New Talents from New Canons

Three new non-residentiary canons from the Diocese are to be installed into the College of Canons at Choral Evensong in Salisbury Cathedral on Thursday, 12 October.

An avowed Bradford AFC supporter with a special interest in early years’ education, a former teacher, and a one-time architect, each canon brings his or her particular talents to bear on the affairs of the College and makes their own individual contribution to the life and governance of the Cathedral.

Former teacher, the Reverend Deborah Larkey, began her ordained ministry in Liverpool Diocese and is now the Team Rector for the Vale of Pewsey. Her colleague, the Reverend Peter Greenwood, a Yorkshireman born and bred, trained for the ministry in Durham, having studied architecture at University College, London. Peter is a foster carer and follows in the footsteps of his mother-in-law, Stella Collins, who was also a non-residentiary canon. He is currently the Rector of Gillingham and Milton on Stour.

The final candidate, the Reverend Jonathan Triffitt, also comes from Yorkshire and is an unashamed fan of Bradford City AFC. As well as serving as Rural Dean of Milton & Blandford, he puts the early years’ educational experience gained before he became a minister to good use, serving as a Director of the Diocesan Board of Education and Chair of the Children’s and Young People’s Committee

The three new Non-Residentiary canons join the College of Canons at the invitation of the Bishop of Salisbury, the Right Reverend Nicholas Holtam. They have been selected because of the individual skills they bring to the College and Cathedral, both from their previous lives and in their present roles within the Diocese.

Canon Edward Probert, Acting Dean and the Cathedral’s Canon Chancellor said. “It is with great pleasure and hope that we prepare to welcome our new colleagues to the College. This will be a first for me as Acting Dean and I look forward to learning from these new members, seeking inspiration and wisdom from them as well as from our existing canons. We are fortunate in Salisbury to have such a wealth and variety of talent in the Diocese.”

Short biographies of each individual canon are below.

The Reverend Deborah Larkey was a school teacher before beginning her ordained ministry in Liverpool Diocese in 1998, serving her Curacy in inner city Edgehill and then in Netherton, an outer estate parish of around 20,000 people near Bootle.

Life in a multi-parish benefice in rural Wiltshire serving in The Vale of Pewsey Team since January 2007, initially as Team Vicar and then for the last six years as Team Rector has been a complete contrast for Deb, husband Neil and their two children.

In the Vale of Pewsey Team, working alongside gifted colleagues, it has been a particular joy for Deb to see people grow in faith and confidence in using their gifts for God’s glory:, with trained teams leading ‘Open the Book’ in local schools, a successful annual Holiday Club, creative prayer and worship events across the Team, LPA involvement in the community, and seeing PCCs bravely taking on restoration projects plus the encouragement of joining in ecumenical collaborative work across the Deanery in Mission.

When she has time, Deb likes gardening, writing and drawing. She has recently completed studying for her MA in Christian Spirituality at Sarum College.  

She is the Ramsbury area representative for Praxis South which promotes and plans worship events for lay and ordained people. Neil works for Salisbury Diocese Board of Education running a project focusing on young people’s Confirmation. They have a son at university and a daughter at secondary school. Together they enjoy family holidays in their vintage caravan (which they open up as a ‘Prayer Van’ during the days leading up to Pentecost).
_________________________________

The Reverend Peter Greenwood grew up in Wakefield in West Yorkshire. He moved to London to study architecture at University College London and worked in Spitalfields as an architect for a short while before training for ordination at Cranmer Hall, Durham University. 

Before moving to Gillingham and Milton on Stour in 2009, Peter worked as a curate in Belper in the Derby diocese; as a Church Mission Society mission partner and vicar of Islamabad in Pakistan; and as vicar of Silsden and a Rural Dean in the old diocese of Bradford. Whilst in Bradford Peter was also the chair of the diocesan spirituality and spiritual direction group, and here in Salisbury Peter has been a part of the team leading contemplative minister days.

Peter is also a foster carer, and amongst other things enjoys baking bread and walking the latest in a succession of dogs. Peter’s late mother-in-law, Stella Collins was also a Non-Residentiary Canon of Salisbury Cathedral, so it feels good to follow in her footsteps. 
_________________________________

Reverend Jonathan Triffitt is Rural Dean of Milton & Blandford. He was licensed as the Rector of Blandford Forum and Langton Long in July 2015, having previously served as the Vicar, Southbroom St James and Rural Dean of Devizes (2010 -15). Prior to that he was the Associate Vicar of Sherborne and Chaplain to St Paul’s & the Gryphon School (2006-10).

Jonathan trained for ministry at St John’s College, Nottingham, and was ordained in 2003. He served his curacy at St Luke’s, West Kilburn, in the Diocese of London. He loves the local church and its ability to listen to and reflect the heartbeat of its community and to be an instrument for community engagement, missional activity and nurturing relationships within the context of God’s extraordinary goodness, mercy and compassion

Alongside his current role, he is also a Director of the Diocesan Board of Education and Chair of the Children’s & Young People’s Committee. He also sits on the Aldhelm Mission Fund.

Originally from Bradford in West Yorkshire Jonathan’s professional background, prior to ordination, was in early years education, working specifically with 2 – 3 year olds. He also served as a Lay Assistant for a church in Central London. He is married to Joanne and the couple have two children (aged 18 and 16 years old). Jonathan remains proud of his northern roots, and away from ministry is a passionate supporter of Bradford City AFC. He loves exploring the glorious Dorset coastline and supporting local pubs and coffee shops, with family and friends.