Our Ministry Team
Please find below an introduction to some members of our growing Ministry Team.
Team Rector - Revd Paul Seaton-Burn
Revd Paul joined us in the Spring of 2023, having formerly been Rural Dean of Okehampton and Team Rector of The North Dartmoor Parishes in West Devon, based at Chagford for over eleven years.
Paul has also enjoyed training students for ordained and lay ministry in the diocese of Exeter, and has been a Training Incumbent since 2009. Among other things, he was a co-founder of The Archangel’s Way pilgrimage route across Northern Dartmoor, bringing all sorts of churches and chapels, visitors and locals, churchy and non-churchy folk together.
He left a major investment firm in the City of London in 2004 to become a student again, and was ordained at Peterborough Cathedral in 2006. He is a member of The Bright Field Community, a network of ministers passionate about rural ministry - ‘a source of real hope and encouragement for nurturing faith and belonging in the countryside’. Hailing from Northumberland, Paul enjoys music, poetry, walking by the sea and up hills, and exploring ancient places.
Associate Priest - Revd Michael Wilcockson
Michael was ordained priest in June 2019 and then moved to Linton with his wife Alison. He has been a secondary school teacher of theology and philosophy for 37 years and an LLM for 26 years until his ordination in 2018. His is Associate Priest in the Linton Parishes and is also Rural Dean of the Granta Deanery. He continues to work for several public exam boards and is also a part-time Army chaplain to the Cambridge Army Cadet Force. As a former teacher, Michael is passionate about communicating the Gospel and making it accessible to all ages.
Team Vicar - Revd Dr Ian Fisher
Ian is the semi-retired Team Vicar and has particular oversight of parishes of Castle Camps, Horseheath and Shudy Camps. Ian was first ordained in 1988 in Rural Herefordshire. From there he served as Chaplain to the University of Surrey before moving to Ashton-under–Lyne in Manchester and then to North Shoebury in Chelmsford Diocese. Ian joined the team in 2017. Ian is married to Katharine who works as a teaching assistant and loves cooking.
Lindi Kent - Licensed Lay Minister (LLM)
Lindi has a background in business consultancy and has travelled the world for work. She was licensed as an LLM in Ely Cathedral in 2019. She worships mainly in the villages of Castle Camps, Shudy Camps and Horseheath and is a member of the Cafechurch team at Linton. Lindi also supports other LLM colleagues as Sub-Warden for LLMs in the diocese. She enjoys cooking, travelling, singing, yoga, gardening, eating out and having new adventures. She is fun, a bit potty and is keen to work with everyone.
Olena Biletska - Linton Parish Co-ordinator
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Nanette Blackmore - Verger
Nanette is a key person at St Mary's, who does a lot to keep everything going smoothly. The role of verger is to be supportive to the Ministry Team and responsible for maintaining the church furnishings and vessels. Nanette's duties range from the preparation of services such as weddings, funerals and special occasion services like Easter, Christmas, Remembrance Day, and helping at the School Assemblies, to ordering wine, wafers and candles, checking microphones and batteries, changing altar frontals and hangings, washing the albs and linen, updating the Memorial tables, knowing the church history, welcoming visitors, finding family tree lines from church records and heating the church. She especially loves welcoming pupils and staff from Granta School most Mondays to our beautiful church.
Revd Lesley Gore
Lesley taught English as a foreign language at the Bell School in Cambridge before she and her husband moved to Linton in 1979 where they raised their family and became heavily involved in the life of the community. Amongst her roles in the village, Lesley was Chair of Governors of Linton Village College, having previously chaired the governing body of the Church Infants' School, and, beyond the village, was a member of the Board of Inspection at Highpoint Prison. Having served as a Licensed Lay Minister (LLM), she subsequently trained for the priesthood and served as Associate Priest for our benefice, especially at St Mary's, Bartlow for many years.
Lesley takes regular midweek services in Linton, monthly Sunday services at Fulbourn Hospital and services at churches around the Granta Deanery on other Sundays from time to time, as well as officiating at weddings and funerals. She continues her pastoral work in Linton.
Nicola Collard - Licensed Lay Minister (LLM)
Nicola has been with St Mary’s since 2007 and was licensed as an LLM in 2014.
A mother of two boys who attended both schools in the village, Nicola was a Foundation Governor for several years at Linton infant school, before becoming Chair of Governors in 2019.
Since 2014 Nicola has been leading ‘Friday Church’, a weekly, time of collective worship in church or at school for pupils, teachers and parents. Having a young family has been the catalyst in Nicola's desire to become involved within the community both as LLM and Chair of Governors. Over time, this has been a channel in building good relationships with staff, parents and children, and in keeping links between the church and the schools really strong.
Cathy Watts - Licensed Lay Minister (LLM)
Cathy grew up locally but has recently retired as a Prep school Deputy head in Hertfordshire. She was licensed as a lay reader as St Albans Cathedral in 2005 and recently transferred to the Ely diocese. In May 2023, Cathy became Warden of LLMs (Readers) for the Diocese of Ely, working within the Mission and Ministry Team. In the Linton Parishes, she's a member of the Cafe Church team, Messy Church group and takes a family service at Bartlow once a month.
As a Foundation Governor, Cathy is actively involved with Linton infant school, she also sits on the SACRE committee and is a selection officer for LLMs in the diocese. In her spare time, Cathy enjoys time with her grandchildren, in the garden, and loves to sew and be creative.
Sarah Thorne - Children & Families Minister
Sarah studied at Ridley Hall, Cambridge and now leads a team of dedicated volunteers who work with Sarah to deliver Tots in Tow, Messy Church, Baby Steps and Make Lunch Club. She also shares leadership at the Friday School Service with Nicola. Sarah feels that it is an exciting time to be part of the church family at St Mary’s, and joining in with what God is doing in the village. Sarah's passion is to see families encounter God’s unlimited love for them and share some of the journey He takes us all on.
David Watts - Churchwarden
David moved back into the village and to St. Mary’s when he retired from teaching Chemistry and being an Assistant Head. He has recently finished an English degree and has relished the different challenges of learning rather than teaching. He is married to Cathy, has four daughters, now scattered about the country and has a big dog which takes him for walks.
Charlotte Dodd - Churchwarden
Charlotte has lived in the village on and off since 2001. Having gone away to university and for work she returned to the village in 2019. She now works in Essex as a Community Dietitian. As well as Churchwarden she is chair of our events committee and one of our bellringers. She enjoys baking and you can often taste her cakes at our social events.
Sue Filby (ALM)
Sue has lived in Linton for over 50 years, only moving away briefly after her wedding in St Mary's. She has had a variety of roles within the church over the years. Sue was first authorised in Lay Ministry for Youth Work in October 2011; this was renewed in 2016. After successfully completing her Pastoral Assistant training in 2021, Sue was authorised in January 2022.
Sue now chairs the Pastoral group at St Mary's overseeing the regular support and contact offered to the parishioners by each member.
Dr David Parry-Smith - Director of Music
David is a professional scientist and senior manager. He is also an experienced parish organist and choral director, holding the diploma of Associate of the Royal College of Organists. He works at the Wellcome Sanger Institute at the Wellcome Genome Campus at Hinxton, near Cambridge. David has been a church musician, organist and choir director since his teenage years and has held posts as organist and choir director in Rugby, Leeds, and south-east Kent. He encourages a wide variety of music in services and welcomes singers and instrumentalists of all standards and abilities to contribute to the musical offering of praise at St Mary’s, so that “Of the best that Thou has given earth and heaven render Thee”.
Gill Powell (ALM)
Gill and her husband, Lawrence, have lived in Linton and worshipped at St Mary’s since 2006. She is a retired Infant School teacher and headteacher and her work within the church is aimed at ensuring that it is welcoming and accessible to all, particularly young families and children. She is an ALM with responsibility for social awareness but has also recently undertaken a further ALM course in baptism ministry, a field that she is keen to develop. She is on the Messy Church team and also helps at the village Infant School as part of her ministry.
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