TWO new people have been appointed to senior posts in our diocese.

The Rev Dr Anthony Rustell

The Rev Jeff Williams

The Rev Dr Anthony Rustell has been appointed as Head of Mission, Discipleship and Ministry for Portsmouth diocese. He will lead the team that runs training courses, helps to deepen worshippers’ discipleship, and offers advice and support for parishes on children’s and youth work, mission, spirituality, vocations and stewardship. He was appointed by the Bishop of Portsmouth.

He will also be a Residentiary Canon of Portsmouth Cathedral. He replaces Canon David Isaac, who is retiring from both his diocesan and his cathedral roles.

The Rev Jeff Williams has been appointed as Director of Education for both Portsmouth and Winchester dioceses. He will lead a team that helps to advise and support 143 church schools across both dioceses. He was appointed jointly by the Bishops of Portsmouth and Winchester.

He will replace Tony Blackshaw, who stepped down as Director of Education for both dioceses last Christmas. Since then, Richard Wharton has been acting as interim director for two terms. Richard will continue working for the dioceses as a schools adviser, replacing Chris Pritchard, who is retiring.

Both Jeff and Anthony will start their new roles in September.

The Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Rev Christopher Foster, said: “Having been personally involved in both of these interview processes, I know that both Jeff and Anthony will bring unique talents to these senior positions. I’m delighted that we can appoint people of such high quality.

“Heading up our Mission, Discipleship and Ministry team is an important position, as we seek to help worshippers deepen their commitment to God, explore new ways of worshipping, and to share their faith with others. Anthony has a background in inspiring people to create visions and strategies and then helping to implement them. His background in training others makes him ideal for this role.

“Our support for the education of the 30,000 pupils in our church schools across two dioceses is also vital. Jeff comes to us with a background as a headteacher and an experienced education adviser and will be perfect for this important job.”

The Rev Dr Anthony Rustell, is currently priest-in-charge of Tongwynlais, just north of Cardiff, and is Diocesan Director of Ministerial Training in the Diocese of Llandaff, in the Church of Wales. He currently oversees all clergy and Reader training in the diocese, is a member of the diocesan strategy group and is author of a report on diocesan vision and mission strategy. He has also worked with officers from other dioceses in Wales to create policies to train all clergy, and organises his diocese’s clergy conference.

He was born and grew up in Guildford, although the Rustell family came from Hampshire a few generations ago. He met his American wife Georgianna two days after he was ordained. They have two daughters, aged three and five months.

He said: “I believe that mission and discipleship are two of the most significant challenges that the church faces today. How should we faithfully bear witness to our faith in public, in a way that enriches the church’s life, and brings wisdom and insight to our communities? What does it mean to be a faithful disciple today, and how do we continually refresh our faith so that it is able to meet the challenges of 21st century life? These are questions that I frequently ask myself, and it is my wish to explore them that makes me excited about my new role in Portsmouth diocese.”

The Rev Jeff Williams is currently a self-supporting minister in the Diocese of Winchester, with an interest in pioneer ministry and Fresh Expressions. For the past 12 years, he has had a lead role in education policy, working at the Department for Education in Whitehall.

As Head of the Inspection, Accreditation and Performance Unit, Jeff worked also in government executive agencies where his responsibilities were broad, but predominantly focusing on the evaluation and inspection of schools and universities holding government funded and endorsed designation, particularly for Initial Teacher Training & Continuing Professional Development and System Leadership.

Jeff is an experienced teacher and leader in all phases of compulsory education, and has been a secondary headteacher and university lecturer in postgraduate programmes. In his leisure time, Jeff loves skiing, mountain walking, body boarding and rugby.