The Revd Mike Parker KHC, the Chaplain General of His Majesty’s Land Forces, has been installed as a Sarum Canon at Salisbury Cathedral, an honorary position recognising his contribution to the Church and the Armed Forces and his role within the military community locally, and nationally.
Revd Parker KHC CF, who commissioned into The Royal Army Chaplains’ Department (RAChD) in 2000, was delighted to accept this honorary role:
“It is a great honour to be appointed a Sarum Canon by the Bishop of Salisbury. In doing so the Bishop is recognising the distinctive contribution of military chaplaincy within the Diocese.”
It is a great honour to be appointed a Sarum Canon by the Bishop of Salisbury. In doing so the Bishop is recognising the distinctive contribution of military chaplaincy within the Diocese.
Born in Cornwall, Padre Mike read Theology at the University of Birmingham and trained for ministry in the Methodist Church at The Queen’s College. After four years in the Colchester Circuit with pastoral responsibility for five churches he joined Army chaplaincy.
He adds: “Thousands of military personnel are based across this region, with many deciding to make it a permanent home. The partnership between the Diocese and the military ensures accessible pastoral care to the serving and veteran community.”
During his time in the Department he has served at regimental duty with 4 Regt RA, 2 PWRR, 1 RWF, 1 RRF and 1 PARA. His last unit chaplaincy position was with the SFSG. Operational service has taken him to Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. Formation level jobs have included Senior Chaplain 160 (Wales) Bde, the Staff Chaplain at MOD Chaplains (Army), Senior Chaplain 1st Mechanised Brigade and Senior Chaplain 16 Air Assault Brigade.
More recently, Mike has been the Academy Chaplain at Sandhurst before taking up the position of Assistant Chaplain General of the 3rd (United Kingdom) Division. In September 2020 he returned to Army HQ on appointment as the Deputy Chaplain General.
Speaking about joining the Cathedral’s college of Canons, he said:
“A Sarum Canon is an honorary appointee with no explicit responsibilities toward the Cathedral or Diocese. That said, as Chaplain General I look forward to supporting the Cathedral community when in Salisbury and being an advocate for the work of the Diocese in my travels across Defence.”
In May 2022 he was made the 26th Chaplain General of Her Majesty’s Land Forces. Padre Parker is married to Karen and they have two children. He holds a BA in theology, a Master of Theology (MTh) in chaplaincy studies and a Master of Arts (MA) in defence studies. In his spare time, he enjoys distance running, cycling, music and watching Wales beat England at rugby.
The Dean of Salisbury, the Very Revd Nicholas Papadopulos said:
“We are delighted that Mike will be joining us as an honorary Sarum Canon. His wisdom and insight will be much appreciated, particularly given the Cathedral’s strong ties with the military.”
We are delighted that Mike will be joining us as an honorary Sarum Canon. His wisdom and insight will be much appreciated, particularly given the Cathedral’s strong ties with the military.
The College of Canons is part of the Cathedral’s extended family and meets twice a year to provide feedback on policy decisions made by Chapter, the Cathedral’s governing body, and on Cathedral activities.
