Mojácar Anglican - Spain
Our Staff
Chaplain: The Rev'd Canon Hugh Broad has been a priest
for almost 40 years - born in Cheltenham where his mother ran a Draper's shop and his father was a policeman. Further back on his father's side he is related to cricketer Chris Broad who played for Gloucester-shire & England, and this no doubt explains his love of cricket, although there's not much of that here. On his mother's side his greatgrandfather was Matthew Webb, the first person to swim the channel who later met his demise going over Niagara Falls in a barrel - hence Hugh's eccentricities!
Hugh's first role in life was farming and he has a Diploma in Agriculture from a college in Shropshire, and experience of six years as a trainee farm manager. It was at this time that his christianity came to the fore. After a period as a Reader, Hugh was trained for the priesthood at Durham & Lichfield, and was ordained in Hereford Cathedral and served as a Curate in that city. He did a crash course at a Teacher Training College and then taught full-time in a church comprehensive for two years.
Then it was back to parish life at various locations and then as Vicar of All Saints & St. Barnabas' in Hereford for fourteen years. Sadly, during this time, Hugh's first marriage ended but he later married Jackie in 1988, inheriting five step-children, all of whom are now grown up of course. Hugh and Jackie then moved to Gloucester in 1990, where subsequently their twin, full of energy and mischief, daughters were born.
Hugh has been very much involved in the life of the national church, a member of the General Synod '95 to '03, and of the Crown Appointments Commission for seven years. He was also an ABM Selector for three years, and is now Vocations Advisor for this Gibraltar Archdeaconry.
He joined us here with his family in the Spring of 2003.
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Assisting Father Hugh is our Licensed Reader Duncan Burr who comes to us from the Diocese of Blackburn in the north of England where he has wide experience of life having trained as a civil engineer. He worked first of all in London where he took a youth leadership course at the Mayflower Centre run by David Shepherd, later Bishop of Liverpool.
Whilst working for the Lancs County Council, he had the opportunity to travel to the Lebanon and Papua New Guinea, and experience something of the life of the church there.
In 2005, with his wife, he moved to Spain in the Albox area where he is keen to be involved in an extension of the work of this vast Chaplaincy.
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Our Hon. Assistant Priest CANON ALAN BENNETT, retired from full time 
ministry in the Oxford Diocese in 2007 and now living in this area, has received "Permission to Officiate" in our churches.
Born the son of a Plasterer in September 1942 in the shadow of a bombed church in Portsmouth, his mother and the doctor were surprised to be told by the mid-wife that his twin brother was about to be born. They went to the local school, and under the influence of an Aunt, went to another bombed church where they didn't call the Vicar Father, nor use incense! It was at St. Cuthbert's that he found his faith and calling. The Monastic Order of the Sacred Mission at Kelham in Nottinghamshire took in boys at 16 to give them further education. Alan had gained three GCEs, one in Bricklaying! He went to Kelham in 1959 and enjoyed the Monastic life there. The following year he went to Sheffield to work in the steel industry. "A chance to see how the working class lived", was how the Industrial Mission Chaplain described it. He returned to Kelham in '61 to start the four year course in Theology. At the end of the second year he failed the exams and returned home to work in a plastics factory for the next two years. He became a Lay Reader in '64. Salisbury Theological College took him on, this time passing the exams. In '68 he was ordained in Portsmouth to a title in Fareham. Three happy years followed "learning the trade" under Simon Burrows, later to be the Bishop of Buckingham. Two parishes in Brighton completed his training.
In 1975 he met Barbara who had just been left widowed and pregnant with her first child. An unusual courtship followed! Alan was offered the Parish of Sandown in the Isle of Wight where they went after their wedding to start a new life. Their second son Christopher was born there. In '80 they moved to two parishes in Hampshire where their two daughters Rachel and Alexandra were born. In 1987 they went to Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire and stayed until retirement. He was area Dean for ten years and spent fifteen helping in the local prison. He was also Vice Chairman of the Buildings Committee looking after Vicarages. He has also been involved in Iona for seventeen years, taking groups and going on retreats.
Sadly, Barbara developed cancer in 2000 and died in 2002. The children are now grown up of course, and Alan has four grandchildren. He looks forward to supporting Father Hugh in his ministry here in Spain.
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Churchwardens, Synod reps' & Council members for 2008/2009
Alan Smith - Churchwarden
Synod Rep'
John Salmons - Churchwarden
Synod Rep'
Webmaster
Carole Hading Dodd - Treasurer
Carole Robinson - Secretary ?????
Ann Marshall - Missions Co-ordinator
Dorothy Smith - Fundraising Co-ordinator
Rotas Organisor
Pamela Carter - Council member
Eric Dore - Council member ?????
????? Audrey Hathaway - Elec' Roll Officer
Gift Aid Co-ordinatorl
Doreen Woolton - Child Protection ?????
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And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. Mark12:30
Office Address:
Apartado de Correos 617
Mojácar
Almería - Spain
04638