Dr John Preston, currentlyNational Stewardship Officer for the Church of England has been appointed asthe new Diocesan Secretary for the Diocese of Worcester. As Diocesan Secretary,John will act as the CEO of the Worcester Diocesan Board of Finance Ltd (WDBF)and will work closely with the Bishop of Worcester and the Chair of the WDBF tolead the mission and ministry of the Diocese in Worcestershire and Dudley aswell as ensure its financial stability. John replaces Robert Higham, who isretiring after 19 years in the role.
Since 2005, John has served asthe Church of Englands National Stewardship and Resources Officer, challengingChristians to consider how we might be generous with all that God has entrustedus with our time, money, homes, talents etc. Prior to that, Johns background was in marketing - everything fromsandwiches to soap-powder. He is a Lay Minister in his local church on the edgeof Telford and also serves on the PCC.
John said: I'm excited to bejoining the Diocese of Worcester at this time of opportunity for the Church ofEngland. It will be a privilege to work with the great team at the diocesanoffice and across the diocese to support and enable parishes in Worcestershireand Dudley to engage with their communities and continue on their journey tobecoming Kingdom People. It is also an honour to be invited to follow RobertHigham, whose faithful service and depth of commitment are outstanding."
The Bishop of Worcester, DrJohn Inge said: John has a huge wealth of experience in both the church andthe secular world. He has served the national church with great distinction fortwelve years and we are immensely blessed that he feels called to serve here asDiocesan Secretary. His gifts and skills, underpinned by a deep faith, will beinvaluable to us as he takes a leading role in enabling us to move forward inour Kingdom People vision.
Chair of the Diocesan Board ofFinance, Alastair Findlay, said: Robert will be a hard act to follow asDiocesan Secretary, but Im confident that in John weve got someone who hasthe knowledge and skills to lead the Diocesan Board of Finance into the future,helping to ensure that the Gospel is spread across the diocese as we continueto serve all our communities.
Current Diocesan Secretary,Robert Higham, said: Im delighted that John has been appointed as mysuccessor. Hes someone I know well as National Stewardship Officer and Ivevery much valued his focus on resourcing the Church in mission.
John Preston has a degree inOperational Research from the University of Lancaster and a PhD in retailmarketing, which is perhaps the UKs only PhD with more time spent stackingsupermarket shelves than in the library!He was brought up in the Church and in the 1990s became a Lay Readerwhen he co-led a new church planting team in the North East.He continues to serve in his local church, StJohns Muxton on the edge of Telford, and is married to Jane. They have two grown-up children.When he can, John enjoys travel, particularlyseeing the church in different places in the world, and good food! He willbegin working in the Diocese at the end of October.
ENDS
