Nottingham priest becomes first woman archdeacon for C of E in the north

A leading clergywoman in Nottingham has been appointed as the fist woman archdeacon in the northern province (York) of the Church of England. The Revd Canon Janet Henderson (49), currently  Priest-in-Charge at St Patrick’s, Nuthall, has been appointed as the new Archdeacon of Richmond in the Diocese of Ripon & Leeds.

As an archdeacon Janet will be responsible to the Bishop of Ripon & Leeds looking after the day to day support, oversight and encouragement of 60 clergy and 108 parishes in the Richmond ‘archdeaconry’ area. Janet will be one of several women to take up the position of archdeacon nationally.

The Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham, the Rt Revd George Cassidy said: “In losing Janet Henderson from the diocese to senior leadership in the Church of England, we are losing someone with a first class theological mind and enormous pastoral sensitivity. Janet has demonstrated throughout her ordained ministry her ability to think creatively and build consensus and she will take to her new office in the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds the expectations and prayers of many.”

Although Janet is looking forward to her new post and many new people and parishes, she said: “I shall be very sad indeed to leave the diocese of Southwell and Nottingham and especially the people of Nuthall. I have been here (with a short excursion down to Cambridge!) for sixteen years, working in parishes, college and diocesan posts. I have greatly appreciated the warmth, faithfulness and good working relationships. The past years have been interesting ones for me, chairing the See of Sherwood working party and seeing the arrival of Bishop Tony, being involved in the setting up of the Clergy Leadership Programme and helping to steer discussions about the shape of deaneries and kind of ministry needed in Beeston deanery and across the city of Nottingham. It has also been thrilling to see the growth of women's ministry across the diocese from the days when the group of women priests was so small we all knew each other personally to today's situation where there over 90 of us in all sorts of posts from precentor and area dean to

e-chaplain. We could not have had a bishop who encouraged this growth to develop wisely and to put down deep roots more than Bishop George has done. Thank you all. I will treasure the years spent in the diocese where I have learned so much.”   

Biography
Janet grew up in rural mid Wales where her father was a forest manager. After training and working as a nurse at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge for seven years, she did her theological training at Cranmer Hall in Durham. She served a curacy at Ss Peter and Paul, Wisbech, in the Fens, and then came to Nottingham were she worked in the Bestwood Team Ministry, Bestwood being a very large outer city estate with lots of opportunity for impromptu on-the-street youth work! She became a part time tutor for St John’s College Nottingham and eventually joined the staff, teaching Christian worship and also working as an NSM priest in the local parish, St Michael and All Angels, Bramcote. She then spent four years in Cambridge teaching worship for the Cambridge Theological Federation before taking up her present post as priest in charge of Nuthall, in Nottingham, and Dean of Women’s ministry for the diocese of Southwell and Nottingham. She is also Area Dean of Beeston, Nottingham (not Leeds!). She and her husband, Dave, met while living almost next door to each other in Bestwood. Dave is an IT manager, working for IBM at Boots in Nottingham. They both enjoy walking and exploring new countryside and both play bass, though Dave is more likely to be found with an electronic instrument and a set of pedals while Janet plays acoustic bass in a local orchestra. Interests include the use of the arts, especially music and poetry, in worship and adult education. Recently, Janet has been involved in helping to set up a Clergy Leadership Programme in the diocese and has chaired the council of the East Midlands Ministry Training Course.

ends