Thinking Anglicans

Dean of Derby

It was announced today that the next Dean of Derby is to be the Venerable Peter Robinson, who is currently the Archdeacon of Lindisfarne in the Diocese of Newcastle.

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Kate
Kate
4 years ago

It is difficult to start any new job at present but moving from Lindisfarne to Derby will be particularly difficult. Peter will be in my prayers.

Stanley Monkhouse
Reply to  Kate
4 years ago

I’ve lived in Derby. I liked it. Good, honest, unpretentious people with a great rail and engineering industry presence. Robinson at present lives in Morpeth (Lindisfarne of course merely the job title). I know which I’d prefer. A difficult job, picking up the pieces of 15 years greater or lesser turbulence. Interesting to see that he worked in the oil industry and was at Cranmer Hall at much the same time as ABC.

Adrian
Adrian
Reply to  Stanley Monkhouse
4 years ago

Yes, precisely the same time as ABC, the former Bishop of Repton and the Bishop of Derby. There were other students who remain parish clergy now as they intended to do then…

FrDavid H
FrDavid H
4 years ago

He lives in Morpeth not beautiful Lindisfarne. His move won’t be that difficult

Kate
Kate
Reply to  FrDavid H
4 years ago

I doubted Peter actually lives on the island – few do – but nonetheless I remain of the view that moving from a predominantly rural area to a city (any city) isn’t easy during a period when we must social distance. Moving at all isn’t easy at present. I will not be deterred from praying for him.

Simon Dawson
Simon Dawson
Reply to  FrDavid H
4 years ago

And Derby is very close to the fantastic Peak District National Park and the Derwent Valley.. He won’t be short of natural beauty.

Jeremy Pemberton
Jeremy Pemberton
4 years ago

Deans of Derby have a very short shelflife. This is the fourth or fifth since I moved to the East Midlands – Southwell has only had 1.5 in that time. So I don’t think it is an easy job at all, for reasons that are not clear to me.

Simon Sarmiento
Reply to  Jeremy Pemberton
4 years ago

Not sure when you moved Jeremy, but here’s the list courtesy of Wikipedia:

2005 – December 2007 Martin Kitchen
13 September 2008 – 31 January 2010 Jeff Cuttell
9 October 2010 – 20 November 2016 John Davies
2 November 2016 – 30 September 2017: Sue Jones, Acting Dean, and Director of Mission and Ministry
30 September 2017 – 30 September 2019: Stephen Hance
“summer” 2020 onwards: Peter Robinson (dean-designate)

Simon Dawson
Simon Dawson
Reply to  Simon Sarmiento
4 years ago

Perhaps it all depends on where they moved on to. In my Armed Forces experience jobs with a frequent turnover were either blessed or cursed. Either the job was impossible or it was a place where people were noticed, a forcing house for fast promotion to bigger and better things. In either case the move away was good news for the person leaving the post, but a nightmare for the staff and the community left behind, who suffered from chronically poor continuity of leadership.

Janet Fife
Janet Fife
Reply to  Simon Dawson
4 years ago

Jeff Cuttell – a very able man – did a year in prison chaplaincy after he left Derby, and then went back to his previous parish.

Stanley Monkhouse
Reply to  Janet Fife
4 years ago

Jeff C is back as a prison chaplain now.

David Exham
David Exham
Reply to  Simon Sarmiento
4 years ago

You have left out 1 October 2019 till the arrival of Peter Robinson: Elizabeth Thomson, Acting Dean and Canon for Mission. The current team seem to be doing an excellent job in challenging circumstances.

Jeremy Pemberton
Jeremy Pemberton
Reply to  Simon Sarmiento
4 years ago

That’s six then! Good grief – is it something in the water?

Stanley Monkhouse
Reply to  Jeremy Pemberton
4 years ago

You can add Nick Henshall who was acting Dean between Perham and Kitchen and Elaine Jones similarly between Kitchen and Cuttell. I was an ordinand, curate and incumbent in Derby Diocese 2004-2011 with first and second hand knowledge of cathedral affairs. It’s a messy story that can be put down simply to human weakness – no malice. If you are sad enough to want to know more email me: wsmonkhouse@gmail.com

Nicholas Henshall
Nicholas Henshall
Reply to  Stanley Monkhouse
4 years ago

Dear Stanley – that’s very kind of you, but in fact it was Chris Cunliffe who came in as acting Dean through that very unusual 2 years! Nicholas

Stanley Monkhouse
Reply to  Nicholas Henshall
4 years ago

sorry – so it was

David Exham
David Exham
Reply to  Jeremy Pemberton
4 years ago

Jeremy, don’t be silly. Every time a Dean, or any other member of the clergy leaves, there is an interregnum and you immediately have three holders of the office in a short time. If someone only stays a short time, as Stephen Hance did, there are bound to be five holders in a short space of time. No need for contaminated water!

Nicholas Henshall
Nicholas Henshall
4 years ago

Simply to say as someone who moved from Newcastle Diocese to Derby Cathedral myself and who has known Peter Robinson since he was a placement student, that I think this is a wonderful appointment. As Stanley says, dont read too much into the statistics. Derby is statistically one of the most “ordinary” places in England and that makes it a great place to live and work, with the Cathedral as the finest building standing at the high point of the city (in fact the ancient Viking crossroads!) I’m personally delighted about Peter’s appointment as I’ll be retiring to Derby in… Read more »

Corrine Rivers
Corrine Rivers
4 years ago

Derby is v fortunate to be getting someone of Peter Robinson’s stature. He has worked in poor inner city ministry as well as rural. Highly intelligent, he brings a wealth of experience . A good and caring Priest who will slip easily into Cathedral life no matter how difficult. He is much respected.

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