leeds in the south. In turn, these are subdivided into deaneries, four in each. You can see a map of them here.

Deaneries are made up of clusters of parishes, have their own area deans and lay chairs, and have regular synods of their own. For more information about who are the archdeacons and area deans for your parish, consult the interactive map.

 

The diocesan cathedral is in Ripon, a small city approximately 15 miles north of Harrogate, roughly in the centre of the diocese.

The cathedral has historical links with two major literary figures. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, often visited Ripon when his father was a residentiary canon in 1852, writing part of Through the Looking-Glass during one of many visits. And Wilfrid Owen, one of the Great War poets, spent a key period of convalescence in Ripon, during which time he wrote Futility and Strange Meeting, visiting the cathedral on his 25th birthday.

More information on the cathedral can be found here.

 

The Church of England is governed by the General Synod and in the same way the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds is governed by our Diocesan Synod.

Synod is a form of church-based parliament, where people from any part of the church have an opportunity to have their voice heard. Members belong to one of three groups or 'houses': bishops, clergy and laity.

(pic rt: Bishop John addressing General Synod at York, July '08)

Our Current General Synod members:

Laity
Katherine Carr
Nigel Greenwood
Ruth Whitworth

Clergy
Rev Katherine Fitzsimons
Ven Peter Burrows

(vacancy)

Bishops
Bishop John Packer
Bishop Martyn Jarrett [our 'flying bishop']

Diocesan Synod meets three times a year to debate topics of concern, to develop or approve new initiatives, vote on areas of the dioceses’ work which it has responsibility for including the budget, parish share and finance in general and hear about issues affecting the diocese.  The House of Bishops, Clergy and Laity make up the three authorities of the Synod.

Elected for a further term as the Lay Chair is Canon Ann Nicholl (pictured far left), the Clergy Chair is Canon Tony Shepherd (2nd right)

 

 

A new three year term of Synod has started this Autumn and for a round-up of the first meeting, October 2009, click here