A New Role For The Archdeacon of Boston

After nearly twelve years serving and ministering alongside clergy, congregations and communities in the Diocese of Lincoln, the Archdeacon of Boston, Justine Allain Chapman, will be taking up a new role as Director of Pastoral Studies and Tutor in Practical Theology for the Eastern Region Ministry Course (ERMC) later this year.

Reflecting on her time with the Diocese of Lincoln, Justine said:

“I am grateful for the many and diverse opportunities the role of Archdeacon has provided. This is very much a people-focused ministry, which I have valued – particularly in the support, development and recruitment of our clergy, and enabling our churchwardens to love and serve their communities.

“I am convinced that the key to the archdeacon’s role is ‘permission-giving’: not just for works on buildings as you might expect, but the permission and encouragement to be creative and bold in worship, discipleship and service.

“I have loved living and serving in this part of the world. There have been some tricky times, including our shared experience of pandemic, and more personally, the deaths of my parents for whom Lincolnshire was their home. I will miss the people and my colleagues, as well as the beautiful churches and the Lincolnshire landscape I have spent many hours travelling through.

“Alongside my archdeaconry responsibilities, it has been a privilege to be involved in wider discipleship and ministry, as well as the Board of Education. It is these aspects of my role which now call me to this new work of teaching and mentoring newly-forming ministers in training.”

Justine was appointed to the newly-created Archdeaconry of Boston in 2013. As Archdeacon, Justine has been a senior leader in mission and ministry for the southern part of Lincolnshire, and at different stages has overseen key portfolios for the diocese, including discipleship, ministerial formation and education.

This call to the formation and flourishing of others has been a hallmark of Justine’s ministry, which has enabled to take on a number of additional roles over the years. This includes a time as Acting Principal of the Lincoln School of Theology, and more recently, Chair of the Diocesan Board of Education.

In the service of the wider Church, Justine has also been a member of the College Council for the College of the Resurrection, Mirfield, and a Trustee for the Corporation of The Church House. She is a published author, international conference speaker and retreat leader, as well as being a regular contributor to ‘Pause for Thought’ on BBC Radio 2.

The Bishop of Lincoln, the Rt Revd Stephen Conway, has shared his thanks and appreciation for Justine’s ministry, saying:

“Justine is a fine priest – an animateur who has enriched our common life as God’s people in Greater Lincolnshire during the last twelve years. I have always admired her mastery of words and pictures which captivate and inspire people and bring them closer to the gospel and to a life of prayer.

“She has been a developer and mentor of people in all her work, including with the Lincoln School of Theology, through her early responsibility for discipleship development, and through her daily work with clergy, rural deans, churchwardens and others as archdeacon.

“I am grateful to her for her wisdom and leadership in supporting people and parishes through the development of Time to Change Together. As a member of the Bishop’s Staff, Justine has been a clear and consistent advocate for clergy wellbeing, and has worked closely with colleagues to navigate the complexities of the institutional Church.

“I will miss Justine as a senior colleague and as a friend, but in this new role, I rejoice that God is calling her to the heart of her priestly vocation as a teacher and pastor.”

As Archdeacon of Boston, Justine has worked closely with the Bishop of Grantham, the Rt Revd Nicholas Chamberlain, for many years. Bishop Nicholas said:

“I had read one of Justine’s books before coming to minister in the Diocese of Lincoln – and valued her wisdom on paper.  In the nearly ten years that we have now worked together, I have hugely come to value her wisdom in person. 

“She is insightful, incisive, kind, organised and highly prayerful.  I have enjoyed the hospitality of her home and her company on appointment panels, at induction services, and as we have sought to serve the people and parishes of the Boston Archdeaconry together.

“She will be an ideal staff member on the Eastern Region Ministry Course and I am sure that her appointment there will continue to provide her with a good base from which to offer her skills and experience to God’s people wherever they are. 

“I will sorely miss her and wish her, her husband Thomas and their family well as they move to Norfolk. I will continue to listen out for her voice on Daily Prayer and on the radio. Go well, Justine!”

As Chair of the Diocesan Board of Education, Justine has been a valued colleague to the DBE staff and the schools they serve. Canon Paul Thompson, the Diocesan Director of Education, said:

“I would like to congratulate Archdeacon Justine for being appointed to her new position.

“I have worked very closely with Justine over the past three years. She has been a passionate advocate for church school education. She was instrumental in shaping the new diocesan vision for education and our core vision drivers: ‘Called, Aspirational, Rooted and Empowering’ (C.A.R.E).

“Justine has embodied this vision and shown genuine care and love for the DBE, and for church schools and academies across the diocese. She has provided the support and challenge needed to secure high-quality education so that all adults and children are able to flourish.

“Justine is a teacher at heart and a talented strategic leader and therefore this new role will be great for Justine and the people she will serve. Whilst I am sad Justine is leaving, the whole DBE team and I are truly grateful for her outstanding leadership and support. We wish her every success for the future.”

The Eastern Region Ministry Course trains candidates for public ministry in the Church of England, both lay and ordained, as well as those engaged in different forms of ministry in the wider Church. Based in Cambridge, the ERMC welcomes a variety of students, including many from the East of England and from continental Europe.

Justine begins her new role as Director of Pastoral Studies and Tutor on the 11th August 2025. Justine is looking forward to her upcoming Archdeaconry Visitation services in the summer, which will be opportunities for all of us to express our thanks and say our farewells.

In the coming months, we invite you to pray for God’s blessing during this time of transition, on:

• Archdeacon Justine, her husband Thomas and their family
• The staff and students of the Eastern Region Ministry Course
• The Bishops and Archdeacons
• The Diocesan Board of Education
• The people, ministers and communities in the Archdeaconry of Boston.

ENDS

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