Church Army Board

The following is a brief profile of the members of the Board.

The Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell (Chair)

Stephen Cottrell was co-opted onto the Board in September 2011 prior to being elected in November 2011.  He has been Bishop of Chelmsford since 2010, and before that was Bishop of Reading. He is a passionate evangelist and his entire CV is rooted in evangelism. He has been a founder member and also chair of the Archbishops' College of Evangelists. His previous jobs have included being a member of the Springboard Team which was the evangelism initiative of Archbishop George Carey, and the Diocesan Missioner for Wakefield. The General Synod of the Church of England nominated Bishop Stephen to be a Board member, and both the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have encouraged him to take the Chair of Church Army.

Mark Russell (Chief Executive Officer)

Mark was appointed as Chief Executive from October 2006 and came to Church Army from being Youth Minister at Chorleywood.  Since 2005 Mark has served on the General Synod of the Church of England and was appointed as the youngest ever member of the Archbishops' Council.

The Rev. Bonnie Appleton (Vice Chair)

Bonnie Appleton is Vice-Chair of the Board and sits on the Remuneration Committee. Bonnie was appointed to the Board in 2005 and works in the Diocese of Guildford as Parish Resources Officer with responsibility for evangelism matters.  She has spent 7 years building up a young church plant into a congregation of maturing believers.

Peter Ridge (Treasurer)

Peter Ridge is Treasurer of Church Army and chairs the Finance and Investment Committees.  He is also a trustee of the Church Army Pension Scheme and sits on the College Council.  Peter has many years of experience practising as a Chartered Accountant and was the Senior Partner in the London office of Mazars Neville Russell.  He has also been a Crusader leader and is a Lay Reader.  He worships at St Nicholas, Chislehurst, in the Diocese of Rochester.

Captain Rob Barker CA

Rob was Commissioned in 1998 and was elected to the board in November 2010. He leads the Church Army Bus Project and Mission base across the Diocese of Chester. He is also Associate Minister to Ellesmere Port Parish Church, runs a nautical men’s outreach project and is Chaplain to The Local Sea Cadets.

Joanna Cox

Joanna Cox joined the Board in 2008, and serves as the National Advisor in Adult Education and Lay Discipleship for the Church of England. She previously worked in Southwark dioceses, and has taught Cross Cultural Studies and Spirituality in the department of mission at the Selly Oak Colleges and CMS Crowther Hall. Before that taught Geography in schools both in the UK and Zambia. She worships at the Church of the Ascension in Balham London.

Mr Steve Eccleston

Steve Eccleston was co-opted onto the Board in September 2011. Steve Eccleston is currently Deputy Director of Legal Services for Sheffield City Council and specialises in employment law and dispute resolution. He was appointed to the Board earlier this year on the recommendation of the Bishop of Sheffield, and he worships at St Columba's Church in Crosspool, Sheffield.

The Rev. Canon Sarah James

Sarah James is the Warden of Readers in the Diocese of Gloucester, former member of the General Synod, and is a canon of Gloucester cathedral. She is a Chartered Accountant and sits on Church Army's Finance Committee.

Captain Graham Nunn CA

Grahan Nunn was elected as a Board representative of Church Army Evangelists in November 2009.  He was commissioned in 1991 now works as Diocesan Children's Missioner in the Diocese of Canterbury.

The Rev. Wendy Saunders

Wendy Saunders was appointed to the Board in 2005, and is Priest in Charge of St Saviour's, Eltham, in the Diocese of Southwark. She has been Bishop's Officer for Urban Ministry & Leadership and Bishop's Press Officer/Diocesan Communications Officer. She has been involved with a Local Ecumenical Project and in broadcasting on independent local radio. She sits on Church Army's Marylebone Project Board.

The Ven Dr John Applegate

John Applegate is currently the Principal of the Southern North West Regional Training Partnership. He took this post on when the RTP was founded in 2005 to coordinate ministerial training in the southern north-west area of England. Prior to this post he served as Archdeacon of Bolton and before that as an academic in Manchester University and Area Dean of Salford.

Sister Dorothy Needham CA

Dorothy Needham was elected as a Board representative of Church Army Evangelists in March 2012. She was commissioned in 2000 and works in Bolton making links with community particularly through schools, and encouraging churches to reach out beyond church walls.