Stephen Taylor (priest)


Stephen Ronald Taylor, is a senior priest in the Church of England and the current Archdeacon of Maidstone in the Diocese of Canterbury.

Family and education

Taylor was born to Ronald and Joyce Taylor in Bradford, West Yorkshire, and was a Community Recreation Officer there in 1978. He attended Sunday School at and was confirmed at the Open Evangelical St Peter's Shipley. He then attended theological college at Cranmer Hall, Durham, during which time he married, Julie Anderson, a Senior Educational Psychologist. They have three adult daughters, two grandsons and one late son. Taylor was ordained a deacon in 1983 then a priest in 1984, while serving his title post as assistant curate at St Mary and St Cuthbert, Chester-le-Street.

Priestly career

His first incumbency was as vicar of St Matthew's, Newbottle and honorary Chaplain at Frankland Prison until his 1993 move to All Saints Stranton, Hartlepool, where he was a training incumbent. While there, Taylor was awarded his MA by Durham University in 1999; in the same year he became an Honorary Canon of the diocese of Rift Valley, Tanzania. In 2000, he became Canon Provost at Sunderland Minster, where he led a team of ministers in various sector ministries at the newly established "Urban Minster". During his time in that post, he also became an honorary canon at Durham Cathedral. He remained in Sunderland until his archidiaconal appointment in 2011.
Taylor was installed and collated as Archdeacon of Maidstone by Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, in Canterbury Cathedral on 18 September 2011, and welcomed in a civic ceremony at All Saints Church, Maidstone on 25 September. As Archdeacon, he has responsibility for his archdeaconry and for "help churches better support their local communities" across the diocese, as part of the diocesan Communities and Partnership framework. From 6 December 2015 until 22 January 2017, Taylor was also Joint Acting Archdeacon of Canterbury, alongside Philip Down, Archdeacon of Ashford.

Charities and committees

Outside of his clerical posts, Taylor also: founded the Kilimatinde Trust, Tanzania in 1997; sat on the Church of England's General Synod ; Chaired the 'Church and Society' working group for Durham and Newcastle dioceses ; was Chairman of the Sunderland Local Partnership ; and became an Honorary Fellow of the University of Sunderland in 2009.