The Very Revd Karen Rooms, Dean of Leicester, and the Rt Revd Martyn Snow, Bishop of Leicester, are delighted to announce that the Revd Dr Sarah Siddique Gill, currently Vicar of the United Benefice of St. Stephen with St. James, Blackburn and Assistant Archdeacon in the Diocese of Blackburn, has been appointed as the new Canon Missioner for Leicester Cathedral.
As Canon Missioner, Revd Sarah’s role will include: developing the Cathedral as an Intercultural Worshipping Community, strengthening the Cathedral’s community outreach and engagement with social justice, developing its ecumenical and interfaith relationships, and leading the Cathedral’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion work.
Born in Pakistan, Revd Sarah has been ministering in the UK for 18 years and was ordained priest in the Diocese of Bradford in 2012. Having worked a teacher at the United Bible Training Centre in Gujranwala, Pakistan, she was invited to serve as a CMS volunteer at St Paul’s Church in Manningham, Bradford, and she began training for ordination shortly afterwards. Revd Sarah served her curacy at St Paul’s, Shipley and then became curate-in-charge of Woodhouse Close Church and Associate Minister at St Andrew with St Anne’s, Bishop Auckland.
Loving service, intercultural mission, racial justice and working with other denominations and faith groups have been consistent features of her ministry, which she hopes to bring to the role of Canon Missioner.
As well as serving as the Bishop of Blackburn’s Advisor for UK Minority Ethnic /Global Majority Heritage Matters, Revd Sarah (who speaks Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi) ran monthly online multi-lingual services for the Diocese of Blackburn, making church services more accessible to people from different national and cultural backgrounds.
Revd Sarah says she was drawn to apply for the role because of the Cathedral’s mission to be the ‘beating heart’ of the city and county, the ‘buzz’ of the Cathedral throughout the week, and the enthusiasm of everyone involved in serving as clergy, staff and volunteers.
“This speaks of the vibrant life of the Cathedral, which is willing to share its resources and celebrate our faith widely with churches in the diocese and beyond,” she says.
“What I am looking forward to as Canon Missioner is reaching out to the diverse community in Leicester and connecting them with the Cathedral's vision. I would like to sustain the Cathedral's culture of welcoming and respecting all in our community by intentionally connecting with them in their different contexts.”
She also hopes to serve as a resource to other worshipping communities in the diocese by sharing her experience of interfaith and intercultural ministry.
The Very Revd Karen Rooms, Dean of Leicester, says: “We are very excited to be welcoming Revd Sarah among us at Leicester Cathedral. She brings so much experience of ministry in diverse cultures - of teaching, and ecumenical and interfaith collaborations - and will bring so much to the Cathedral’s worship, welcome and public witness. We look forward to her joining our clergy team and to working together with her in the mission of God in this city and county.”
The Revd Dr Sarah Siddique Gill will be licensed at a service in Leicester Cathedral on 22 September, 2024.