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Education adviser takes on parish role
HE has worked for the Church of England for 11 years – but this will be the first time he’ll be paid to be a vicar.
Bishop Jonathan has appointed the Rev Richard Wharton to be the new vicar of Greatham, Empshott and Hawkley with Priors Dean, and will start in September, subject to DBS. He will also have a deanery role in the area of developing Anna Chaplaincy and inter-generational work.
He has worked as part of our diocesan education team since 2014, advising schools on issues including Christian distinctiveness, collective worship, spirituality, RE, school inspections and school standards.
Richard also felt a call to ordination, and served initially as curate at St Francis, Hilsea, within North End Team Ministry, and then as a self-supporting assistant priest at Botley, Curdridge and Durley for the past five years.
He said: “I have worked in education for most of my professional life, including as headteacher of two different Hampshire schools, but I always felt a niggling call to ordination, having originally studied theology at Durham University.
“When I was asked to join the Board of Education about 13 years ago, God’s call became more insistent and thankfully, the bishop agreed that I should put myself forward for ordination!
“I have carried out parish ministry in Hilsea and then in Botley, Curdridge and Durley, alongside my work as education adviser for the diocese, working with church schools on developing their Christian distinctiveness. I have absolutely loved this combined role but have felt drawn to full-time parish ministry for some time.
“I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to be vicar of Greatham, Empshott and Hawkley with Priors Dean and can’t wait to get to know the communities. I strongly believe that the parish church should be outward looking and invitational and am prayerfully looking forward to helping the parishes to build on all that they are already doing to share God’s love.”
Richard’s predecessor, Canon Peter Sutton, retired as vicar of Greatham, Empshott and Hawkley with Priors Dean on April 30. Richard will be licensed on September 25 at Hawkley church.