Reader of the Temple Announces Retirement

Mark Hatcher was appointed to the Temple Church, London by the two Inns of Court, The Inner Temple and Middle Temple, in September 2015.

He intends to pursue doctoral studies at the Centre for Law and Religion, Cardiff University to build on his published work on ecclesiastical law and the role of bishops in the House of Lords. With Permission to Officiate in the diocese of Southwark he will continue to assist the team at St Alfege, Greenwich, in whose parish he lives.

I have been blessed to have participated in the life of the community of the Temple and to have shared ministry with the Reverend and Valiant Master of the Temple, Dr Robin Griffith-Jones, during a period in the Church’s life which has been deeply fulfilling. The Temple Church has been described as the beating heart of the Temple and I have been enormously privileged to have worked with such a dedicated and talented team to inspire our worship, sustain the Church and help to promote its vitality.

Mark Hatcher

Mark has transformed the role of Reader of the Temple. He has helped us to strengthen and develop the Temple Church’s relationships with Inner and Middle Temple by drawing on his experience with the Bar, and with the legal profession more widely. In addition to sharing in our liturgy and worship for the past ten years, Mark has been a generous and warm-hearted presence in the Church and throughout the Temple. His friendship and support have been foundational to all that we have achieved. Our new Safeguarding Policy bears all the marks of his thoughtful care.

Robin Griffith-Jones, Reverend and Valiant Master of the Temple

Mark will be a great loss to the Temple Church and to the spiritual life of both Inns. His ministry has been enormously valued over the years by the entire congregation, from members of staff to Benchers, from students to distinguished retired Judges. There will be opportunities for us to thank Mark for his service to the Church in due course. In the meantime we wish him very well in the next phase of his life and work.

Rory Phillips KC, Chair of the Temple Church Trust

The Temple Church enjoys the status of a Royal Peculiar. It was consecrated in 1185 and was the scene of negotiations which led to Magna Carta in 1215. The activities of the Church are now overseen by the Temple Church Trust (Charity No. 1205712).

Mark Hatcher has degrees in law (University of Oxford and University of Cardiff) and a diploma in applied ministerial theology (University of Christ Church Canterbury). He was called to the Bar by Middle Temple of which he is an Ordinary Bencher; he is also an Honorary Bencher of The Inner Temple. After practice in the Government Legal Service he became a member of the Global Regulatory and Professional Affairs Board of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) before becoming Director of the Bar Council. He trained for the Anglican priesthood at St Augustine’s College of Theology. Following his ordination in 2012 and a curacy in the diocese of Southwark, he was appointed Reader of the Temple by The Inner Temple and Middle Temple in 2015. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). He was recently appointed a Fellow of the Centre for Law and Religion, School of Law and Politics, Cardiff University.

The Revd Mark Hatcher

Reader of the Temple

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The Revd Mark Hatcher