Rector
Rev’d Chris Lawton BATM TSSF
Chris came to the
parishes in July 2017 having served his curacy in Leyburn and Bellerby. Before ordination training at Cranmer Hall in Durham Chris served as a Missioner in 6 rural parishes in Wiltshire for two years and as a City Missioner in Gloucester for four years prior to that. He lives in Patrick Brompton with his wife Siân who is the Curate for the Masham Group of Churches and their boys Llewelyn, Emrys, Arwyn, and Bleddyn.
Chris is passionate about reaching out to our communities with the Good News of the Gospel and with practical help and support where possible.
He was a founding trustee of the Church About the Dale charity and is a Clergy representative on the Leeds Diocesan Synod. Chris has had a long interest in the New Monastic movement and is currently exploring membership of the Franciscan Third Order.
Having studied photography and film at college he continues both interests and you can follow him on Instagram to see some of his photographs.
Chris normally takes Tuesdays as his rest day.
Reader
Sue Bianco
Sue was licensed as a Reader in 2019 and regularly leads services in the benefice
. She is an active member of Patrick Brompton/Newton le Willows House Group and is currently a member of Deanery synod. Sue strongly supports lay training in the diocese and has taught intermittently on the Reader training course and the Lay Worship leader course.
Lay Worship Leaders
Myra Shield
Myra trained as LWL in 2017 and helps to lead worship at St Gregory’s Crakehall.
Pauline Irwin
Pauline trained as LWL in 2020 and helps to lead worship at St Gregory’s Crakehall.
Julie Morton Lee
Julie trained as LWL in 2020 and helps to lead worship at St Michael’s Spennithorne.
Retired Clergy who support us
Fr Philip Carrington MBE CStJ MA MCMI
Fr Philip is a retired Anglican Priest, married to Linda, now living in Crakehall.
Prior to Ordination, he was a Chartered Electronics Engineer (CEng), travelling extensively, latterly as Marketing Manager for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He remains a Member of the Chartered Management Institute (MCMI).
He was licensed as Reader in the Diocese of Ely, Europe and Chichester.
Following training for Ordination at Chichester Theological College, he served his title as Curate at St Mary’s, West Acklam in the Diocese of York, then as Vicar in the Urban Priority Parish of Easterside, Middlesbrough. He was a member of the Diocesan Church Urban Fund Committee and on the York Diocesan Board of Finance. He holds an MA in Theology and Religious Studies from Leeds University.
He is the former Trust Chaplain and Chaplaincy Manager for the South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust. He served on the Medical Research Ethics Committee for Yorkshire and as County Chaplain for St John Ambulance in North Yorkshire and Teesside.
Latterly, he was Vicar of the Parish of St Stephen, Guernsey and Head of Chaplaincy Services for the Guernsey Board of Health. Whilst there he was Bailiwick Commander St John Ambulance for Guernsey, Alderney, Herm and Sark.
He received the MBE for his service as Hospital Chaplain. He is now County President of St John Ambulance for North Yorkshire and Teesside and was recently appointed Commander in the Order of St John (CStJ).
Fr Philip regularly celebrates the Sunday Eucharist in both the Lower Wensleydale and Bedale Benefices and currently leads the Crakehall Bible Study Group.
Administrator
Jan Carnell
Jan began working for the church back in November 2013 when she became Administrator and PCC Secretary at St Gregory’s, Bedale where she stayed for nine years.
More recently she has been working in the same role at the Benefice of Leyburn and Bellerby and at the Parish of Sharow with Copt Hewick and Marton-le-Moor.
She is also the Administrator of her husband Paul’s Bookkeeping business which specialises in Church accounting.
Having had a varied career in the travel industry, retail, the finance sector and private teaching, church administration has become Jan’s niche.