Clergy Conference 2026

Welcome to the Clergy Conference 2026. A chance to gather together, casting a vision for a Church that is Christ centred and diverse. The three-day event will allow us to pray, eat and worship together.

See the itinerary here…

An electronic copy of the programme is available as a PDF and an editable format for you to adapt for your own accessibility needs if required. If you require a printed hard copy of the PDF please let us know.

Livestreaming

Click on the images below to join the livestreams of our keynote talks, as well as the welcome address from Bishop Philip. If you join early, you may need to refresh the page when the talk is due to start.

Keynote Speakers

Krish Kandiah

Dr Krish Kandiah OBE is the founder of The Sanctuary Foundation, a charity supporting refugees to find welcome, work and worthwhile housing in the UK. He is recognised as an expert in refugee resettlement, child welfare reform, educational innovation and civil society mobilisation. Krish has led the charge on mobilising civil society groups and churches as they have supported recent arrivals from Hong Kong, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Sudan.

Hannah Steele

Revd Dr Hannah Steele is director of St Mellitus College London and lecturer in Missiology. She is the author of the Sunday Times best-seller ‘Living His Story’’ which was the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent book in 2021 and the author of ‘Living His Story Together: Becoming a Community of Missionary Disciples’ (2024). Hannah lives in Peckham, South London, although she is a life longer support of Aston Villa Football Team.

Sarah Yardley

Sarah Yardley loves finding and telling true stories. She enjoys travel, reading, coffee, feasting with friends, and exploring the beauty of the invitation to a deep and true faith in Jesus. She has traveled to over 100 countries, led festivals and creative projects around the world, and is the Team Leader at Emmaus Road. She writes regularly for Lectio 365, preaches and teaches in creative communities, and daily discovers new joy in following Jesus and sharing the story of love.

Worship

You can download a copy of each of the conference Eucharists text below:

Prayers – Order of Service

Clergy Conference Chaplains

Chaplains will be available throughout the conference. They can be identified by the white lanyard they’ll be wearing. Please feel free to approach them at any time. If you would prefer to arrange a dedicated time to speak to a chaplain, there will be a signup sheet on the door of Beech Room 1. Sessions can be booked by marking a timeslot with a cross – these sessions will remain anonymous.

Chapel Space – Prayer and Reflection

The Chapel Barn at the Clergy Conference offers various prayer stations and reflective resources from Hopeweavers Sanctuary Spaces, including an art space, maps, and creative prayer stations.

Clergy Conference Workshops

On Tuesday 13th we will be offering three workshop sessions – you are encouraged to choose free time for one of these sessions at a time that suits you. Each workshop will be offered twice over the course of the day. Download an editable version of the workshop schedule here.

10:45am – 12:15pm      Workshops and Seminars 1

Workshop	Room
Still Being Shaped: Encouragement, Calling, and the Creative Work of God  Ben Mizen	Cherry Room First Floor
Leading with Prayer at the Centre  Matt Noble	Barclay Hall Ground Floor
Digital Mission and Engagement   Toby Beresford	Sycamore 2 First Floor
Becoming a Community of Missionary Disciples – The Practice  Hannah Steele	Walnut Room First Floor
Ministering from the Well of Vocation and Spiritual Practice  Julia Mourant	Sycamore 4 First Floor
Sanctuary Space with Hopeweavers   Jane Thompson	Chapel Barn Ground Floor

1:15pm – 2:45pm          Workshops and Seminars 2

Workshop	Room
Still Being Shaped: Encouragement, Calling, and the Creative Work of God  Ben Mizen	Cherry Room First Floor
Church Admin Made Simple – How iKnow Church Can Help  Kyle Cottington	Sycamore 3 First Floor
Digital Mission and Engagement   Toby Beresford	Sycamore 2 First Floor
Benefice of the Future to Growing Rural Parishes – Learning and Reflecting on Encouraging Flourishing Rural Churches  Richard Brand and Simon Butler	Walnut Room First Floor
Leading with Prayer at the Centre  Matt Noble	Barclay Hall Ground Floor
Mission Development in a Cathedral Setting: Modern Monasticism in Courage Growth  Tess Kuin Lawton and Andrew Micklefield	Beech 1 Ground Floor
Storytelling: The Power and Practice of the Parable  Gemma Gillard	Willow Hall Ground Floor
Singing For Fun  Sara Wilson-King	Oak Room Ground Floor

3:30pm – 5:00pm Workshops and Seminars 3

Workshop	Room
Benefice of the Future to Growing Rural Parishes – Learning and Reflecting on Encouraging Flourishing Rural Churches  Richard Brand and Simon Butler	Walnut Room First Floor
Church Admin Made Simple – How iKnow Church Can Help  Kyle Cottington	Sycamore 3 First Floor
Sanctuary Space with Hopeweavers   Jane Thompson	Chapel Barn Ground Floor
Ministering from the Well of Vocation and Spiritual Practice  Julia Mourant	Sycamore 4 First Floor
Mission Development in a Cathedral Setting: Modern Monasticism in Courage Growth   Tess Kuin Lawton and Andrew Micklefield	Beech 1 Ground Floor
Storytelling: The Power and Practice of the Parable  Gemma Gillard	Willow Hall Ground Floor
Singing For Fun  Sara Wilson-King	Oak Room Ground Floor

High Leigh Conference Centre Map

Diocesan Prayer

Please be aware photography and filming may take place over the course of the conference. Should you have any safeguarding concerns or prefer not to be photographed, we kindly ask you notify a member of diocesan staff immediately.