The Acting Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Sarah Clark is pleased to announce that the Reverend Canon Katherine Bagnall has been nominated as the next Archdeacon of Sunderland succeeding the Venerable Bob Cooper, now Dean of Guildford.
Katherine is currently Priest in Charge of St Mary and St Peter's within the Group of the Annunciation, Sunderland and an Assistant Archdeacon in Durham Diocese. She served her curacy in Darlington and is a Canon of Durham Cathedral. Katherine will be installed as Archdeacon in the autumn.
She said: “I am delighted to be taking up the post of Archdeacon of Sunderland. The Diocese of Durham has been home to me throughout my ministry and it is where I feel God is continuing to call me to be a ‘courageous and creative spiritual leader’.
“I have always believed parish ministry to be the highest calling in the Church of England and have loved it for many years, and as Archdeacon I look forward to helping colleagues in all forms of ministry to grow and flourish. I am passionate about growing communities of learning, support and mutual flourishing and bringing together people who may not have otherwise connected. With colleagues, I will continue this work across the Archdeaconry of Sunderland, helping to grow God’s Church together and bring about the transformation we seek.”
Bishop Sarah said: “I am delighted that Katherine has accepted this key calling and I am looking forward to all she will bring to us in our leadership of the Diocese. As well as taking on this vital role in the daily life of our diocese, supporting our deaneries and parishes, as Archdeacon of Sunderland she will help lead our vision of transformation to grow the life of the Church and the impact our parishes have in the communities they serve.
“Katherine has significant experience in ordained ministry and has demonstrated great passion and commitment to helping develop projects supporting people most in need in her community and enabling people to encounter Christ. We pray for Katherine and her husband Derek as they enter this exciting new chapter of their lives.”
Katherine will become one of our three archdeacons, working alongside the Venerable Rick Simpson, Archdeacon of Auckland and the Venerable Libby Wilkinson, Archdeacon of Durham.
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