10 March 2025
The Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Rev’d Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, has announced that the next Area Dean of Redbridge will be the Rev’d James Gilder.
James is Rector of Wanstead St Mary with Christ Church, where he has served since 2023. He is also an elected clergy member of the Chelmsford Diocesan Synod, representing the Redbridge Deanery.
Commenting on James’ appointment, Bishop Guli said:
“Our Area Deans play an important role, serving and supporting our parishes and worshipping communities. I’m grateful to James for accepting my invitation to become Area Dean of Redbridge, a role to which he will bring considerable skills and energy. I also want to take this opportunity to thank James’ predecessor the Rev’d Canon Martyn Hawkes, for his leadership as Area Dean of Redbridge since 2019.”
The Redbridge Deanery is in the Barking Episcopal Area and the Bishop of Barking, the Rt Rev’d Lynne Cullens said:
“The churches in the Redbridge Deanery will benefit greatly from having James as their new Area Dean. He brings valuable experience of local parish ministry from his current role as Rector of Wanstead St Mary with Christ Church and his previous role as Curate at Chingford St Edmund. I’m very grateful to him for accepting this additional responsibility. I also give my thanks to the Rev’d Canon Martyn Hawkes for all that he contributed as the previous Area Dean.”
Commenting on his appointment, Rev’d James Gilder said:
“Redbridge was the first borough I found myself in when moving to London to find work almost twenty years ago, and I haven’t gone all that far since. It is not-only so for me, though: Redbridge has been a place of welcome for incomers from many backgrounds and diverse cultures for generations, as well as home to people whose families have been in east London forever - and there are great disparities of wealth and opportunity to be found here, often almost at either end of the same street. It is an endlessly interesting and surprising place, and our churches in this populous deanery reflect much of the diversity of the area. If these were categorised by their parish party food, they would range from shami kebab to pie ‘n’ mash (although of course, if there is one thing that continues to unite the Anglican Communion and indeed this deanery, it is the ubiquitous post-service custard cream). May the work of the Spirit continue to flourish here.”
James will be licensed as Area Dean of Redbridge on 27 March.
