Canon Richard Frank

Hon Assistant

Born Toronto, Canada, 1940.

After High School graduation in '58, a variety of work followed, including selling encyclopaedias door-to-door, working in the University Library, and a spell on the lower deck of the Royal Canadian Navy. Immigrated to UK in 1962 (just before Enoch Powell shut the door!), worked as a secretary in a London office, laboured for a landscape gardening firm, and ended up (to my mild surprise) accepted by the Church of England as an ordinand, and then (continued surprise) by St Chad's College, Durham, to acquire a first degree (mainly History & Theology), and then to acquire the Diploma in Theology that would lead to Ordination.

This done, I served curacies in Darlington (met and married Ann) and Sunderland (Emma born), and then served in parishes in Durham and Carlisle Dioceses, the latter being experiences of both urban and rural ministries. A particular interest of mine has been the encouragement and support of Non-Stipendiary Ministers, and having opened my mouth to the Bishop on more than one occasion on the subject, could hardly refuse when he invited me to be Diocesan Convenor for NSMs…. I have also served as a Rural Dean (twice). The last parish in which I served (as Team Rector) was 250sq miles of the northern Lakes and Fells, living at Greystoke. Ann & I retired in 1999 to live near Carlisle, then moved to Beverley to be near our daughter and son-in-law Phil, who live in Walkington. Once a keen motorcyclist, I now limit myself to wistful glances at today's machines, and divert myself with drawing (life drawing, when I can get it) and have just started a course with the Open College of Art. Other interests are generally more 'casual'.

Richard Frank