The Mission to Seafarers names new Secretary General

Dr. Peter Rouch

The Venerable Dr. Peter Rouch is to succeed the Revd. Canon Andrew Wright as Secretary General of the Mission to Seafarers on Canon Wright’s retirement in September this year, after almost twelve years of leading the organization.

Dr. Rouch has been appointed to the role by the board of the Mission to Seafarers after a thorough search process. He will join the Mission on July 1, enabling a period of handover between himself and Canon Wright.

“We are delighted that Peter is joining the Mission and look forward to welcoming him in July,” said Tom Boardley, Chairman of the Mission to Seafarers. “Our current Secretary General, Andrew Wright, has done so much to develop and transform the Mission during his tenure and we owe him a debt of gratitude for his leadership for more than a decade. We are confident that Peter will maintain this momentum and build on our vital role as a leading provider of maritime welfare support for seafarers around the globe.”

“I am very grateful indeed to have been invited to become Secretary General of the Mission to Seafarers,” said Dr. Rouch. “It is a charity with considerable heritage, a strong track record of valuable impact, breadth and depth in representation, and very exciting possibilities to develop support for the world’s seafarers and their frequently struggling families in a dynamic and sometimes risky world.”

“It has been the greatest of honors to serve as Secretary General of the Mission to Seafarers through a time of so much challenge and change,” said Canon Wright. “I was delighted to learn of Peter’s appointment as my successor. He brings huge experience and a strong reputation. I am certain the Mission’s leadership will be in the very best of hands in the exciting times that lie ahead.”

Peter Rouch spent nearly a decade with Barclays Bank, ending up as an assistant director of finance and strategic planning. He trained for ordination in the Church of England followed by curacy in London, a research fellowship, a chaplaincy role at Oxford University, and time as vicar of two parishes in an area of Manchester. He moved to Hampshire, U.K. as an archdeacon in the Diocese of Winchester, and nearly 10 years later as a consultant to Lambeth Palace. He now lives and works in Sheffield, U.K. where he has been CEO of Church Army U.K. & Ireland.