Archbishop of Canterbury appoints next Officer for Ecumenism

7 August 2001 • Persistent link: iarccum.org/?p=3177

The Archbishop of Canterbury has appointed the Revd Jonathan Gough as his Officer for Ecumenism in succession to the Revd Canon Dr Richard Marsh.

Jonathan Gough is currently Senior Chaplain at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, Yorkshire. Following his ordination in 1985, he served four years as a curate in North Devon and in Gloucester. Since 1989 he has held a series of appointments within the Royal Army Chaplains department.

This experience of Army chaplaincy has seen him undertake two tours of Northern Ireland (Omagh and Portadown), three tours of Bosnia, and nearly a year spent as Senior Chaplain to the British Forces in Kosovo from August 1999-February 2000. This posting involved working with an international ecumenical team as well as close liaison with the Serb Orthodox Church.

As an Army Chaplain, Mr Gough has always worked in ecumenical teams, sometimes internationally, sharing churches and congregations with priests and ministers of different denominations. He greatly values the insights of different traditions, and different worship practices.

Mr Gough said, “I believe that the unity of the Body of Christ is a matter of great urgency and passionate concern. I am very pleased to be bringing experiences of working in different countries, and of ecumenical sharing, gained as an Army chaplain to support the Archbishop in this vital aspect of his ministry.”

Mr Gough, 39, is married to the Revd Flora Winfield, who is Secretary for Local Unity at the Council for Christian Unity, Church House, Westminster. He will take up his appointment at Lambeth Palace in the Autumn.