Dean of Mission, Ministry and Education
Rob Merchant is Dean of Mission, Ministry and Education, a role that links together different aspects of our life as a diocese. This includes the work of our education team and the Mustard Seed team supporting 139 church schools, Early Years settings, and working with children, young people and families. Rob’s portfolio also includes learning and development programmes for ordinands, clergy and lay leaders, vocations, ministerial development reviews, our Strategic Development funded projects, and supporting the growth of new worshipping communities across Essex and East London.
Rob’s background is as varied as his role. He has worked as a care worker for people with learning difficulties and his ordained ministry has included being parish priest in urban and rural settings. He has worked as an academic, and more recently as Director of St Mellitus Chelmsford. His interests include ageing, mental health and trauma.
He is married to Tamsin, a vicar in the Diocese of London, and has two sons, aged 13 and 15. His passion in life is to see people flourish in the ministry to which they are called, in whatever walk of life that may be.
