READER OF THE TEMPLE ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT
The Reader of the Temple, The Reverend Mark Hatcher, has announced his intention to retire at the end of the legal year on 31st July 2025.
Mark Hatcher was appointed to the Temple Church, London by the two Inns of Court, The Inner Temple and Middle Temple, in September 2015.
He intends to pursue doctoral studies at the Centre for Law and Religion, Cardiff University to build on his published work on ecclesiastical law and the role of bishops in the House of Lords. With Permission to Officiate in the diocese of Southwark he will continue to assist the team at St Alfege, Greenwich, in whose parish he lives.
Mark Hatcher said:
I have been blessed to have participated in the life of the community of the Temple and to have shared ministry with the Reverend and Valiant Master of the Temple, Dr Robin Griffith-Jones, during a period in the Church’s life which has been deeply fulfilling. The Temple Church has been described as the beating heart of the Temple and I have been enormously privileged to have worked with such a dedicated and talented team to inspire our worship, sustain the Church and help to promote its vitality.
Robin Griffith-Jones said:
Mark has transformed the role of Reader of the Temple. He has helped us to strengthen and develop the Temple Church’s relationships with Inner and Middle Temple by drawing on his experience with the Bar, and with the legal profession more widely. In addition to sharing in our liturgy and worship for the past ten years, Mark has been a generous and warm-hearted presence in the Church and throughout the Temple. His friendship and support have been foundational to all that we have achieved. Our new Safeguarding Policy bears all the marks of his thoughtful care.
The Chair of the Temple Church Trust, Rory Phillips KC said:
Mark will be a great loss to the Temple Church and to the spiritual life of both Inns. His ministry has been enormously valued over the years by the entire congregation, from members of staff to Benchers, from students to distinguished retired Judges. There will be opportunities for us to thank Mark for his service to the Church in due course. In the meantime we wish him very well in the next phase of his life and work.
There will be a farewell Evensong for Master Hatcher in Temple Church on 9 July at 6.00pm.