The Revd Jon Barrett

With grateful thanks for his ministry and prayers of blessing for the future, we announce that The Revd Jon Barrett, Mission & Communications Enabler for the Diocese, has been appointed as Associate Pastor of Knighton Free Church.

Jon will be be leaving his role as Mission and Communications Enabler at the end of August to take up a full-time role outside of the Church of England on the leadership team of Knighton Free Church in Leicester. This is a church which Jon has had a long association with, and where he and his family currently worship.

Jon has ministered in the diocese for almost 16 years, having served for 10 years as Rector of the Cornerstone Team prior to moving to his current central diocesan role. Asked about his move Jon said “I have enjoyed over 15 really incredible years in the Diocese and feel blessed to have worked with so many wonderful colleagues, in recent years amongst the central staff of the diocese and previously in parish life. Over the years I’ve enjoyed the various responsibilities that have come along as Vicar, Rector, Area Dean and more latterly as Mission and Communications Enabler and Leicester Diocese will always retain a fond place in my affections. I have always known that eventually I’d want to be back in frontline local church ministry and the role I’m going to feels like a really good fit for me.” He also commented that “one of the highlights of my time in the diocese has been working with Bishop Martyn and the PTMD team (formerly Mission and Ministry) to try to embed everyday discipleship and the 3 Key Questions at the centre of the life of every parish church.”

Bishop Saju writes Bishop Saju writes, “As we seek to follow God’s call on our lives, there are twists and turns along the way, and our sense of vocation is rarely static. We have, as a diocese, been greatly enriched by Jon’s gifts over the last 16 years, and it has been a delight for me personally to get to know and learn from him. We will greatly miss Jon but, as he once more steps out to follow where God is leading him, we send him with our prayers and blessings”