The former head of a charity will be advising Welsh bishops on social, economic and political issues.
Revd Carol Wardman is joining the Church in Wales as its new Bishops’ Adviser for Church and Society. She previously worked as Chief Executive of Age Concern (now Age UK) in Leeds.
Her role will be to build up links between the Church and other organisations and communities in Wales, including the Welsh Government, and to assist its bishops on policy development. She will also lead the Church’s groups on social responsibility, rural affairs, international strategy, interfaith relations, environmental issues and bio-ethics and chair Telos – the body which encourages spiritual thinking at the core of the workplace.
Ordained as a non-stipendiary minister, Carol has worked alongside her ministry in the public and voluntary sectors, in jobs ranging from community and economic development on peripheral estates in Middlesbrough, to rural development in West Yorkshire. While at Age Concern Leeds she was appointed as Adviser for Older People to the Bishop of Wakefield, acting as spokesperson on issues such as the value of older people in the church, long-term care and assisted dying. She has also worked in hospital chaplaincy.
Carol, who is married with two grown-up sons, said she was excited about her new role: “I’ve always felt strongly called to work out my faith in the context of secular life and work, which is where most Christians spend most of their time. The fact that Jesus came to spend a lifetime on earth shows how important the stuff of daily life is to God, and helping people to make connections between their faith and the rest of their lives, whether that’s where they work, how they spend their money, what they think about issues in the news and even how they cast their vote, is for me at the heart of Christian ministry.
“I’m really excited about getting this job and about living and working in Wales. There is so much to learn, but I’ve felt wonderfully welcomed here and the job takes in hugely wide-ranging portfolio, so I know there will never be a dull moment!”
Welcoming Carol, the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, John Davies, said, “Carol brings to her new post a wealth of relevant experience and expertise which will enable her to build on solid foundations already laid and to engage in new areas of work. Above all she has a heart for the Gospel message and its relevance to the daily lives of those who make up the diverse society with which the church seeks to engage and to support.”
Carol’s appointment follows the retirement of Canon Robin Morrison.
