Our regional advisers use their experience and expertise to work alongside lay and ordained leaders in churches across the country, covering seven regions of England and Wales, as well as Scotland and Ireland.
Please scroll down to view a profile and find contact details for your regional leadership development adviser, listed below:
Chris Kellock – Scotland and North of England
Scotland and the Dioceses of Carlisle, Newcastle and Durham.
Michael Nokes – Yorkshire
Dioceses of Ripon and Leeds, York, Bradford, Wakefield and Sheffield.
Simon Chesters – North-west
Dioceses of Blackburn, Chester, Lichfield, Liverpool, Manchester, Sodor & Man and North Wales.
John Fisher – Midlands
Dioceses of Oxford, Peterborough, Coventry, Derby, Worcester, Hereford, Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham and Southwell, and Lincoln.
Charles Burgess – South-west
Dioceses of Truro, Exeter, Bath and Wells, Bristol and Gloucester, as well as South Wales.
Laurence Gamlen – South
Dioceses of Chichester, Guildford, Portsmouth, Winchester, Salisbury and the western episcopal areas of London.
Kevin Fitzgibbon – East
Dicoeses of Ely, Norwich, and St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.
Paul Hoey – Ireland
All dioceses in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
John Coyne - Director, Local and Regional Delivery
Even people who know John very well may not realise that he was once a part-time ranger on a country park. His day job was as a local government officer.
Gladly, before he became too much of a lone ranger John turned to a career that matched his passion for more human interaction as a self-confessed 'people person' especially people who want to engage with God's mission.
As director of the CPAS team which includes patronage appointments and the regional leadership development advisers, John brings his significant experience from nine years in full-time parish ministry, 17 years inhaling the fumes of aircraft fuel as an RAF chaplain (including five years as adviser in evangelism) and - most recently - four years as dean and director of practical theology for would-be-vicars at St John's theological college.
John has led six different churches and been an assistant or associate minister in three others.
T 01926 458402
E jcoyne@cpas.org.uk
Carol Kennedy – Administrator/PA
Before life at CPAS, cheery Carol spent 20 years as a domestic engineer (including mending a washing machine and video recorder) while providing full-time care for her severely autistic son before he went into a lovely care home.
The variety of Carol's fascinating CV includes working as a medical secretary in a Toronto hospital and as a secretary for Warwickshire Rural Community Council. She even ran her own cross-stitch design business and was a member of a parcel delivery management team.
Away from the office, Carol is married to a vicar in a rural multi-parish benefice in north Warwickshire. During her spare time she loves solving cryptic crosswords, doing quizzes, reading, sewing hand-made patchwork quilts and gardening. Carol can also be found cruising the inland waterways on her narrowboat as regularly as life allows.
T 01926 458454
E ckennedy@cpas.org.uk
Paul Hoey – Regional Leadership Development Adviser, Ireland
Dr Doolittle was a very talented man, who would be very useful to have around in a lot of different situations. Not least in the Hoey household when hungry pets come knocking at the door speaking in strong feline and canine accents. Not that most of their requests need much translation.
Much like the aforementioned animal lover, Paul also comes in useful for lots of people in a wide range of situations. But his training ground was a little different from veterinary college, having spent 23 years in parish ministry.
Paul's experience covers the broad spectrum of parishes, including large council estate, town centre, small rural grouping and growing dormitory town. All of which is very useful for advising church leaders - so he really can talk your language.
Download the latest CPAS Ireland Update.
T 02866 329655
M 07712 873322
E phoey@cpas.org.uk
Chris Kellock – Regional Leadership Development Adviser, Scotland and the North of England
Scots are realists. Any follower of Scottish sport will know that to dream too much is fraught with danger. And Chris is a true Scot. As much as he'd like to be an Olympic medallist, run a Michelin-starred restaurant award-winning novelist, Chris (whose real passions are hinted at in the aforementioned fantasy CV) knows himself a bit better than that.
As far as he's concerned, the reality of life and faith means that he loves engaging with real people, in real church situations, with real joys and real frustrations, seeking to grow and develop real leaders who will lead the Church into mission.
That just about sums him up. If you want some real advice from a real person, get in touch.
T 01368 867485
M 07809 860912
E ckellock@cpas.org.uk
Chris is running a Leading Edge discerning direction day in Troon on 12 April 2010. Click here to book online.
Chris is running a Leading Edge discerning direction day in Lockerbie on 26 April 2010. Click here to book online.
Michael Nokes – Regional Leadership Development Adviser, Yorkshire
Becoming a skilled boomerang thrower is quite a task. So it's a fine addition to Michael's CV, especially when there's meaning behind it. Because Michael rejoices in the illustration that what you send out does indeed comes back to you ... at least if you go about it in the right way. A bit like the boomerang, effective mission is extremely satisfying. So that's one thought which frames his passion for encouraging church leaders into mission and growth.
Beyond the boomerang-throwing, Michael's CV is heavily populated with the qualifications and experience garnered from 25 years supporting, coaching and mentoring church leaders. As well as having an MA in Theology, Michael is also a counsellor and member of BACP and ACC, as well as being a well-practised ideas person and strategist.
T 01904 674879
M 07776 2524440
E mnokes@cpas.org.uk
Simon Chesters – Regional Leadership Development Adviser, North-west
Before ordination Simon worked as a consultant with large IT firm. Since being ordained he has worked as a curate in a UPA parish in Birkenhead and in a dual role post as a priest-in-charge in Runcorn and Director of Reader Training for Chester Diocese.
Prior to coming to CPAS he worked for several years as Chester Diocese's Ministry Development Officer, co-ordinating a variety of training and development work for lay people and clergy. In particular, he had responsibility for the diocese's main programmes for lay leaders and the leadership development programme for clergy.
One of his big interests is contemporary culture, especially music. He's a keen guitar player and worryingly devoted to Radio 1.
T 01244 679311
M 07800 754307
E schesters@cpas.org.uk
John Fisher – Regional Leadership Development Adviser, Midlands
John is extremely partial to the letter 'p', as his three main passions are pictures, plants and people.
His love of painted art and picture framing are revealed in being a self-confessed fan of Sister Wendy Beckett and his regular visits to art galleries. When John's able to drag himself away from art during his spare time, he grows vegetables, chops down trees and used to be into orchids.
The garden is very important to John as a place of peace and creation, especially as he sees many parallels between nurturing nature and the gospel. While he admits to talking to plants, John also delights in talking to people and developing gospel work with clergy and churches.
T 0115 9371715
M 07766 218367
E jfisher@cpas.org.uk
John is running a Leading Edge discerning direction day in Sheffield on 10 May 2010. Click here to book online.
John is running a Leading Edge discerning direction day in Boston on 14 October 2010. Click here to book online.
Charles Burgess – Regional Leadership Development Adviser, South-west
A quick glance down Charles' military CV reveals that he once managed the engine programme for the RAF's latest fighter aircraft, led a team based at Rolls-Royce in Bristol and, for many years, worked closely with NATO colleagues in Europe and Canada.
And after all that he's happiest living under an airport flight path and hearing the sound of a low-level aircraft. Takes all sorts, I suppose.
But there's a much more human side to Charles, most aptly demonstrated by the early morning priority of making a cup of tea for his wife.
Once that task is fulfilled, he loves living life to the full, meeting people and supporting church leaders in building a stronger culture of leadership and mission in their churches. Why not become one of those people and get in contact with Charles yourself to find out more.
T 01373 464969
M 07895 860399
E cburgess@cpas.org.uk
Charles is running a Leading Edge discerning direction day in Plymouth on 13 April 2010. Click here to book online.
Laurence Gamlen – Regional Leadership Development Adviser, South
Laurence has always been in the business of saving. From working in a bank to becoming a Church Army evangelist, he went from one saving institution to another.
Having worked with drug users as a Church Army evangelist in the North and as a children and young people's evangelist in a large church in the South, Laurence brings the breadth and depth of his experience to enabling church leaders like you for mission.
Beyond the hours of work, all-action Laurence can generally be found on three quite varied forms of transport - namely on a motorbike, in a kayak or taking his dog for a walk.
With a bit of God's grace, Laurence can help you save time and save others. So if you do want to speak to him I'd suggest focusing on topics relating to eternal salvation, rather than monetary policy or interest rates.
T 01932 561503
M 07939 094851
E lgamlen@cpas.org.uk
Kevin Fitzgibbon – Regional Leadership Development Adviser, East
Kevin loves to read. More specifically, epic adventure tales of the 'heroic fantasy genre' are what appeal to him most. Because in these stories, a small bunch of no hopers with inadequate knowledge, power, and provision (the goodies) are somehow called to save the world from overwhelming forces and terrible powers of evil (the very baddies). The goodies have to go on an arduous and impossible journey, harried at every stage with only belief and a good heart to keep them going. And in a final great confrontation - hopelessly outnumbered and doomed to fail - the rightness of their cause prevails and the baddies are defeated.
For Kevin these books are more than just fantasy tales. They remind him of how his work is to strengthen the faithful band, to bring the good news of Jesus, to draw those of good heart into the Kingdom of God and to defeat the powers of evil.
Having been an ordained church leader for 28 years, since joining CPAS he has had the chance to strengthen flagging leaders and churches more widely as well as running three churches of my own. If you think he could help in your own quest, why not get in touch.
T 01354 680969
M 07765 801437
E kfitzgibbon@cpas.org.uk
Kevin is running a Leading Edge discerning direction day in Swaffham on 24 March 2010. Click here to book online.
Kevin is running a Leading Edge discerning direction day in Elmswell on 14 April 2010. Click here to book online.
