Who We Are
We are a diverse, vibrant Christian community with a wide range of gifts and talents, and look forward to welcoming you to St Bene’t’s. Everyone at Bene’t’s has a ministry, even the ministry of prayer and presence; below are some of our church leaders:
The Rev’d Devin McLachlan, Vicar
The Reverend Devin McLachlan began his ministry as our Vicar in September 2024. Ordained twenty years ago in the Episcopal Church USA, Devin immigrated to the UK a decade ago and has served in a variety of parishes and colleges in Cambridge as well as Boston, Chicago and Seattle. He holds degrees from Harvard University (BA, Folklore and Mythology) and Episcopal Divinity School (MDiv). Devin is an avid traveller and rambler, and outside of his Parish work is Bye-Fellow for Multifaith Support at Lucy Cavendish College, and Bishop’s Advisor for Multifaith in the Diocese of Ely. He and his wife, an Associate Professor at Cambridge, live with their teenage twins and a pair of enormous but friendly housecats,
The Rev’d Ed Cearns, Curate
Through my vocation journey, I have served the Cambridge community as a local Councillor and as Chaplain to the marketplace through Great St Mary's Church. It was at Great St Mary's Church where I met the Revd. Devin McLachlan. I trained at Westcott House and have gained curacy experience at both St Clement's and St John's the Evangelist. I believe in seeking the world in the church and the church in the world, inviting others into a relationship with Christ and working for the realisation of the Kingdom through social justice.
As a self supporting curate, I work as an artist alongside my ministry, with a weekly stall on Cambridge market and other seasonal events and exhibitions. I see creativity as an outflowing of the Spirit.
The Rev’d Caroline Brownlie, Assistant Priest
My roots are Northern and my schooling was mainly Roman Catholic. Theatre stage management led to social work, leading to study of theology, psychotherapy training and ordination as women’s ministry was increasing, in 1987.
Chaplaincies to psychiatric patients and prisoners with parishes in the North preceded retirement to Cambridge in 2007. I have lived in two different monastic communities and am fortunate to be at home and serving at St. Bene’t’s with its Franciscan and Benedictine history, and a home ministry of spiritual direction.
Churchwarden: Joy Parke
Joy was born and brought up in Islington in London. Mother and grandmother, she was a headteacher in a London primary school before taking up her present post as an advisor for an educational trust with schools across both Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. She finds God in kindness and in beauty and is delighted to be part of the St. Bene't's community.
Churchwarden: Geoff Maitland
Geoff has worshipped at St Bene’t’s for over 30 years and became a churchwarden in 2017. By profession he is a chemical engineer, starting as an academic at Imperial College London, then spending 20 years in the oil and gas industry before returning to Imperial as Professor of Energy Engineering in 2005, where he still continues on a part-time basis. His work aims to help the world avoid the ill-effects of climate change and to enable us to be good stewards of the earth’s resources.
Deputy Churchwarden: Andrea Harrison, LLM
Andrea works as a freelance Godly Play trainer after many years teaching in secondary schools. She was licensed as LLM to St Bene’t’s in 2021 after a transfer from the Diocese of Chelmsford.
Married with three grown sons, she feels privileged to serve at St Bene’t’s as a deputy churchwarden, co-ordinator of youth work, team leader of the social committee and the Warm Space initiative.
Parish Safeguarding Officer: Andrew Kennedy
We want St Bene't's to be a safe space for everyone, so the care and protection of people in our parish is a responsibility we all share.
Andrew's role is to support the clergy, wardens and PCC with ensuring that everyone in a position of parish responsibility at St. Bene't's has been properly vetted and trained, and to maintain a culture here where people speak up if they have concerns about anyone's welfare, or want to question things which happen at church which don't feel quite right.
Safeguarding contact information and policies are at this link
Parish Administrator: Heather Murray
Heather looks after all things admin related for St Bene't's and is the human at the end of the church “info” email address.
She has worked in Cambridgeshire Libraries, at the lovely Clay Farm Community Centre and front of house at various wonderful theatres after obtaining a degree in Education with English, Drama and the Arts and later an MA in Musical Theatre.
She hopes to be a welcoming presence at St Bene't's and will inevitably introduce you to her Golden Retriever Phoebe who loves everyone!