New Archdeacon of Switzerland, the Venerable Peter Potter


The Venerable Peter Potter, chaplain of St Ursula’s Berne with Neuchâtel and Thun, became the Archdeacon of Switzerland on Friday 25 September. Bishop Geoffrey Rowell “collated” the new Archdeacon during the eucharist at the end of the recent Clergy Conference in Cologne. Archdeacon Potter and his wife Shareene came to St Ursula’s in June 2008 from the diocese of Glasgow & Galloway in the Scottish Episcopal Church.

In the Church of England an archdeacon provides pastoral care of the clergy and oversees their ministry within an area of the diocese, an archdeaconry, on behalf of the bishop. Archdeacons have the title “The Venerable”. In the Diocese in Europe there are 7 archdeaconries.

A synod of the Swiss Archdeaconry Synod meets twice a year. There are 28 Church of England congregations in Switzerland, although some have services only on a seasonal basis. Click here for the official diocesan announcement of this appointment. The archdeaconry has a website here. St Ursula’s website is here.

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