Rev Sally Hitchiner to be associate vicar at St-Martin-in-the-Fields in London

The vicar, Rev Dr Sam Wells, posted the announcement on Twitter on Sunday: “I am delighted to announce the appointment of Sally Hitchiner as Associate Vicar for Ministry at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Like her predecessor Revd Katherine Hedderly, Sally will have principal responsibility for congregational life, including pastoral care, formation, liturgy, budgeting and safeguarding, and also for communications.”

Sally Hitchiner, 39, has become a regular on newspaper reviews on the BBC as well as a frequent commentator on church diversity issues, being in a civil partnership herself, member of the General Synod and the founder of the Diverse Church for LGBT+ Christians whose aim is: “The advancement of the Christian religion amongst lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, asexual, and intersex (LGBT+ ) Christians, in particular but not exclusively amongst those without access to Christian support for their sexuality and/or gender.”

Rev Dr Sam Wells continued: “Sally has extensive experience of addressing exclusion within the Christian faith, particularly through founding and becoming national director for the charity Diverse Church. Diverse Church creates online communities that have helped 800 LGBT+ Christians not to give up on life or God”. 

St-Martin-in-the-Fields is one of the most well-known churches in London, with Trafalgar Square on its doorstep, being mentioned in George Orwell’s 1984, hosting regular concerts as well as technically being the parish church for Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street. 

The building is often a choice for public broadcasts and for high-profile services, such as the remembrance service for Stephen Lawrence and the 70th anniversary of VJ Day. 

Hitchiner was ordained 2009 and is currently a chaplain and part of a multi-faith team at Brunel University, as well as a member of the clergy team at St John’s, Hyde Park.

Prior to ordination, she was an associate chaplain and a youth worker and did Theology at Oxford and Social Policy at York. 

Sally said: “I am so looking forward to joining St Martin’s. I have been inspired by your theology, kindness and curiosity for many years and I am thrilled that God is now calling me to journey with you. I am particularly looking forward to getting to know each member of our regular congregations as well as working with the business, the Charity, the Trust, The Connection and the Chinese Community at St Martin’s”. 

She has spoken at St-Martin-in-the-Field twice before. 

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Founder of the Diverse Church, Sally Hitchiner, will be joining the central London clergy team in May.