Welcome to Ian Dighe as new WDBF Chair

Welcome to Ian Dighe as new WDBF Chair

We are delighted to share that the Bishop’s Council have appointed a new Interim Chair of the Winchester Diocesan Board of Finance. This is a vital role in our organisational governance structure, working alongside the Bishop’s Staff Team and the Board of Directors in our shared care and leadership of the Diocese.

The Bishop’s Council have appointed Ian Dighe to the role after a lengthy recruitment process. Ian has been a member of our diocesan community for many years, most recently being elected to be a diocesan member of the Crown Nominations Commission as they seek to appoint the next Bishop of Winchester. Ian has sat on many Christian organisations’ boards over the past 35 years, including New Wine, Westminster Theological Centre and the Bible Society. Of Anglo-Indian heritage, he chairs the Nominations Committee of the Bible Society with specific responsibility for the composition and diversity of the board of trustees.  He lives and serves in a rural parish, Milford on Sea, in the New Forest. He is also currently training for ordination through St Melitus’ Theological college, and hopes to serve as a self-supporting minister in future.  

Ian will be officially taking up his role from 1 May 2023, and has agreed to serve for an initial 2 year period.

Many will be aware that Alastair Barron has generously been serving as Interim Chair since 2021 in addition to his many other roles (such as Chair of the House of Laity, and member of the Diocesan Board of Education, the Finance Monitoring Group and the Investment Advisory Group). We want to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you Alastair for his tireless efforts, immense support and endless kindness to all of us in the Winchester Diocese.