Open Christian Learning is a virtual organisation within the Mission and Ministry team of the Diocese of Ely. That means that members of the team have a designated area of responsibility within the school that lines up with the brief they hold within the Diocese. Find out more about each of them here.

Peter Leech Principal peter.leech@elydiocese.org		Peter is the Deputy Director of Mission and Ministry, leading the team and overseeing all the training delivered by the department and through our training partners. He joined the team in April 2022, having previously been a parish priest in the Diocese of Norfolk. He brings extensive experience from his work in education prior to ordination too. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family. He is a keen runner.
Debbie Hill Children and Families Ministry Training debbie.hill@elydiocese.org		Debbie is the Development Officer for Children and Families. As well as giving advice to parishes and clergy, she is responsible for developing the training and accreditation of specialist Children and Families Authorised and Licensed Lay Ministers. Debbie facilitates a network of church-based children and families workers. She is passionate about making children seen and heard in our churches and in our Diocese. She is married to a parish priest and lives in Ely.
Mike Kelly Youth and Families Ministry Training mike.kelly@elydiocese.org		Mike is the Development Officer for Youth and Families. He is responsible for developing  training for anyone engaged in ministry with young people across our Diocese. He heads up our work on fulfilling our ambition to be younger and more diverse Church. He joined us in January 2022 from Leicester Diocese where he led the Ministry Experience Scheme. He is a qualified mental health first aid trainer. Mike is deeply committed to championing those whose voices have been marginalised. He is a prolific drinker of coffee.
Julie Norris Lay Training julie.norris@elydiocese.org		Julie is the Diocesan Director of Lay Training, the first person to hold this post in our diocese. Shed brings a wealth of experience into the role in enabling lay people to play a full part in the ministry of the Church. She is developing our programmes for the training of Authorised Lay Ministers (ALMs) in the Diocese as well as working closely with our training partners in the development and delivery of our training for Licensed Lay Ministers (LLMs). In her spare time she is also the Vicar of the Great Shelford Benefice!
Catherine Wright IME1 catherine.wright@elydiocese.org		Catherine is the Diocesan Director of Ordinands. She supports the discernment process for ordinands and oversees their training programmes. This includes cooperating with local Theological Education Institutes (TEIs) and those further afield. Catherine joined us having previously been a member of the faculty of Ridley Hall in Cambridge. She enjoys long-distance walking, particularly the South West Coastal Path and the Derbyshire Peak District.
Steve Rothwell IME2 steve.rothwell@elydiocese.org		Steve is the IME2 Officer, meaning he is responsible for developing and delivering the ongoing training programme for Assistant Curates in Training in line with the national formation framework. He also oversees, supports and develops the team of Training Incumbents (TIs) that are responsible for ongoing formation of deacons and priests in our Diocese. He is himself a Vicar and TI, based in the parish of St James’ in Cambridge, where he lives with his wife, two children and the family dog.
Mark Rodel Project Development mark.rodel@elydiocese.org		Mark is the Mission Learning and Innovation Lead. He is the leading the Ely Learning Framework project, designing and developing the Moodle platform that will be the repository for all our learning content and commissioning others to develop content. He is also responsible for encouraging and supporting the multiplication of fresh expressions of church and pioneer ministry in the Diocese. His work with a group of village parishes is the subject of his doctoral research. He is a fan of science fiction, dance music and comedy.