Roger Walton grew up in West Yorkshire and went to school at Saltaire. He knows and loves the area and its people and he learned to preach and lead worship in West Yorkshire Methodism.

Roger began his presbyteral ministry in the Stourbridge and Brierley Hill circuit in 1977, subsequently serving in Liverpool South and St Albans.During his time at St Albans, Roger worked on the ‘Theology for All’ project under the Division of Ministries. For 12 years, from 1987, Roger was responsible for the Open Learning Centre, adult learning and lay training as a member of the Division of Ministries (later Pastoral Care and Christian Education in the Connexional Team). As Director of the Wesley Study Centre in Durham since 1999, Roger has had responsibility for ministerial training, foundation training and regional development work. In all his appointments he has been a team player who has sought to bring out the best in colleagues. He is a good empathetic listener, approachable, discerning and shows wisdom. He has a pastoral heart, enabling him to get alongside and gain the trust of the people who are in his care.

As part of his work with the Connexional Team, Roger was a member of the executive of the European Adult Christian Education Association (EAEE), working with Christians across Europe. In recent years Roger has been a member of the Editorial Board of the journal ‘Practical Theology’, and he has recently become a member of the Methodist Council.

Roger has demonstrated his skills as a strategic leader through his work as Director of the Wesley Study Centre, as a member of the Methodist Training Forum and the successful implementation and development of EDEV (Extending Discipleship and Exploring Vocation). He has “hands-on” experience of inter-faith relations and ethnic issues with links to Bradford Cathedral and Touchstone. His role as Director has also enabled Roger to use his gifts for dealing sensitively with change and difficult situations, caring and supporting people in the exercising of their discipleship, as well as good stewardship of finances.

A creative thinker, Roger is able to generate ideas and find innovative ways to solve problems and develop the life of the Church. He has a deep commitment to facilitating the ministry of the whole people of God, and his strong ecumenical working relationships reflect Roger’s collaborative style of working. From his probationer appointment in a Local Ecumenical Partnership through to his current post, working with an ecumenical dimension has become second nature to Roger. He currently represents the Methodist Church at the General Synod of the Church of England.