The Rt Revd Dr Alastair Redfern, Bishop of Derby, is delighted to announce today that the new Dean of Derby will be the Revd Dr Jeffrey Cuttell. He succeeds Martin Kitchen who resigned from the post in December 2007.

A new Dean is an important announcement for Derby city and Derbyshire county. Along with the Bishops and Archdeacons the Dean holds one of the senior offices in the Diocese. In the role, Jeffrey (Jeff) Cuttell will primarily lead the ministry of Derby Cathedral, working alongside those in the public, private and voluntary sectors to enhance the wellbeing of communities across the city and county.

Jeff, (49), has been Rector in the parishes of Astbury and Smallwood in the Diocese of Chester since 1999 and has also been the Rural Dean of Congleton, overseeing the ministry of 20 parishes, since 2004. His varied background, including posts in the military, broadcasting and lecturing have brought a wide perspective to his parish work.

He said: “A lot of my ministry has taken place at the edge of conventional church life, and has brought a wonderful perspective to my parochial ministry. Healthy churches are those which thoroughly engage with the community and there is a strong tradition of this in Cathedral ministry. It’s why I am so excited at the prospect of this post. As a Rural Dean I learned the benefits of bringing people to work together to achieve things that couldn’t be done apart. There are many opportunities for partnership presented by Derby city’s ongoing development and of the Cathedral Quarter, and I look forward to this immensely.”

Jeff comes from a strong background in the Sciences. After graduating with a first in Geological Sciences from the University of Birmingham he went on to work for the Atomic Energy Authority pursuing his PhD research with the Nuclear Physics Division of Harwell AERE in Oxfordshire. He trained for the ministry at Trinity Theological College in Bristol and was ordained in 1987. He served, first as Curate and then as Vicar, in the parish of Normanton in the Diocese of Wakefield. During this time he also studied modern philosophy at Sheffield University and was awarded an MA in 1991.

He left West Yorkshire to move into broadcasting religious programmes. He worked for the BBC in a number of capacities between 1995 and 1999. He worked in local radio as a Producer and Presenter for BBC Radio Stoke, as a TV Presenter for BBC 1 Television and as a regular contributor to BBC Radio 2 and 4 before returning to parish ministry in 1999.

An additional role has been holding a commission as a Chaplain to the Forces. Between 1997 and 2006 he served with the 4th Battalion the Parachute Regiment (Reserve). He saw active service on operations in the Balkans and he holds military parachutist qualifications with the French, German and British Armies.

His educational and military experience came together in 2001 when he lectured at Cardiff University on War & Ethics until 2006. He was also a Tutor at St Michael’s College, Llandaff, during the same period.

Bishop Alastair said: “I am delighted to welcome Jeff to the Diocese to be our new Dean. He brings a wide range of skills and experience which will greatly enrich our Cathedral at a time of great opportunity. He has served the church with conspicuous ability in parish ministry, the wider church and in broadcast and communication. The Cathedral team and I look forward to working with him and helping him to get to know the people of the city and county.”

Acting Dean and Archdeacon of Derby the Ven Dr Christopher Cunliffe said on behalf of the Cathedral staff and community: “We are delighted that somebody of Jeff’s calibre and wide experience is coming to be our Dean. We look forward to working with him to address the great opportunities at the Cathedral.”

Jeff is certainly no stranger to Derbyshire and has close family links with the county. His father and grandfather were both Derbyshire miners and some of his earliest memories are from living at Chaddesden, just a couple of miles from the Cathedral. He attended school there very briefly before the family moved to Ravenshead in Nottinghamshire.

His wife, Liz, is a part-time GP in Cheshire and the proximity of her work to Derby will allow her to continue in her current post. Both of their children spread their wings this year; Joanna (21) leaves for China to pursue her language studies and Peter (17) is to read Physics at University, so the appointment is a timely one from a personal point of view too.

After acquiring a taste for challenging sports in the military, Jeff still enjoys skiing and the occasional skydive but confesses “I tend to break more easily these days!”

He said: “I think I’ve had an unusual career path, beginning with nuclear physics, moving into theology and philosophy, with big dollops of practical experience with the media and the military mixed in. The common thread has been my lifelong passion for exploring with others the biggest questions we can ask: Why are we here? Is there a God? How should we live? Helping people reflect on these questions in the light of the Christian Gospel is where my heart lies. I have no doubt this will continue to be at the centre of my ministry as Derby’s Dean.”

Jeff Cuttell will be installed as Dean at Derby Cathedral on Saturday, September 13th 2008. More details will be issued nearer the time.

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