Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Varley was licensed by Bishop Martin on January 16 to be associate vicar of the benefice of Brede with Udimore and Beckley and Peasmarsh.
Liz now lives at Vine Cottage in Peasmarsh (on Main Street, next-door-but-one to the Horse and Cart). She has become the first port of call for priestly matters connected with St Peter & St Paul Parish Church, Peasmarsh and All Saints Church, Beckley. For Liz’s contact details please check the Parish magazine or the website.
Liz was first licensed as a reader in 1981 (well before women could be priests in the Church of England) and worked for the British Council of Churches, the Durham Diocese and the Newcastle Diocese before being ordained in 1996. She is new to this diocese having served as a priest in Durham, London, Ripon and Leeds, St. Edmundsbury and Ipswich, Bangor and Portsmouth, and spent eight months in 2021 as a housekeeping volunteer at Iona Abbey. Liz is looking forward very much to getting to know this beautiful part of the country and to becoming part of the church family here as she settles into the ministry team.
Image Credits: Alex Boatwright-Smith .