Richard Harlow has been Archdeacon of Huntingdon and Wisbech since 2022
Richard was born in Nottingham, and educated in Derbyshire and Cumbria, where he grew to love the English countryside. He felt the call of God to ordination when he was 17 years old; this was confirmed by the Church whilst he was an undergraduate at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
He was ordained aged 26 and has served in parishes across Southwell & Nottingham and Winchester Dioceses. After 12 years in the midlands, working in inner cities, market towns and former mining communities, he moved to West Sussex. He served 12 years as hospital chaplain in acute general hospitals and mental health care. In 2009, he set up and led a Trust-wide multi-faith chaplaincy team, which served inpatient and community mental health, substance misuse and learning disabilities teams across East & West Sussex. During this period, he was trained as a counsellor and psychotherapist, becoming qualified in 2007.
He was appointed in 2013 as Rector of Tadley with Pamber Heath and Silchester, a newly created benefice of 3 parishes that spans the town of Tadley and villages of Pamber Heath & Silchester. He and his wife, Kayla, write a regular page in the Messy Church Magazine, following their establishing of a new Messy Church congregation in 2015. [Richard is pictured right with wife, Kayla]
Richard is married to Kayla, who works as a spiritual director & supervisor, assisting individuals in their spiritual journey. They have 4 adult children, and 6 grandchildren, scattered around the country. Their hobbies include walking and playing tennis (badly). They are looking forward to exploring the Fens on foot and bicycle.