The Bishop of Ely is delighted to announce that The Revd Canon Richard John St Clair Harlow, Rector of Tadley with Pamber Health and Silchester and Area Dean of Basingstoke in the Diocese of Winchester is to be Archdeacon of Huntingdon and Wisbech. Richard succeeds the Ven Canon Hugh McCurdy who retired from his role as Archdeacon in April 2022.
The Revd Canon Richard Harlow was ordained in Southwell & Nottingham in 1989. He served his curacy in Hyson Green, Nottingham, followed by roles in Mansfield and Newark. In 2001 he was appointed Hospital Chaplain for Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, then as Lead Chaplain & Multi Faith Team Leader at Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. [Pictured above: The Revd Canon Richard Harlow and his wife, Kayla]
Since 2013 Richard has been Rector of Tadley with Pamber Heath and Silchester, in 2015 he was appointed Area Dean of Basingstoke and made Honorary Canon of Winchester Cathedral.
The Bishop of Ely, The Rt Revd Stephen Conway, said:
“We have been blessed by a good number of appointable candidates to succeed Hugh McCurdy as Archdeacon of Huntingdon and Wisbech. Canon Richard Harlow emerged as the person best suited to this important role within the Diocese for the next season of our life. Richard brings to us direct experience of leadership of a multi-parish benefice with strong rural elements. He is also currently leading a complex deanery.
In addition, Richard has been a lead chaplain in the NHS during a period of significant organisational change. He was an undergraduate in Cambridge and then went on to prepare for ordination at Cranmer Hall, the evangelical theological college in Durham. His personal discipleship, his depth and range of experience and his commitment to mission and pastoral leadership make me very confident that he will fit well into the Bishop’s Staff and be quickly taken to the hearts of the clergy and laity of the archdeaconry. He is married to Kayla, who is an established spiritual director in her own right and just as excited about joining our common life”.
Speaking about his appointment, Richard said:
"I am excited to be moving to Ely to support the parishes and deaneries of Huntingdon and Wisbech Archdeaconry. I believe passionately in the ability of the church to be good news in our villages and market towns, and look forward to building, with the bishops, clergy, diocesan team and congregations, a hopeful future for our churches and the communities they serve."
Richard’s Collation will take place at St Peter & St Paul's Church, Wisbech, on Sunday 25 September at 4.30pm.
Biography - The Revd Canon Richard Harlow
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 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.