Ruth Newton officially installed as Archdeacon of Carlisle

The Ven Ruth Newton was officially installed during the service on Sunday, September 8.

This marks a return to her birth county, having been raised in Carlisle and serving the parishes of Caldbeck, Castle Sowerby, and Sebergham after her ordination in 2002.

She was previously a vicar near Ripon and is married to Andrew, with whom she has two grown-up daughters, Victoria, 25, and Ellen, 21.

(Image: Diocese of Carlisle/Stuart Walker Photography)

More than 200 people attended the cathedral, including a contingent from her former parishes in Yorkshire, to witness the Rt Rev Rob Saner-Haigh, Acting Bishop of Carlisle, welcome her.

He said: "I want to extend my own warm welcome to all of you, particularly to Ruth on this special day.

"We are delighted you are here along with Andrew, Victoria, and Ellen.

"Thank you for making the move over here and joining us.

"We are so grateful to have you and for you to be partners in the gospel with us.

"It is good to share this worshipping time together and praying for Ruth as she begins this ministry and for her, Andrew, Victoria, and Ellen in this next stage of life."

(Image: Diocese of Carlisle/Stuart Walker Photography)

Ruth now takes responsibility for the Deaneries of Carlisle, Brampton, Penrith, and Appleby.

She will also have safeguarding responsibilities and oversee the Diocese’s Christian retreat and conference centre, Rydal Hall.

The Dean of Carlisle, the Very Rev Jonathan Brewster, also installed her to the Cathedral’s College of Canons.

During the service, she preached on a passage from St Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, saying: "Thank you Bishop Rob and the Dean for your welcome.

"Thank you all for coming today and for the welcome and prayers that you are offering.

"I hope my new role is not too much about buildings, buildings, and buildings, but rather a role which enables and supports others in mission and is primarily about the people and God.

(Image: Diocese of Carlisle/Stuart Walker Photography)

"I confess that there are many reasons why I applied for this role, not least because I wanted to come home."

She continued: “I did mean what I said in the press release [announcing her appointment]. It wasn’t a mere soundbite that my faith story is bound up with the faith stories of so many of the churches which I am now called to serve.

"Christian presence, Christian mission in this place matters to me not only because it should, and not only because it’s what God’s asked me to be, but because it’s where I’m from.”

Ruth's early years were spent worshipping at St Elisabeth’s Harraby and St James Carlisle before her family moved to Dalston, where she joined St Michael’s and became head chorister.

She was also the youngest churchwarden in the country, aged 26, when serving at St Giles Great Orton.

After training for ordination at St John’s Nottingham and serving her curacy in Cumbria, she was appointed Vicar of Hutton Cranswick with Skerne Bewick and Watton in the Diocese of York in 2006.

She also served as Assistant Warden of Readers and as Rural Dean.

Five years later, she became Priest in Charge of Kirlington, Burneston, Wath, and Pickhill in the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds.

From 2015, she served as Canon Evangelist at Ripon Cathedral.

Since 2017, Ruth served as a priest in the parishes of Sharow, Copt Hewick, and Marton Le Moor in the Diocese of Leeds.

For the last two years, she has also held the role of Mission and Evangelism Tutor at St Hild Theological College Mirfield.

She has also been a General Synod member, the Church of England’s national assembly.

She is a passionate advocate for rural ministry and environmental matters and sat as a National Rural Affairs Group Church of England representative on the Arthur Rank Centre’s trustee board.

At Leeds Diocese, she has acted as an Environmental Working Group Training and Theology Advisor and co-created and co-developed a new lay ministry pathway, the "Eco-Mission Enabler".

Ruth also runs an environmental blog site "Greening the Lectionary".