Meet the Team

The Rector

Rev’d Barnaby Huish is Rector of St John’s Church, Neville’s Cross and St. Margaret of Antioch, Crossgate.

NICKY CHATER

Rev’d Nicky Chater is an Associate Minister.

Nicky is a self-supporting minister recently retired from the NHS. She was a Reader for a number of years in Liverpool before moving to Durham in 2004. She trained at Cranmer Hall in Durham and was ordained in 2007. She is married to Mike.

MIKE CHATER

Mike Chater is a Reader (a lay person trained in theology and ministry.) In his secular life he was a Civil Engineer before retirement. As a Reader, he leads services, preaches regularly, and shares in pastoral duties with the ordained clergy in the church. He is married to Nicky.

JO CUNDY

My background is as a lawyer, a clergy wife, and a writer. The Cundy family was part of St John’s in the 1980/90’s when my husband Ian was Warden of Cranmer Hall and I came back to Durham and St John’s in 2009 when Ian died. I have enjoyed reconnecting with the church family here, and exploring ways of deepening and sharing our discipleship, and growing in our spiritual awareness. Now I am excited by the way that the Covid pandemic is opening up new ways of being church in our community.

SUE MASSEY

TREASURER

I took up the treasurer’s job in retirement in 2018 after a career in teaching. I’ve worshipped at St John’s since 1980 when my family came to live in this part of the city. My children were all brought up locally but are now scattered afar, married with their own families. My husband shares my faith and we have a vision that our church has a role in the immediate community, as well as links with our neighbouring parishes.

DAVID ATKINSON

SECRETARY TO THE PCC

I am server at the 10:30 a.m. service, and occasionally read the lesson, lead the intercessions and administer the chalice.
I am secretary to the PCC. My chief claim to fame is taking part in a sleepout at Durham Cathedral in support of a homeless charity.

I attend with my mother.

Amy Ward

MISSIONER AND DIRECTOR OF MUSIC

I came to Durham in 2015 to study theology, mission and ministry at Cranmer Hall, following a two-year stint overseas with ‘Latin Link.’ I joined St John’s during this time, having taught music in a previous life. As my degree came to a close, the feeling that God might be calling both me and St John’s to a more formal missional role became increasingly strong.

Consequently, since January 2019 I have been working part-time as the church missioner primarily in Bearpark, an ex-mining village in a neighbouring parish. Music forms an integral part of my work, and has been a particularly helpful way to build bridges between the church and wider community. It has been great working in partnership with Christians and other members of the community there.