| The Very Revd Dr John Hall BA Hon. DD Hon. DTheol FRSA |
|
|---|---|
John Hall with Svetlana Medvedeva at Westminster Abbey on 1 April 2009. |
|
| Dean of Westminster | |
| Diocese | Diocese of London |
| Predecessor | The Very Revd Dr Wesley Carr |
| Other posts | Canon Emeritus, Blackburn Cathedral (2000–present) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1975 (deacon); 1976 (priest) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 March 1949 |
| Nationality | British |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Parents | Ronald John Hall & Katie Margaret Brock Walker[1] |
| Profession | Teacher, Priest |
| Alma mater | Durham University Cuddesdon Theological College |
John Robert Hall FRSA (born 13 March 1949) is an English priest of the Church of England. He is the current Dean of Westminster.
Contents |
Hall was educated at St Dunstan's College, Catford and St Chad's College, University of Durham (BA). Following two years as a teacher he studied for ordination at Cuddesdon Theological College, Oxford.[2][3]
Hall served as assistant curate at St John the Divine's Church in Kennington from 1975 to 1978 and was then priest-in-charge of All Saints' Wimbledon from 1978 to 1984.[2][3]
From 1984 to 1992, Hall was vicar of St Peter's Streatham. He became Diocesan Director of Education, Blackburn in 1992 (and a canon residentiary of Blackburn Cathedral in 1994). From 1998 to 2006 he was General Secretary of the National Society for Promoting Religious Education and from 1998 to 2002 the General Secretary of the Church of England Board of Education, subsequently Chief Education Officer of the Church of England[4] (from 2002 to 2006).[2][3] He also served as an honorary curate of St Alban's South Norwood from 2003 to 2006.[2][3]
At various times Hall has been a governor of 10 schools and two universities, a member of two local authority education committees and of the General Teaching Council for England. He has written widely and debated publicly on educational matters and was instrumental in the production of the Dearing Report in 2001 and its follow-up, which led to a significant expansion in the number of Church of England secondary schools. As Dean of Westminster he chairs the governors of Westminster School and Westminster Abbey Choir School.
Hall was awarded by Roehampton University the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity in July 2007 and installed as pro-chancellor of the university in March 2011. He also became an honorary fellow of Canterbury Christ Church University in November 2007 and received the honorary degree of Doctor of Theology from the University of Chester in March 2008. In February 2009, he became an honorary fellow of St Chad's College, Durham and, in May 2009, an honorary fellow of the College of Teachers.
Hall's appointment as Dean of Westminster was announced in November 2006[4] and he assumed the office in December 2006. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.[2][3] On 29 April 2011 he officiated at the Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton.