Team Rector – Revd Dr. Mark Smith
Mark has been our Team Rector since June 2010.
Mark’s wife, Lisa, is a social worker. They have two children, Aidan (10) and Hannah (6) who both attend Bottesford Primary School.
Mark was ordained in the Diocese of York 21 years ago. Prior to coming to the Belvoir Vale, Mark was Vicar of St Paul’s, Scotforth (Lancaster) in the Diocese of Blackburn since 2003. Before then, for 5 years, he was Vicar of St Michael and All Angels, Preston, following 4 years as Senior Chaplain of St Martin’s College, Lancaster.
In addition to his parish work, Mark has been World Development Adviser (WDA) for the Diocese of Blackburn, focussing on issues of social justice, working with Christian Aid and making Blackburn a ‘Fair Trade Diocese’. He has established links between his local C of E schools and schools in Uganda.
Mark has strong academic qualifications, with a post-graduate diploma in Theology, a period as a student in Berlin and recently (2003) a doctorate in Religious Studies. However, his calling remains towards Parish ministry and work with schools which forms the focus of his role of Team Rector based in Bottesford.
Regarding his out-of-work interests, Mark says:-
‘I enjoy travelling, especially around central and eastern Europefor which I have a special affection given my student days in Berlin. I like watching sport of almost kind (especially football, rugby, cricket, golf and American Football) and I have run the London Marathonon three occasions for Christian Aid.
I have a broad taste in music and play the guitar for relaxation (with great mediocrity I might add). I enjoy the theatre and in times past have directed a number of plays (e.g. ‘Equus’; ‘Murder in the Cathedral’). I enjoy food and drink and eating out - as evidenced by my expanding girth’.
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