Church Urban Fund CEO - Bishop Rob Wickham

About Bishop Rob Before his appointment as Chief Executive of CUF, Robert Wickham served as the Bishop of Edmonton since September 2015. He was a Curate in the Parish Church of Willesden, a Team Vicar in the Parish of Old St Pancras, with a particular responsibility for St Mary’s Somers Town, and then for nine years as Rector of St John at Hackney, latterly becoming Area Dean of Hackney. Rob grew up in suburban Surrey, and attended Hampton School. He then went to University in Durham, where he studied geography, especially urban regeneration, and perceptual geography. He then studied for ordination at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. Since ordination Rob has completed an MA in Theology, Politics and Faith Based organisations from King's College. His thesis, now published, was based upon the political theology of Joshua Watson, the great Church Schools pioneer from the eighteenth century. In addition, a period of study leave led Rob to write a theological thesis on the creative use of church buildings. Indeed, whilst Rector of Hackney, the Church of St John at Hackney was reordered so that most aspects of Hackney life could be experienced, from concerts by Coldplay, Gary Barlow and Emilie Sande, jobs fairs, credit unions, to the most used knife amnesty bin in London. The reordering led to a reordering of its relationship with the local community, which became so needed in the aftermath of the disturbances in 2011.