Who's Who
At the heart of any Cathedral is a small group of people who are called to maintain the daily offering of prayer and worship. The Cathedral Chapter, which includes the Dean and Canons, oversees the life of the Cathedral in all its aspects.
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”
Our Chapter
Members of the Carlisle Cathedral Chapter
Michael as the Interim Dean chairs the Chapter which oversees the running of the Cathedral and he serves all that the Cathedral is involved in.
The Canon Warden takes a lead role in Safeguarding, the Cathedral’s emerging Arts, Culture and Learning programme, and a full role in worship, governance and business development at the Cathedral.
The Canon Precentor takes a lead role in liturgy and congregational life and a full role in worship and the governance of the Cathedral.
James is the Senior Non-Executive Member of Chapter.
He practices as a barrister in Manchester, specialising in business and property litigation.
He also serves as Chancellor of the Diocese of Carlisle.
James is married and lives near Keswick. He has two adult children.
Ruth was born in Manchester and moved to Cumbria as her parents retired to the area. She has had careers in nursing and banking before training for ordination at Cranmer Hall Durham. She was ordained by the Bishop of Carlisle in 2002.
She is married to John, who is also ordained and they have 3 children and 2 grandchildren.
They have always lived and served in Cumbria, including, Kendal, Workington, Penrith, Flookburgh, Levens and Dalton in Furness.
Ruth has recently retired from full time ministry and now lives with John in Carlisle. She has served on the Cathedral Council for several years and is an Assistant Director of Ordinands. She also looks after the Retired Clergy in the Diocese.
Trevor has had a career within the financial services, corporate banking and agribusiness sectors, spanning over 45 years
He and his wife came to live in Cumbria in 1994 when he was appointed as the Area Director for Barclays Bank. He was Chief Executive at H&H Group in Carlisle between 1999 and 2008
Between 2009 and 2019, he served as a Non-Executive Director – and then Chairman of the Board – of the Cumberland Building Society
He has had a lively interest in the mission of the Cathedral during his years in Cumbria and he was a Trustee of the Carlisle Cathedral Development Trust from 2007 until 2023. In 2025, he became a Trustee and Non-Executive Director of the Carlisle Diocesan Board of Finance Limited.
Alan has lived and worked in Carlisle all his life, retiring in March 2018 after over 30 years in practice as a Chartered Accountant. He is currently a non-executive director of the Cumberland Building Society.
He is married with three children and six grandchildren. He is lay chair of the PCC at St James Carlisle and Chair of Governors at Robert Ferguson Primary School.
Julie Clayton has lived and worked in Cumbria all her life. She is chief executive of Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw Cumbria’s Children’s Hospice.
She has also worked for the NHS and the BBC. She is a former Board member of the Cumbria LEP and the Cathedral Council. Julie is also Carlisle Cathedral’s Lay Safeguarding Chair.
She is married with three grown up children and a much-loved dog.
Paul is Managing Director of a multinational food company, specialising in seafood. He’s also deeply committed to community life and charitable causes. A former National President of Round Table Great Britain and Ireland, Paul now supports several local charities as a trustee.
An active member of the Cathedral congregation, he has called Cumbria home since 1994. Paul lives in Carlisle with his wife Karen, they have three grown-up children and six grandchildren.
As a keen Carlisle United supporter you will often find him at Brunton Park cheering on the Blues.
ROLE OF THE CHAPTER
The Cathedral Chapter:
- Maintains a pattern of daily worship and invites others to join them in these acts of prayer and praise
- Gathers at least six times a year ‘in Chapter’ as the governing body which shapes Cathedral policy and orders the Cathedral’s life
- Serves, as opportunity allows, the community in which the Cathedral is set – both the secular community of the County of Cumbria and the City of Carlisle, and also the ecclesiastical community of the Diocese of Carlisle
- Continues the tradition of welcome and hospitality to the common life of the Cathedral and its precinct
The College of Canons
The College of Canons brings together experienced priests who are appointed by the Bishop and who are able to advise the Chapter as it shapes Cathedral policy and act as ambassadors for the Cathedral across the diocese. Each of the 24 members of the College has their own stall within the Cathedral.
This body elects the Bishop of Carlisle as part of the formal process of appointment. In recent years, Honorary Ecumenical Canons have been able to contribute an ecumenical perspective to the deliberations of the College.
