We are delighted to announce the appointment of our new House For Duty Associate Priest, Rev’d Dr Chris Taylor.
Chris trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Before ordination he taught in schools across England and America, lectured at Durham University and spent many years working as a professional theatre practitioner. He continues to direct community and youth Theatre and has co-founded several theatre companies, including one for homeless people in Leeds.
Since ordination Chris has served in Carlisle, Oxford and Ripon and Leeds Dioceses. He studied for his PhD in theology and performance at Glasgow University.
Chris is Arts Chaplain in Carlisle Diocese, founder-member and director of Kendal Community Theatre and is committed to inclusivity in the church and the arts. He currently serves as a member of the Beacon Team Ministry of St George’s in Kendal and the villages of Burneside, Skelsmergh Selside and Grayrigg.
Chris is married to Dr. Caroline Moir, who is a writer and they have three adult children; Kate, Rachel and Benedict, who live in London and Edinburgh.
Chris and Caroline will be moving to Wanstead in November. Subject to the usual legal preliminaries, he will be licensed by the Archdeacon of West Ham at our Advent carol service in Christ Church at 6pm on Sunday 29th November.
On learning of his appointment, Chris said:
‘Caroline and I are both delighted and excited to be moving to Wanstead. We were attracted to the parish because of its commitment to diversity and inclusion and its strong emphasis on mission and evangelism.
The job of preaching and teaching the Gospel to different generations in different ways particularly calls to me and I am excited about using the arts across both of the parish’s beautiful listed churches and in the Church School to help achieve this.’
Please keep Chris, Caroline and their family in your prayers as we prepare to welcome them to Wanstead in November.