03/06/2025
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, is pleased to announce the appointment of The Venerable Jonathan Gough as Interim Pastoral & Theological Advisor at Bishopthorpe Palace for a one-year term starting on 3 June 2025.
Jonathan will support the Archbishop’s ministry across the Northern Province on a part-time basis, offering pastoral, theological, liturgical, and spiritual guidance. Based at Bishopthorpe Palace — the Archbishop’s home and office — he will also serve as a first point of contact for ecumenical and interfaith matters. He will be working at Bishopthorpe on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.
Archbishop Stephen said:
“Jonathan brings a wealth of experience, wisdom, and organisational skill to the team. We’re delighted to welcome him to this interim role, where he will take on some of the duties previously carried out by my chaplain, Jenny, and develop our capacity to think and act theologically, particularly in relation to ecumenism and mission.”
About Jonathan Gough
Jonathan Gough grew up in rural Devon and trained for ordination at Lampeter and Oxford. After parish ministry in Devon and Gloucester, he served for over two decades as a chaplain in the British Army, including operational tours in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. He later worked at Lambeth Palace as Ecumenical Secretary to the Archbishop of Canterbury. On leaving the Army, he became Archdeacon of Richmond and Craven in the Diocese of Leeds, serving from 2019 until January 2025. He retired following the appointment of his wife, Flora Winfield, as Bishop of Selby.