Who’s Who
Archbishop of Cyprus and the Gulf
The Most Rev’d Michael Lewis
Born in Hampshire in 1953, he read Oriental Studies and then, as a second degree, Theology at Merton College Oxford and at Cuddesdon Theological College.After ordination in 1978 he served successively as a curate, a college chaplain, and a parish priest in South London in the Diocese of Southwark, before becoming team rector, rural dean, and finally canon in the Diocese of Worcester, where he also chaired the synodical House of Clergy and the Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches.From 1999 to 2007 he was Bishop of Middleton, a large, mainly urban area from the centre of Manchester to the top of the Pennines. He was Warden of Readers and Lay Eucharistic Assistants and chaired the Board of Education. Nationally his responsibilities included church colleges and universities and higher education generally, and latterly he was a governing trustee of St Michael’s Theological College, Llandaff, in the Church in Wales.Bishop Michael remains Bishop-Visitor to the Sisters of the Love of God, an Anglican community of nuns at Fairacres Convent in Oxford. He is a member of the International Commission for Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue, and a board member of the al Amana Interfaith Centre in the Sultanate of Oman.Bishop Michael and Julia have three children, Paul, Eleanor, and George, and a grandson, Jacob. |
Dean Designate
The Rev’d Dr Richard M. Fermer
| Cathedral Office: Tel: +973 17253866 Mobile: +973 38815076 |
Of English parents, Fr Richard was born in Switzerland, educated in England, and studied Philosophy and Theology at Oxford University. He went on to complete a M.A. in Systematic Theology under Colin Gunton at King’s College London, and followed that with a PhD, supervised by Dr. Brian Horne and Prof. Christoph Schwoebel, entitled: “Spirit, Freedom, Identity. An account of how the Spirit’s agency in Christian transformation is compatible with human freedom and personal identity.” During his doctoral studies, he spent time at the universities of Kiel and Heidelberg in Germany.Fr Richard is also a qualified teacher of Religious Education and has taught at the City of London School and Haberdashers Aske’s School for boys, and enjoys ministry to young people.Increasingly drawn to a communal and pastoral expression of his Christian life, Richard was selected for ordination by the Diocese of London and trained at the College of the Resurrection, Mirfield, West Yorkshire. He served as an Assistant Curate at St John the Evangelist, Palmers Green, where with others he set up a youth network for the local deanery and then the area, and served as Chair of the Uniting Churches of Palmers Green, in which role he organised their participation in London Soul in the City 2004, gaining lottery funding for an arts-based project involving local schools.In 2005 Fr Richard offered himself for work overseas and was sent by USPG to teach in the theological colleges of the Anglican Church in Brazil. His role there became increasingly peripatetic, travelling to dioceses around the country to deliver courses, while also assisting pastorally and liturgically at local parishes. He contributed a number of published articles in Portuguese to the church’s theological review “Inclusividade”.Increasingly drawn to a communal and pastoral expression of his Christian life, Richard was selected for ordination by the Diocese of London and trained at the College of the Resurrection, Mirfield, West Yorkshire. He served as an Assistant Curate at St John the Evangelist, Palmers Green, where with others he set up a youth network for the local deanery and and then the area, and as Chair of the Uniting Churches of Palmers Green, organised the churches participation in London Soul in the City 2004, gaining lottery funding for an arts-based project involving local schools.In 2005 Fr Richard offered himself for work overseas and was sent by USPG to teach in the theological colleges of the Anglican Church in Brazil. His role there became increasingly peripatetic, travelling to dioceses around the country to deliver courses, while also assisting pastorally and liturgically at local parishes.From Brazil, Fr Richard moved to be Assistant Chaplain at St George’s in Paris, which has both an international English-speaking congregation and a French-speaking Malagasy one.From 2010-2013, Fr Richard also took on the role of Supervisor of the “Mission and Ministry Programme”, of London Diocese’s companion relationship with the Diocese of Angola, part of the ALMA link (www.almalink.org).In late 2012, Fr Richard was appointed Priest-in-Charge of the Grosvenor Chape, Parish of Mayfair, in the Diocese of London. There his ministry was marked by community focus and outreach. He was a Steering Group Member of the Mayfair Neighbourhood Forum, which produced the first Mayfair Local Plan. In partnership with local law firm Forsters LLP, he set up the “Thursday Lunch Club” for refugees and international homeless with no recourse to public funds and with Lis Hasted a pioneering dimension programme, called “Hymns & Pimms”. He also oversaw major fabric projects that included: a new nave door, designed by Craig Hamilton, with a bas relief sculpture by Alexander Stoddart; the installation of the Constantinidi-Betjeman plaque, containing Betjeman’s poem “Lenten Thoughts in Grosvenor Chapel”; and the redecoration of the exterior of the Chapel.Fr Richard is married to Giseli, who he met while in Recife, Brazil. They are both qualified massage therapists and enjoy music, cinema, and dance together, and visiting friends and family in Brazil. |
Asst. Chaplain and Mission to Seafarers Chaplain
The Rev’d. Franklin Isaac
| Mobile: +973 33402317 Email: franklin.isaac@mtsmail.org |
Fr Franklin belongs to the Church of South India and leads the Cathedral’s Tamil’s congregation, as well as acting as Mission to Seafarers Chaplain.Further details to follow. |
Cathedral Administrator
Ms. Fozia Prince
Tel: +973 17253866 |
Cathedral Bookkeeper
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