A new Director of Ministry for the Archbishops’ Council has been announced. The Archdeacon of Portsdown, the Ven Christopher Lowson, will lead a team responsible for developing policy and giving support to those involved in lay and ordained ministry throughout the Church.
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Each year, the Ministry Division of the Church of England trains more than 900 new clergy, lay Readers and others.

Lowson will take up his new post in February next year when the Ven Gordon Kuhrt steps down. Kuhrt has led the Ministry team since 1996.

Lowson, 52, chairs the Diocese of Portsmouth’s Board of Minstry and has been an Archdeacon of Portsdown since 1999.

“I am delighted with the appointment of Christopher Lowson as the next Director of the Ministry Division,” said the Rt Rev John Gladwin, Bishop of Chelmsford, who chairs the Church’s Ministry Division.

“He will bring proven pastoral and theological skills to bear on the next chapter of the Division’s service to ministry in the Church of England. I commend him to everyone's prayers as he prepares to take on this role.”
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Lowson expressed his joy on the recent appointment. “It’s a great honour to be appointed to this position, and I hope to build on the work of my predecessor, Gordon Kuhrt. In my current and previous appointments I have led and encouraged teams to take on daunting tasks, so I hope in my new role I can effectively lead the team that develops ordained and lay ministry throughout the Church - the task we face is to reinforce what is good, whilst also seeking new ways of ministry for the church and the world.

He concluded, “I will, of course, be sad to leave friends and colleagues in this diocese, which manages to be small, relaxed and friendly, and yet always open to radical ideas.”