Contact Us
The Multifaith Chaplaincy Centre can be found at:
1 Woodland Road
Bristol
BS8 1AU
Our telephone number is: 0117 954 6600.
To make a booking at the Chaplaincy Centre, call into the office during our opening hours or email our Chaplaincy Assistant, Kat, who will be pleased to help you - multifaith-chaplaincy@bristol.ac.uk.
Coordinating Chaplain
The Coordinating Chaplain is appointed by the Multifaith Chaplaincy Committee, and is responsible for coordinating the Chaplaincy team and the day to day work of the Multifaith Chaplaincy, as well as representing the Chaplaincy within Student Services and the wider University. He or she remains accountable to the Multifaith Chaplaincy Committee and the Director of Student Services. For more information please see the Multifaith Chaplaincy's Structure Document.
Ed Davis
Ed is the Anglican and Coordinating Chaplain. This is his primary responsibility, but he is also an associate priest at St Paul's Clifton, and is involved in the selection and training of clergy. Ed studied English Literature at Royal Holloway, and Theology at Trinity College in Bristol, where he trained for ordination, and he has worked in South America and Spain as well as at two churches in Birmingham. He is married and has two young children, and when he gets a chance, he enjoys frisbee, vegetable growing and contemporary fiction, and can sometimes be found playing the drums in a local band.
0117 954 6601
Chaplaincy Assistant
The Chaplaincy Assistant is based at the Multifaith Chaplaincy Centre full time during term time, and assists chaplains in running the Chaplaincy Centre and events. He or she is the primary contact point for general enquiries and bookings.
Kat Brealey
Kat returns to her hometown Bristol to join the Chaplaincy team after a year spent working with Coventry Cathedral's reconciliation ministry, developing peacebuilding and community cohesion initiatives. Prior to this she studied Religions and Theology at the University of Manchester. In her spare time, Kat enjoys cycling, dystopian fiction and gospel music. Her favourite colour is green.
0117 954 6600
Chaplains and Local Faith Contacts
The Multifaith Chaplaincy has a team of Chaplains and Local Faith Contacts who represent a range of religions and denominations, and you will find their contact details below. They have been sponsored by their own faith community and recognised by the Multifaith Chaplaincy Committee, and contribute to the work of the Chaplaincy in a variety of ways. Chaplains offer some kind of time commitment - often alongside other responsibilities - and are appointed to serve not only their own faith community, but also the wider University community, and to help fulfil a shared vision of Multifaith Chaplaincy, for example by acting as a duty chaplain at the Multifaith Chaplaincy Centre. Chaplains have all signed the Multifaith Statement. Local Faith Contacts are not expected to have regular involvement with the Chaplaincy, but provide a recommended point of contact for enquiries and referrals to particular faith communities. More information on Chaplains and Local Faith Contacts can be found in the Multifaith Chaplaincy's Structure Document.
Buddhism
Rupert Gethin - Buddhist Local Faith Contact
Rupert Gethin first became interested in Buddhism when he was studying for a degree in Comparative Religion at the University of Manchester in the late 1970s. He subsequently became involved in Buddhist practice through the activities of the Samatha Trust, an organization which has its roots in the meditation practice of 'mindfulness of breathing'. Rupert has led a class in 'samatha' or 'calm' meditation in Bristol since the mid 1990s; this meets in the Multifaith Chaplaincy on Thursday evenings at 7.00pm during term. In his professional life Rupert is Professor of Buddhist Studies in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Bristol. While his academic interests lie mainly in early Indian Buddhism and the Pali texts, and his personal involvement with Buddhism has largely been with the Theravada tradition, he maintains a broad interest in Buddhism and is happy to talk to anyone interested in Buddhism and point them towards the various Buddhist groups and activities in Bristol, whether Theravada, Tibetan, Chan, Nichiren, etc.
Christianity
Father Matt Anscombe - Roman Catholic Chaplain
Matt Anscombe is the Roman Catholic Chaplain based at the Catholic Chaplaincy at 103 Queens Road. Ordained to the priesthood in 2010, Matt previously served as assistant priest to St. Peter's in Gloucester for two years. He is the Clifton Diocese Director of Vocations, which means he is involved in promoting a culture of vocation within his diocese, especially encouraging those called to priesthood. He also works in the field of parish missions, seeking to inspire people to enter more deeply into the mystery and practice of their Christian faith. At the Chaplaincy, Fr Matt offers a timetable of regular events to encourage students in their faith. Sunday Mass is always celebrated at 6pm with a very economically priced meal afterwards!
0117 914 0003
Gill Behenna - Chaplain to the Deaf Community
Gill Behenna is a priest in the Church of England, working as Chaplain with the Deaf Community in the Diocese of Bristol. In her spare time she runs Signs of God, which is an organisation founded out of a desire to see better standards of Sign Language used in Church. She is also involved in a major project to translate the Bible into British Sign Language.
01454 202 483
Ed Davis - Anglican and Coordinating Chaplain
Ed is the Anglican and Coordinating Chaplain. This is his primary responsibility, but he is also an associate priest at St Paul's Clifton, and is involved in the selection and training of clergy. Ed studied English Literature at Royal Holloway, and Theology at Trinity College in Bristol, where he trained for ordination, and he has worked in South America and Spain as well as at two churches in Birmingham. He is married and has two young children, and when he gets a chance, he enjoys frisbee, vegetable growing and contemporary fiction, and can sometimes be found playing the drums in a local band.
0117 954 6601
Michael Docker - Baptist Chaplain
Michael Docker is the minister of Tyndale Baptist Church on Whiteladies Rd and the Baptist Chaplain in the University. He is married to Cheryl and they have two children. Michael returned to Bristol in 2001 after having graduated from the University in 1989 - a mature (well, sort of) student. Previously he had a career in the manufacturing industry in the West Midlands. Michael enjoys, in no particular order, modern poetry, swimming, hill walking, film, travel and the music of Antony and the Jonsons. He also enjoys trying to make connections between everyday life and the Christian faith.
0117 924 8953
Father Giurgios El Macary - Coptic Orthodox Local Faith Contact
Father Giurgios has a Law Degree and a Diploma Of Police Sciences from the Police Academy in Egypt, and later served with the United Nations in Cambodia. After ending this mission, he was ordained as a monk in the monastery of St Macarios, in Egypt, in 1994. He has dedicated himself to studying Orthodox Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Eastern Languages as well. He is the Pastor of St. Marina Coptic Church in Bristol. Fr. Giurgios is passionate about spiritual music, enjoys socialising with Middle Eastern students as well as those from all countries who are looking to investigate life’s big questions.
07539 378 574
Rachael Fletcher - Free Church Chaplain
Rachael is the Free Church (Baptist, Methodist and United Reformed Church) Chaplain. With a background in the Baptist tradition, Rachael is a Methodist Local Preacher, a Tutor for the Methodist Faith and Worship Course, and a member of the Methodist Church's Strategy And Resources Committee. Rachael once upon a time lectured in Law at the University of Bristol, and completed her solicitor's training with a local firm. In addition to legal studies at the University of Cambridge, she has an MA in Theology and Ministry from the University of Bristol. She continues to explore what it means to be a disciple of Jesus in the context of contemporary culture.
0117 331 0601
Alice George - Methodist Local Faith Contact
Alice has recently returned to Bristol after a four year Theology and Religious Studies degree, three years of which were spent in Leeds and one in Prague. While in Leeds she spent a year voluntering for a Christian Arts Centre helping to organise and evaluate their events. Alice is now the Student Outreach Worker at Victoria Methodist Church, helping students to explore faith in light of the university lifestyle. You can find her in the Multifaith Chaplaincy on Mondays, using the best of her cooking abilities to to help bring you soup lunch. In her free time she goes to the theatre as much as possible, is trying to find the perfect book club and hangs out with her African land snails.
Dave Mitchell - Woodlands Church Chaplain
Dave Mitchell graduated from Bristol University in 1980 and has been here ever since. He is married to Tina; they have five children and have been living in a Christian Community in Cotham for eleven years, where twenty people share a house and life together. Dave pastors Woodlands Church and has had a long association with the Chaplaincy team. He enjoys being alive and loves people, music, the countryside and his food. He is passionate about seeking the Kingdom of God, and helping build a church that recognisably belongs to Jesus. This is harder than you might think!
0117 987 1757
Martin Riddall - Woodlands Church Chaplain
Martin became a Christian while serving in the Royal Air Force in 1983. Since that time he has always been keen to help other people to understand what it means to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. In 1989 he joined Agapé as a schools worker and taught in several Brighton schools. In 1991 he married Rachel and later moved to Birmingham where their boys were born. Martin worked with Agapé student groups in Birmingham and Warwick Universities before moving to Bristol in 2006. He is now the Woodlands Church Student Minister. He enjoys meeting students, whatever their faith, and is always up for a chat!
0117 946 6807
Jacqueline Conradie-Faul - BISC Co-ordinator
Jacqueline Conradie-Faul is the coordinator at BISC, the Bristol International Student Centre, and joined the Chaplaincy team in 2009. Jacqueline has been actively involved with international students for many years. Originally from South Africa, she spent four years in Germany before moving to Bristol in 2005 with her husband, Charl. Before joining BISC she worked in marketing and creative arts. She attends Woodlands Church, and passionately believes in the example of servanthood set by Jesus Christ and the value He placed on friendship and building relationships unconditionally and without prejudice. She is also an accomplished fine artist, and enjoys interior decoration, entertaining, travelling and walking in the countryside.
0117 915 9826
Father Michael Gogoleff - Eastern Orthodox Local Faith Contact
Father Michael worked all over Europe in the oil and gas industry before taking early retirement and becoming ordained in the Russian Orthodox Church. He spent ten years in Dublin establishing the Russian Orthodox mission in Ireland, before returning to the UK in 2011 as Dean of the West England/Midlands region. His experience includes working with young people of various nationalities, and participating in various ecumenical events.
Sister Margaret Harlock - Roman Catholic Local Faith Contact
Margaret is a Sister of La Retraite. She is involved in retreats and spirituality, with a particular interest in Ignatian spirituality. She has lived in South Africa, Cameroon and Canada after an earlier career in education.
Edward Soo - Chinese Christian Local Faith Contact
Edward Soo has been the pastor of the Bristol Chinese Christian Church since April 2011. The Chinese Church meets in the Tyndale Baptist Church on Sunday afternoons, using Cantonese, English and Mandarin. Edward is originally from Malaysia and he came to England to read Chemical Engineering in Bradford. After many years of practising, first in a multinational company and then in his own consultancy, he was called into the ministry. He was the pastor of the Chinese Church in Coventry and went on to missionary work among Chinese people in Germany and Poland. He is fanatical about taking photographs.
Hinduism
Karsan Vaghani - Hindu Local Faith Contact
Karsan was born in Gujarat, northwest state of India. During the territorial conflicts between India and Pakistan in 1971 Karsan’s family decided to immigrate to Britain for a better life, settling in Cardiff. He studied Civil Engineering at the University of Glamorgan, and following a career in highways and railways, joined the University of Bristol as Capital Projects Director. Karsan is married to Kastur; his school sweetheart and has two boys, aged 17 and 18. Much of his spare time is dedicated to his family and religious activities. He is Trustee of his local Hindu temple and his life is dominated by his faith, in which non-violence is a core belief.
Judaism
Dovid Usiskin - Jewish Orthodox Local Faith Contact
Dovid Usiskin is Rabbi to the Bristol Hebrew Congregation and, together with his wife Leah, has run the Bristol Chabad House for the last four years - a community centre offering hospitality and social and educational programmes to the Bristol community and students. After graduating with a degree in politics from Bristol University in 2000, Dovid spent the next six years studying in Jerusalem where he received his Rabbinical ordination. Dovid and Leah have three young children.
Monique Mayer - Jewish Progressive Local Faith Contact
Rabbi Monique Mayer, Bristol and West Progressive Synagogue, studied at Leo Baeck College and was ordained in 2009. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, and received a BA from Boston University and a Masters in Education from Harvard University. She is the author of the Liberal Judaism Ba'alei Tefillah programme for training lay leaders and has also developed a music course for Jewish educators for the Department of Jewish Education (LBC).
Islam
Rizwan Ahmed - Muslim Chaplain
Rizwan Ahmed is a Muslim Chaplain, and has been an active member of the community for over 15 years. He currently works for the Bristol Muslim Cultural Society (BMCS). Part of his job involves promoting community cohesion and interfaith dialogue, including delivering 'Demystifying Islam' presentations tackling contemporary issues. He is also Project Manager for the Islamic Cultural Fayre, drawing in about 10,000 people every year, and pops up in local media to give a Muslim perspective. In his spare time he likes to produce Islamic artwork.
0117 952 1802
Kalsoom Bashir - Muslim Chaplain
Kalsoom has worked extensively for the past 25 years with the Muslim community, in the role of teacher, school governor, Community Liaison Officer, chaplain, councillor and currently as Building the Bridge Officer for Bristol City Council. She has helped develop and establish the Bristol Muslim Womens' Network and is leading a programme of activities designed to enable the voices of Muslim women from all walks of life to be heard.
See documentary maker Masood Khan's video interview with Kalsoom.
0117 954 6600