Patrons

Rev Baroness Kathleen Richardson of Calow

Originally trained as a teacher, Baroness Richardson worked in the Methodist Church as a Deaconess and a Lay Worker before being ordained into the Methodist ministry in 1980.

In 1987, she was the first woman to be appointed Chairman of the West Yorkshire District of the Methodist Church. Following a 12-month period as the President of the Methodist Conference, Baroness Richardson was then elected, in 1995, as the Moderator of the Free Church Federal Council and President of Churches Together in England. Again, she was the first woman to be elected to this post.

She was honoured in 1996 with an OBE for services to the ecumenical movement and then in 1998, was created a life peer in the Queen's Birthday Honours list. Having been introduced into the House of Lords with the title of the Reverend Baroness Richardson of Calow, she was given early retirement from the Methodist Church in order to be able to spend more time in the House.

Baroness Richardson has visited the Holy Land on a number of occasions, the most significant of which was a visit as part of a delegation from the British Council of Churches to look at the effects of the first Intifada.

Rev Dr David Coffey (OBE), President of the Baptist World Alliance

David Coffey has been an ordained Baptist Minister with the Baptist Union of Great Britain since 1967. Following graduation from Spurgeon's College, London he served as Pastor of three Baptist churches: Whetstone, Leicester (1967-72); North Cheam, Sutton (1972-80); and Upton Vale, Torquay (1980-88)

He was elected at the age of forty four as the President of the Baptist Union of Great Britain 1986-87.

David was elected as the Vice President of the European Baptist Federation (EBF) (1995-1997) then as President of the EBF (1997–99).

In July 2005 he was elected as BWA President from 2005 – 2010. During his ministry he has visited over 68 countries and since 2005 has ministered in Australia, USA, Russia, Vietnam, Czech Republic, Mexico, Canada, Hungary, Thailand, Kenya, Moldova, Israel and the West Bank, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ghana, Lebanon, Jordan, Croatia, Poland and Nagaland (NE India).

From 2003-2007 David served as the Moderator of the Free Churches Group to represent the 19 Free Church denominations in England. In this capacity David served alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster and Bishop Nathan Hovhannisian of the Armenian Orthodox Church. The four Presidents made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in December 2006 which included a visit to the Christian community of Bethlehem.

In December 2007 he was awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours for services to inter faith relations.

David lives in Didcot Oxfordshire. He has been married to his ‘best friend’ Janet for 41 years and they have two adult children, Niki and Philip.

David is an enthusiastic soccer fan and has been following the fortunes of Chelsea FC since the early 1960’s when they were not a cash rich club! He is also a keen musician and a member of the Elgar Society.

Rt Rev Dr Michael Langrish, Bishop of Exeter

Michael Langrish spent his childhood and school days in Southampton.

A degree in History and Social Sciences from Birmingham University, where he was Chancellor’s Prizeman in 1965, was followed by a PGCE and time spent teaching in the East End of London and in Nigeria before ordination training at Ridley Hall and a Cambridge degree in theology.

More recently, Michael was awarded Doctorates of Divinity by the Universities of Birmingham and Exeter and his working life continued to be spent in the twin fields of education and the ordained ministry of the Church of England.

Michael has been a school chaplain as well as a parish priest in both a market town, a rural setting and an urban setting. He has also been responsible for the vocational and professional development of clergy as well as being a Canon of Coventry Cathedral.

In 1993 he became Suffragan Bishop of Birkenhead in the Diocese of Chester which gave him responsibility for a very mixed rural and urban area before coming to Exeter as Diocesan Bishop in 2000.

Michael holds several national responsibilities, including being a member of the House of Bishops and General Synod, as well as being Chairman of the Church of England’s Rural Strategy Group and a Board member of Christian Aid. He is also a member of the House of Lords on and speaks regularly on matters relating to farming and rural affairs, and also the Middle East.

He is the current President of the Devon Association of Young Farmers’ Clubs and is also involved in the life of Exeter University as a member of the Council. Michael is married to Esther, who is a Counsellor and a Licensed Reader in the Church of England. They have three adult children and three grandchildren.