Dean of Guernsey to retire from role in July

The head of the Church of England in Guernsey, the Very Reverend Tim Barker, will retire from his role on 31 July.

Mr Barker has been the Dean of Guernsey since 2015, a position appointed by the Crown.

He said he had written to the Bishop of Salisbury and Guernsey's Lieutenant-Governor to announce his decision to retire shortly before his 70th birthday.

Barker said he plans to return to England and his time in Guernsey had been a "great privilege" and "richly rewarding".

Barker said his highlights as dean included visits by members of the Royal Family, Liberation Day, Homecoming in Alderney and visits to Biberach and Masnières with the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry Trust.

"I have enjoyed chairing the boards of directors of Elizabeth College and the Social Investment Fund," he said.

"But equally important to me have been the opportunities to minister to individuals, and to support families in times of joy and times of grief, at baptisms, marriages and funerals."

The Bishop of Salisbury, the Right Reverend Stephen Lake, said Barker had been an "impressive leader" of the Church of England in Guernsey.

The Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Richard Cripwell, said Barker served the bailiwick with "great distinction" and he was "grateful for his service in its fullest sense".

The Diocese of Salisbury said the process for appointing the next dean would begin in due course.

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