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James Mustard was installed as Canon Precentor in March 2018. Following a career as a freelance musician, he studied Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Cambridge and trained for ordination at Westcott House, Cambridge. After participating in an exchange programme at Yale Divinity School, he was ordained in 2005 and served his title at the Church of St Peter Mancroft, Norwich.

From 2008, he was Assistant Priest at St Peter’s Church, Eaton Square in London, before becoming Rector of East Barnet in North London in 2012 and Area Dean of Barnet in 2015. He has a degree in Music from the University of Exeter and a degree in Systematic Theology from King’s College London.

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Chris was born in London and brought up in London and the Midlands. He was nurtured in Christian faith from early childhood and was a chorister from the age of nine. He has an important experience of Christian commitment close to his thirteenth birthday – which remains important to him as an important step on the journey of faith. He met his wife, Olivia, whilst they were still at school in Nottingham.

After school, Chris read Theology in Oxford, and continued as a graduate student, eventually completing a doctorate on Paul’s Understanding of Church Unity. He trained for ordination at St Stephen’s House in Oxford, and was then curate for four years of All Saints, Warwick. During these years as a graduate student and curate, Chris and Olivia’s four children were born. He was organist for three years of St Michael and All Angels, New Marston, Oxford – and continued to play the organ regularly whilst at theological college.

Towards the end of his time as a curate, Chris made his first individually guided retreat, in an Ignatian context – and this tradition of prayer has sustained him in his spiritual life every since, including, in 2013, a thirty day retreat, in which he undertook the Full Ignatian Exercises.

Chris was Team Vicar of All Saints, East Sheen from 2002 to 2010, and then Team Rector of Merton Priory from 2010 until 2018. During these periods he was also Area Dean of Ricmond upon Thames, a Voctions Adviser for Southwark Diocese, Chaplain to the 18F Wimbledon squadron of the Air Training Corps, and Bishop of Southwark’s Adviser for Spiritual Formation.

Since he was young Chris has had a passion for country walking – which he discovered partly on parish holidays – and has enjoyed walking in many parts of the UK. He plays the piano and (very occasionally now) the organ; he reads around areas of spirituality and theology as well as fiction; he cycles wherever he can – and loves getting out into the countryside on his bike. He is relishing the opportunities that moving to Exeter will bring both for ministry and for enjoying and exploring Devon with his family.’

Cate has been in the Diocese since 2001, having been ordained in Winchester Diocese in 1994, where she served her curacy, before moving to Bath and Wells as Chaplain of Yeovil College and Assistant Priest in Yeovil.  In 2001, she returned to her home city to take up the post of Chaplain at the now Plymouth Marjon University. In 2006, Cate moved from Plymouth to East Devon, becoming the Diocesan Chaplaincy in Education Adviser and Assistant Priest in the Otter Vale Mission Community; the post she retired from in 2017. Whilst in post, she was Rural Dean of Ottery Deanery, and was made a Prebendary in 2016.

More recently, she has represented the College of Canons on Cathedral Council. Following her retirement, she was licensed as a self-supporting Minster to the Axe Valley Mission Community, and earlier this year was elected to become Rural Dean for the Honiton Deanery. Being asked to consider the role of Residentiary Canon was a great honour for Cate, and she hopes her experiences in this Diocese will be useful to the Chapter. Her particular role will be to continue to develop relationships and links between the Cathedral and the wider Diocese; to be responsible for Patronage (clergy appointments to parishes for which the Chapter continue to have responsibility); and to be part of the ministry team of the Cathedral.

Deborah Parsons was installed as Canon Chancellor in July 2022. Educated at Rossall School, originally founded to educate the sons of clergy, Deborah was a pioneer at 11+ and was awarded a Newell Scholarship. She studied English and Sports Studies at Froebel College, London and following graduation taught English at Epsom College for twenty years, where she pioneered co-education at 13+ and served on the Senior Leadership Team. She trained for ordination in Salisbury with the Southern Theological Educational Training Scheme, serving her title at St. George’s, Goodrington and was appointed Team Vicar of Totnes in 2011. She has served as Chaplain to the High Sheriff of Devon (2016-17), Rural Dean of Totnes (2017-22), Diocesan Interfaith Adviser (since 2019) and was appointed a Prebendary of the Cathedral in 2020. She is particularly drawn to monastic wisdom and contemplative prayer, relishing opportunities to engage with people who would describe themselves as spiritual rather than religious and relishes opportunities to support others to have a formative encounter with the Divine. 

Deborah is married to David and has four step-children (Emily, Thomas, Marianne and Oliver). 

Ian grew up in Exeter and currently serves as churchwarden at St Michael and All Angels, Heavitree. He has had a successful career in banking in this country and in Europe, and served until last year as Managing Director of MiraltaBank, Spain. He currently runs his own consultancy business. Ian and his wife Bridget live in Stoke Canon on the outskirts of the city, where he plays flamenco guitar and flugelhorn in a marching band.

Giles Frampton is a Chartered Accountant and, until 2020 when he retired, a partner in Richard J Smith & Co, a specialist business recovery firm with offices in Devon and Cornwall. He is a past President of R3, the insolvency professionals’ trade body, and was the accounting member of the Lord Chancellor’s Insolvency Rules Committee.

He has been involved with church affairs since the mid 1980s firstly as a churchwarden and since 2016, as chair of The Exeter Diocesan Board of Finance. He is a trustee of St Luke’s College Foundation and the Posbury St Francis Trust, and non-executive director of two local community interest companies.

He is married to Ruth who is Rector of the Teign Valley and Haldon Hill Mission Community. They have two sons, two daughters-in-law and two grandsons. In his spare time he sings (tenor), gardens, is keen on railways, both full size and model, and watches cricket.

John has lived and worked at Shobrooke, near Crediton all his life, where he is also churchwarden of St Swithun’s Church. He is one of His Majesty’s Deputy Lieutenants, a former High Sheriff of Devon, and has been a member of the Cathedral Council. He chairs a number of company boards and charities including Devon-based Westpoint Exhibition Centre, and Mole Avon Trading.

Mark Yallop lives in Stoke Gabriel where he is a member of the Parochial Church Council. A former UK Chief Executive of UBS and Group Chief Operating Officer of Deutsche Bank AG, he stepped down earlier this year after serving seven years as Chair of the Financial Markets Standards Board. He has previously served six years as a member of the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulatory Committee and is now an angel investor in fintech and start-up businesses in the South West. Alongside wide-ranging financial expertise, Mark also brings considerable fundraising experience to the new Chapter.

Nick has been a prebendary of the Cathedral since 2011. Earlier this year he retired after serving five years as Archdeacon of Plymouth. Previously a solicitor, Nick holds a Master’s degree in Canon Law and has been a member of the Diocesan Safeguarding Board. He lives in the village of Walkhampton, on the western side of Dartmoor.

Barnabas Hurst-Bannister has worked at Lloyd’s since 1975, first as a broker and then as an underwriter, and has chaired a number of boards and market committees.

He has been a member of the Council of Lloyd’s and is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute and past president of the Insurance Institute of London. The son of a parish priest, he was educated at Salisbury Cathedral School, Lancing and Oxford University. He was previously a Governor of Blundell’s School.

He and his wife, who live in a former rectory in North Devon, have three children, one of whom was married in Exeter Cathedral, as well as several grandchildren.