Dean of Liverpool guest speaker at excellent Quiet Morning

Friday November 18th 2016

The Ven Dr Stephen McBride, Archdeacon of Connor; the Very Rev Pete Wilcox, Dean of Liverpool and the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy, Bishop of Connor, at the Connor Clergy Quiet Morning in Lisburn Cathedral. Dean Wilcox was the guest speaker.

Clergy from across Connor Diocese enjoyed an excellent and informative Quiet Morning with special guest speaker the Very Rev Pete Wilcox, Dean of Liverpool, on November 10.

The day was hosted at Lisburn Cathedral by the Bishop of Connor, the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy, who welcomed clergy and the special guest.

Dean Wilcox gave two talks, the first entitled Lamentations in Advent: The cry of those who suffer violence, and the second was Revelation in Advent: The fate of those who perpetrate violence.

There was a break for coffee between talks and the morning ended with lunch, giving clergy the opportunity for further fellowship.

Pete trained at Ridley Hall in Cambridge after completing a degree in modern history at Durham University. He served as a curate on Teesside, and then studied for a doctorate at Oxford University, before returning to the Durham Diocese to serve as a team vicar in the Parish of Gateshead.

During this time he assisted in the training of ordinands at Cranmer Hall as Director of its Urban Mission Centre. Theological education and training remains a key area of interest for Pete, and bible teaching is his chief passion.

In 1998 he took up a new position as priest in charge of St Paul’s Church at the Crossing in Walsall – an ambitiously re-ordered town centre church combining the leadership of a Christian Social Enterprise with that of a thriving congregation.

He established a mandated ministry leadership team there, committed to empowering and facilitating the contribution of the whole people of God in mission. Between August 2006 and July 2012 he was Canon Chancellor at Lichfield Cathedral, a post which involved oversight of the Cathedral’s work in education and outreach.

He is married to a writer, Catherine Fox. They have two adult sons. Pete is a fan of all ball sports, and follows the fortunes of Newcastle United especially closely. He is the author of three books: ‘Living the Dream’ (2007), ‘Walking the Walk (2009) and ‘Talking the Talk’ (2011).

Photos of the Quiet Morning by the Rev Janice Elsdon.