David Leaf
Manchester
House of Clergy
I have served in the Manchester Diocese for the last 22 years as incumbent of a small parish in
Chadderton, North Manchester. During that time I have seen the closure of a parish church, the
reordering of a daughter church, the raising up of ALM ministers from my own congregation, and
am currently also on Diocesan Synod. I come from an evangelical tradition and am a member of
the Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship. I have been consistent attender at my deanery chapter, and
have come to find a great deal of mutual support and encouragement from a wide range of
different clergy traditions. I have been able to welcome trainees from across theological traditions
to gain ministry experience, and have consequently found a much wider scope of shared ministry
experience and reflection while still retaining an evangelical foundation, and have been
recognised by the diocese as a trusted member of their training parish set up.
My theological outlook has been formed by my lengthy stay in the Manchester Diocese, as well as
journeying with a variety of writers from Barth to Wright, taking in Brother Lawrence, Jean Vanier,
C.S. Lewis and Francis Schaeffer along the way.
I am keen to serve on General Synod as I feel that I have gained a great deal of wisdom and
experience during my 28 years of ordained ministry, and feel able to offer some of that to what
looks like being some challenging but also formative discussions and decisions in the coming
years.
evangelical,tradition
evangelical
tradition
