Hello all,

I’m thrilled to be starting my new role as the new Assistant Curate at Sacred Trinity.

For those who don’t know me, my name is Peter, and I wanted to use this blog to let you know a bit about me. I was born and raised in Wigan, and have lived in Manchester for almost 13 years now, with my partner of 15 years, Tom.

I first felt called to ordination in my teenage years but decided it was probably just a phase. To hedge my bets (as RC priests needed either a philosophy or theology degree) I studied philosophy with the Jesuits at Heythrop College in London. From there I went on to train as a counsellor and psychotherapist before doing a Master’s degree in psychology at the University of East London. Since the sense of calling hadn’t gone away by the time I was 30, and being an openly gay man (alongside some theological qualms) meant that pursuing RC ordination was not a path open to me, I spent a lot of time learning about different Christian traditions. I found that Anglicanism spoke to me of the peace and truth of Christ in a way I hadn’t experienced before; not long after I was introduced to our very own Andy, and the rest is history.

Professionally, I’ve been very lucky to work in some amazing places. My first proper job was with a recovery charity in Preston, which led me to a voluntary counselling role at HMP Preston. I then worked at Mind in Chorley, managing their fantastic counselling team across Lancashire. I’m most proud of the work I then did at a consultancy in Liverpool, helping charities and community groups show their impact and secure funding. I also worked with Liverpool City Region and Public Health England to produce the Wealth and Wellbeing Programme which explored links between health and economic factors, and called for reforms to ensure that workplaces take mental health seriously. My research background is in the psychology of meaning in life, particularly how we experience life as being meaningful; my work on how young men experience this sense of meaning in relation to their mental health was published in the European Journal of Applied Positive Psychology in 2021.

As a deacon, I’m here to serve. Sacred Trinity is already doing fantastic work in the community, and I look forward to getting more involved and putting my experience to use. I’m also looking forward to getting our building renovation off the ground and working alongside our Mission Community neighbours.

You can get in touch through my new Sacred Trinity email address, peter@sacredtrinity.org.uk

Looking forward to our journey together,

Peter