Category: Steering Group

Martin Lee

I joined the National Deaneries Network over 15 years ago and had the privilege of working as part of the team over many conferences. I am a Parish Priest having served 12 years in the diocese of Bath and Wells,  6 of those years as a Rural Dean and then ten years in the diocese of Newcastle 5 of those again as an Area Dean. I became Chair of the Network some four years ago and greatly value the opportunity of working with our team as we seek to find new ways in which we can reach out to the many dioceses of our Church and serve them promoting and encouraging the work of deaneries. At this exciting time with the Renewal and Reform agenda utmost in our minds,  I perceive the role of the deanery ever more critical as we seek to empower all both laity and clergy to be enlivened by God’s love and to respond generously to him and his Church.

Ros Brewer

Ros Brewer a member of the National Deaneries Network Team since 2010.

I am a widow, blessed with two married sons and three wonderful granddaughters. My working life was as a nursing sister and nurse practitioner in general practice.

I have been Lay Chair since 2002 and now Lay Dean in the very proactive Deanery of Scarborough in the Diocese of York.

A member of General Synod since 2010, a member of Archbishop’s Council and Vice Chair of the Diocesan Mission and Pastoral Committee. I also serve the Diocese in other committees including the recent work of ‘Developing our Deaneries’ and see deaneries as a gift to encourage and grow the mission and message of Jesus Christ to all.

It is a joy to be part of the Fresh Expressions Team in Scarborough, a Trustee of ‘Westway Open Arms’ a Christian Social Action Centre which continues to nurture those new to faith and provides sanctuary and help to those in need.

I am privileged as a Spiritual Director to walk alongside those on their faith journey and a member of the team delivering the SPIDIR Course in York Diocese.

Alastair Cutting

Alastair had the value and importance of Deaneries impressed on him by the priest who took his wedding. Having had long term experience in 5 deaneries in Doncaster, Sheffield, Uxbridge, Copthorne and then Henfield in Sussex, he now has a close working relationship with the 6 deaneries in Lewisham & Greenwich Archdeaconry in Southwark, where Alastair has been Archdeacon since 2013. He is married to Kay, and has two grown up daughters.

Phil Brown

Philip Charles Brown
Biggleswade Deanery
St Albans Diocese

Skills.  I was trained as a scientist/engineer, but for much of my civil service career I worked as a programme manager.  Hence I am very much the bureaucrat or committee animal.

Passion.  Ministry to rural communities.  I was for 12 years Lay Chair of a semi rural deanery, where agriculture fits into an increasingly dormitory structure, exemplified by the 4 large parishes (out of 19) which contain over 70% of the population.  With very good north-south communications along the A1 corridor and good east-west communications between Cambridge and Bedford, many of the population work outside the Deanery and very few in agriculture.

Secondary – the environment.  As an engineer, my training highlighted the need to improve efficiency and reduce waste.  My passion is that EVERYONE has a personal responsibility to minimise their consumption of the resources provided freely by God.

Phil Brown

Tug Wilson

Tug Wilson
Tug Wilson

John (or Tug as he is known in church circles) Wilson is currently Lay Chair of the Lichfield Diocese and a member of General Synod. He has served as a Churchwarden and was Lay Chair of the Lichfield Deanery for over 20 years. He is one of the longest serving members (almost 30 years) on the Steering Group for the National Deaneries Network. For over 10 years now he has looked after the marketing and bookings for the NDN Conferences as well as over seeing the finances.

Tug is passionate about the role of the Deanery. He sees the Deanery as a key element in co-ordinating and deploying resources and supporting Parishes and Dioceses in their task of mission and evangelism. He speaks at events – particularly Deanery and Diocesan Synods – on the role and opportunities for Deaneries. He often comments that if you cut him he bleeds Deanery Blood!

With the publication of the Setting God’s People Free report Setting God’s People Free Tug is taking a lead in briefing and encouraging Deaneries to become engines of change in culture to enable lay and clergy to work together to support and give lay people confidence to be disciples in their Monday to Saturday lives.

Tug and his wife Ann have been married for 50 years and have two sons. Andrew is married to Sarah and have provided two grandchildren – Alf and Issy. Their other son is Steve who is content to be single.

Away from church Tug is an award winning chef however, he is better known as a Social Entrepreneur. He has spent almost 40 years working with charities and voluntary groups with a particular emphasis on Social Enterprise. He has headed up a number of Charities and, as a consultant, has set up significant Social Enterprises providing services for Older People and other vulnerable groups and food redistribution. For five years he chaired a National Working Party for the Department of Work and Pensions on Older people and Exclusion.

Amongst all of this Tug has found time to set up and run online businesses and develop mobile and online management information and data systems.

Music and singing has always played a key part in relaxing. This has included recording and touring both at home and aboard with pro/am musicals. He now sings with the Lichfield Gospel Choir. With over 100 voices the choir has performed in some of the worlds most prestige venues.

Lichfield Gospel Choir

Tim Norwood

Tim is the full-time Area Dean of Milton Keynes, a role focussed on Church growth and the Common Good. He is passionate about collaborative ministry and social justice.

He is chair of Refugees Welcome MK which has welcomed twelve families into Milton Keynes as part of the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme.

He has a particular interest in community organising and is co-chair of Citizens MK and Citizens UK. He says that organising has given him the most moving, exiciting and effective experiences of ministry.

As a member of the NDN Steering Group he has contributed to the design of the logo and web site and supported Tug with the AV work at the conference. He hopes that the NDN will grow as a network and become more active between conferences.

Canon Carla Hampton

Carla Hampton is Chaplain to the St Mellitus students in Chelmsford, as well as being an Honorary Canon of Chelmsford Cathedral, a Chaplain to The Priory Hospital and Vocations Adviser for Maldon & Dengie Deanery. She first studied at The Royal College of Music, before teaching in secondary education for 29 years (finishing as Assistant Deputy and School based Tutor for the Institute of Education). Carla trained for ordination at NTMTC, before serving her curacy at St Andrew’s, Chelmsford. Carla has served as a chaplain in hospitals and schools, as well as being part of the Chelmsford Retail Chaplains. She has been parish priest at Great Waltham with Ford End, and part of the steering committee for the Diocesan Pastoral Assistant Course, before being made Area Dean in 2007. She retired from full time parish ministry in 2012, whilst continuing as Area Dean for a further 3 years, but now has PTO in Chelmsford Diocese, as well as Norwich Diocese, where she is planning to move in 2018.