About Us

Vicar   Reverend Christian ‘Mitch’ Mitchell (on 13th May 2023)

I am so excited to be joining you as your new Vicar in May. It’s been a long wait but finally the time has come to make preparations for leaving East Sussex to join you up in Alnwick. I have thoroughly enjoyed my nine years of ministry in the Diocese of Chichester, but have felt for some time now that God is calling me to something new. After leaving Cuddesdon Theological College in 2014, I served my curacy in Uckfield before moving to Heathfield in 2017 to take up my first incumbency. Heathfield is a small market town, roughly equidistant between Eastbourne and Tunbridge Wells, in the beautiful Wealden countryside. Until last year, we were two parishes with three church buildings, but in 2022 we united to become a single parish with a shared vision for mission across the town and local villages. I had the privilege of having a training a curate which I thoroughly enjoyed and was an ex-officio governor of the local Church of England Primary School. I am thrilled to be coming to a parish with such strong ties to its local Church School, and am really looking forward to getting stuck in and becoming a familiar face in the school.

Before ordination I studied at Agricultural College where I met my wife, Vicky. Soon after graduating, I moved up to Liverpool to take up the role of Assistant Operations Manager at Aintree Racecourse, before moving to Newmarket Racecourse as Operations Manager. During this time I oversaw various construction projects at a number of Racecourses across the country, and in 2008 I moved to Lingfield Park Racecourse in Surrey where I managed a major redevelopment of the racecourse. My last job before heading off to Theological College was to project manage the delivery of catering for two of the venues for London 2012!

I have been married to Vicky for 25 years in October, and we have two boys, Hugh and Charlie. Vicky is a Land Agent specialising in Estate Management which she loves. Hugh is reading Music at the University of York and Charlie is in the middle of taking his GCSEs this summer. Vicky and Charlie will be joining me in Alnwick once his exams are over. We have a small, rather scruffy and very loud dog called Pepper. Visitors to the Vicarage will definitely hear her before they see her!

Originally from the Isle of Wight, I love walking in the countryside and being near the sea, both of which I find essential for staying sane and staying closer to God. I am really looking forward to exploring the beautiful Northumbrian hills and coastline and I am hoping to start running again! We are a family of avid Formula One fans, though we don’t all support the same team which makes the races lively events in our house!

I am so grateful to the team at St Michael’s for making me so welcome and for being so patient in waiting for me to join you all. Huge thanks to all who have carried the extra burdens throughout the vacancy, and especially to the team of clergy who have helped to ‘keep the show on road’.

I can’t wait to meet you all!
Every blessing,
Mitch

Clergy who Officiate

Rev’d Canon Sue Allen

Before retiring to Alnwick Sue spent time in Hemel Hempstead (St Albans diocese). She worked with various partners to re-grow a church serving two of the large New Town estates. She then became Team Rector, with responsibility as well for 3 other parishes in the town and their clergy.
Sue is married to Ant, and as well as bringing up a family she was a Science Teacher in secondary schools.
Sue enjoys walking in the Northumberland countryside, and spending time keeping up with family and friends, and not least the three grandchildren.

 Rev’d Colin Perkins

 

Originally from Finchley, North London, Colin went to London University before completing National Service and then lived in Sidcup, Kent. After ten years working in the City he received a call to ministry and went to theological college at Northwood, and was a curate in Nottingham.

He served in the Diocese of Southwell until he retired to Alnwick. He enjoys photography and most of the photos on the church website were taken by him.

Rev’d Martin Roff

Before ordination, Martin was Head of Chemistry at Rannoch School, Perthshire. He was ordained priest in Chester Cathedral and served his Title (first curacy) at St Mary’s Chester from 1970 to 1973. He was Precentor and minor canon at Blackburn Cathedral from 1973 to 1976. Simultaneously he was Priest in Charge of St John’s, Blackburn, piloting through its redundancy. He was Vicar of Longton, diocese of Blackburn from 1976 to 1981. He was Chaplain of Glenalmond College, Perthshire, from 1982 to 1983. He was Rector of Allendale with Whitfield and Ninebanks, Diocese of Newcastle from 1983 to 1992. He was Vicar of St Nicholas, Gosforth (Gosforth Parish Church) from 1992 to 1997. He became Non Stipendiary Priest at Dingwall and Strathpeffer, and Supernumerary Priest of the Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness from 1997 until retirement in 2007, continuing an active ministry, latterly Priest in Charge of St Ninian’s, Glenurquhart. In 2019 he and Carol (wife since 1968) moved back to Northumberland, where we have received a great welcome from worshippers at St Michaels, Alnwick.

Rev’d Canon Philip Bourne

Philip was born in west London and spent his childhood in Gloucestershire, where he was known locally as a pub and cinema organist as well as a Punch and Judy performer! He has degrees from Sussex, Aberdeen, Exeter and Liverpool universities, and trained for the ordained ministry in Durham. He has served the Church of England through parishes in Wakefield and Exeter dioceses, a university chaplaincy in Exeter, chaplaincies in the Netherlands and Portugal, and as Diocesan Director of Ordinands for Chichester Diocese. In his spare time he enjoys meeting with family and friends, as well as working on his amateur skills at the piano and organ.

Rev’d Robert Chavner

The Reverend Robert Chavner TSSF is a native of Tyneside and before ordination was a professional singer. He is a Franciscan priest and has served in parishes in the Dioceses of Rochester, Chichester, Exeter and Europe.

Other Church Officers

Retired Clergy

Rev’d Canon Dennis Winter

Dennis was born in London. His first 9 years were confusing after his father died and his mother joined the army. He attended 6 different schools and then spent 7 years at one school – Battersea Grammar. Dennis then went to Kings College London to read Chemistry where, he got called to the ministry at the Christian Union. He spent four years in the RAF and then married his wife, Ruth. He studied at Tyndale Hall Bristol for 2 years and then had curacies in Plymouth and Maidstone. He spent 33 years as Vicar of Paddock Wood before retiring to Alnwick in 1999 to enjoy spending time in his garden. Dennis’ wife, Ruth, died in 2015 after 59 years of marriage.

 

 Rev’d Canon Alan Craig

Alan was ordained in Lichfield Diocese and was curate in Newcastle under Lyme. He did a further curacy in Scarborough before returning to the potteries as vicar of Werrington. There he joined the prison service and was chaplain at Werrington Detention Centre, then Manchester (Strangeways) prison, then Hindley Borstal and finally to Acklington to be chaplian of the prison there and also at Castinton Young Offenders prison. He then became vicar of Longhirst and Hebron and Rural Dean of Morpeth Deanery. Alan was then made Rector of Morpeth. He was made an honorary Canon of Newcastle Cathedral in 1990. After that he became the Chaplain to the Bishop and Diocesan Director of Ordinands. From the early 1990s until 2002 whn he retired, Alan was a Chaplain to the Queen, and is now a Chaplain Emeritus. He enjoys walking in the hills and coast, and belongs to a classical guitar group. He also enjoys gardening, the Theatre, reading and being a grandparent.