The Chapter of York today announced the appointment of The Revd Canon Timothy Goode, currently Rector of St Margaret’s Church Lee in the Diocese of Southwark, London, as Canon for Congregational Discipleship and Nuture at York Minster.

In this new role, Timothy’s focus will be to grow, develop and support the life and witness of the many congregations in the Minster, creating opportunities to encounter the Christian faith and to nurture those seeking to understand and explore their faith journey.

Timothy will develop and train a pastoral team and co-ordinate pastoral care for those in the community including congregations, volunteers and staff and look at ways to deliver pastoral care to visitors including the support and development of the cathedral’s duty Chaplains.  He will be the first point of contact for the arrangements of key life events such as baptisms, weddings and funerals.  He will also lead work to develop and nurture Children and Families Ministry and work with the city’s university chaplains to create a faith network for students and young people in Ministry.

Commenting on Timothy’s appointment, The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell said:

“I couldn’t be more delighted about Tim’s appointment. Tim is a gifted communicator, a strategic thinker, a loving pastor and a compelling advocate for the Christian faith. I’ve got to know Tim a bit through his membership of the General Synod and the Archbishops’ Council. I very much look forward to welcoming him and Bernie to York.”

Timothy will be part of the cathedral clergy team led by The Dean of York, The Very Revd Dominic Barrington.  Dominic said:

“I am enormously excited that Tim will be joining the clergy team this autumn. His ministry as a parish priest has been exciting and distinguished, and his enthusiasm for the gospel is infectious. I am confident that he will bring great gifts to the life of this cathedral church, and help us grow in mission, ministry and service.”

Timothy and his family will move to York in the summer with Timothy starting his new role on 9 September. Commenting on his new role, Timothy said:

‘I am so thrilled to become the new Canon for Congregational Discipleship and Nurture at York Minster. It is an exciting time to be joining the Minster community, especially starting so soon after the arrival of the new Dean.  I am so looking forward to getting to know all who worship, who work and who volunteer at York Minster.

“It will be a wrench to leave St Margaret’s Lee, which has been my spiritual home for the past five years and where I have learnt and received so much. But I am looking forward to returning north to Yorkshire where I spent three very happy years studying music at Huddersfield and during which time I was a regular visitor to York. I am particularly looking forward to being a Canon at York Minster where I have also so enjoyed visiting for our Sunday worship during the York General Synods each July.”

Biographical details – Revd Canon Timothy Goode

Tim studied Music at Huddersfield Polytechnic and trained as a secondary school teacher at the Roehampton Institute. He was Director of Music of Homefield School from 1995-2007. He trained for ministry at Ripon College Cuddesdon and served his title at Croydon Minster, in the Diocese of Southwark and was ordained priest in 2010.

From September 2012 to May 2018, Tim was Team Vicar of St Luke’s Whyteleafe and St Peter and St Paul, Chaldon, part of the Caterham Team ministry. From 2013 to 2021 he was also the Southwark Diocesan Disability Advisor. Since May 2018 he has been the Rector of St Margaret’s Lee in the Southwark Diocese.

Tim is a member of the National Disability Task Group, which advises the Archbishops of Canterbury and York on disability issues. Since 2015, Tim has been a member of the General Synod and he led the first debate on disability at the General Synod in July 2022.

Since February 2021 he has been a member of Archbishops’ Council.  Tim was made an Honorary Canon of Southwark Cathedral in September 2020 and has been a trustee of the Churches Conservation Trust since November 2020.

Tim is married to Bernie who is Head of the Science Faculty at Sutton High School Surrey and is looking forward to joining St Peter’s School, York in the Autumn.

Tim is disabled and his theological work is particularly focused on the Theology of Disability and especially on articularing a Christian Anthropology rooted in the risen body of Jesus Christ.