The Revd Dr Rebecca Lloyd, Chaplain to the Bishop of Lichfield, the Rt Revd Dr Michael Ipgrave, since 2017, is to leave the diocese in the autumn to take on a new role at Gloucester Cathedral.
Rebecca has been formally invited by the Rt Revd Rachel Treweek, Bishop of Gloucester, to become Gloucester Cathedral’s new Canon Chancellor and Director of Learning and Participation.
In this exciting role, Rebecca will be a full-time member of the Cathedral clergy, sharing in priestly ministry and regularly leading worship; she will also shape, lead and inspire the Cathedral’s new Learning and Participation team, with special oversight of the Cathedral’s education and social responsibility work. Rebecca’s appointment is central to delivering the Cathedral’s vision and strategy as it seeks to be a beacon of hope for all, using its assets and partnerships to make a positive contribution to the city, diocese and county.
Since 2017, Rebecca has been Chaplain to the Bishop of Lichfield and Chancellor’s Vicar at Lichfield Cathedral and, prior to this, she was in parish ministry in South London. Before ordination Rebecca worked for several years in health and environmental policy as a Whitehall civil servant, and she holds degrees in theology and music.
Rebecca said: “I have very much enjoyed my five years in the Diocese of Lichfield and will be sad to leave the diocese and the many friends I have made here. In particular I am grateful to the members of Bishop Michael’s staff team and the Cathedral Chapter for their friendship and support, and above all to Bishop Michael for the immense privilege of serving as his chaplain. I will keep you all in my prayers as you seek, in these challenging times, to continue serving God and his people across this large and diverse diocese.”
Bishop Michael said: “I am immensely grateful to Rebecca for her support, her counsel and her prayers over the last five years. She has given me consistently wise advice and worked closely with colleagues in my staff team and across the diocese, while also providing much appreciated priestly ministry in parishes and in the Cathedral. We all wish her every blessing in her new appointment at Gloucester, which should be a great opportunity to use her teaching, liturgical and spiritual gifts in a new context.”
Rebecca will join the Gloucester Cathedral team in autumn 2022. This will be a crucial moment in the life and mission of the Cathedral as it moves into an ambitious period of development, which includes Phase Two of Project Pilgrim.
Rebecca said: “I am very much looking forward to taking up the role of Canon Chancellor at Gloucester Cathedral and to working with such a talented and highly motivated team. It is exciting and also humbling to be invited to contribute to a place which has offered worship, hospitality, learning and care for over a thousand years. I look forward to working with the whole Cathedral community to develop these offerings further as we respond imaginatively and creatively to the needs of our time.”
Canon Dr Andrew Braddock, Interim Dean of Gloucester, added: “I am delighted that Rebecca has accepted Bishop Rachel’s request to become Gloucester Cathedral’s new Canon Chancellor. Rebecca brings a wealth of experience of parish, diocesan and cathedral life, as well as her background in health and environmental policy from her career before ordination. This, combined with her passion for Christian learning and community building, means she is ideally placed to help us fulfil the Cathedral’s commitment to being a beacon of hope across the city, diocese and county. All of us at the Cathedral are very much looking forward to welcoming her to the team this autumn.”