Category: News

On 17 th October our chaplain, Canon Dr. Leslie Nathaniel, was licensed as Archdeacon of the East, Germany and Northern Europe by the Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe, The Rt Revd Dr Robert Innes.

The ceremony was held in Holy Trinity Cathedral, Brussels during the concluding Eucharist to the annual Bishop’s Council for which members from around the Diocese had gathered.

Father Leslie takes up his new responsibilities with immediate effect.
There will be an opportunity to bid him farewell on Sunday, November 17. He will be the celebrant and preacher at this Eucharist at 10.30 in our English Church, St Thomas à Becket. We hope many friends will be able to be present.

We will miss Father Leslie, but pray for God’s rich blessings on this challenging ministry.

Post will be based near Stuttgart.

Our Chaplain, Revd Canon Dr Leslie Nathaniel, has been invited to take up the post of Archdeacon of the East, Germany and Northern Europe, which means that he will be leaving St Thomas à Becket this autumn. Father Leslie is a man of many talents, with the knowledge and competence the Archdeacon must have. He speaks several languages and has wide experience in ecumenical matters, developing close relations with the Nordic churches, the Old Catholic Church, Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Roman Catholic Church while serving as the International Ecumenical Secretary at Lambeth Palace and European Secretary at Church House, London. He knows the German context particularly well as he is a member of the Council of Anglican and Episcopal Churches in Germany.

Thus, although we are very sad to be losing him as Chaplain, we welcome him as Archdeacon and know that we will be able to turn to him for help and advice in the future. Fr Leslie has stressed that he has been greatly enriched by our vibrant congregation and the wide ecumenical relationships that we enjoy in Hamburg. So let us congratulate him, wish him all the very best in his new role and continue in the spirit of outreach, inclusion, growth, stability and joy which has marked his time with us.

Wearing his Archdeacon’s hat, Fr Leslie will be with us for the bazaar on 16^th November and his farewell service will be on Sunday, November, 17^th.

An article by the Diocese in Europe on the appointment can be found here.