New Diocesan Registrar appointed

Sarah Tomlinson has been appointed as the new Diocesan Registrar, taking over from Kirsty Duxbury.

Sarah has worked as a Solicitor at Anthony Collins for 24 years with a focus on churches and charities, particularly governance and trusts and dealing regularly with the Charity Commission. She has specialised in Ecclesiastical Law and has been Deputy Registrar for the Dioceses of Sheffield and Birmingham over the last few years.

The Diocesan Registrar is the legal officer for the Diocese of Worcester, appointed by the Bishop, and provides advice on ecclesiastical law and legal services to the Bishop, diocesan bodies, clergy, parish officers and PCCs.

Working alongside the Registry Clerk, Liz Matthews, the team has overall responsibility for maintain the Registry’s records and documents, including preparing licenses for ordinations and new clergy appointments as well as administering the Faculty system which enables churches to make changes to their buildings.

Sarah said:

“I am delighted to have taken on the role of Registrar for the Diocese of Worcester. I really enjoy the variety of work we see in the Registry. Compliance with the law – and particularly ecclesiastical law – is not always straightforward and we can help people across the Diocese find ways through increasingly complicated issues. I am a practising Christian and being Registrar is very much an outworking of my own faith and a form of ministry for me. Everything we do in the Registry is in the context of helping to build the Church.”

Sarah will continue to work alongside Liz and Lisa Moncur, Deputy Registrar.  Find contact details for the diocesan registry.