by Liz White
The Reverend Anne Gilbert, Area Dean of Rochdale, carries a deep pastoral heart and a wealth of experience into her role. Her appointment as Area Dean is part of a strategic vision to foster mission and empower clergy across the Deanery.
Her early life was spent in Goodshaw Vicarage, Rawtenstall, where her father served, he was also vicar in Sudden at St Aidan’s in 1975-80. There clearly is a family influence which led her to answer her own calling.
Anne’s journey to ordained ministry began after a distinguished 25 year teaching career at Hathershaw College in Oldham, specialising in Religious Education and British Values.
She enjoyed teaching but in 2018 she felt a calling to ministry, following in the footsteps of her father, brother, and nephew - each Church of England clergy. She was ordained at Manchester Cathedral in the summer of 2019.
Her early years were spent as curate at St Andrew’s in Dearnley. Working with Rev Rachel Battershell, they saw the parish through the difficult years of Covid. Anne remembers this time as being very challenging, when you didn’t know from one day to the next what was going to happen.
In June 2021 she officially became Vicar of Rochdale Parish churches, uniting St Chad’s, St Mary in the Baum, St Edmund’s, St Luke’s, and St Peter’s into a vibrant, integrated team. Throughout her curacy and first incumbency, Anne has been recognised for her pastoral sensitivity - particularly as Deanery Funeral Champion - founding a bereavement support group at St Chad’s in May 2023 to offer hope and companionship for those grieving. Her work as voluntary chaplain at Springhill Hospice is very important to her.
Anne is known for her inclusive approach. At St Chad’s and St Mary in the Baum, she’s fostered a welcoming environment for migrant and Farsi speaking families, adapting liturgies, offering translated booklets and prayer trees, and celebrating Iranian festivals such as Chaharshanbe Suri and Nowruz .She remarks: “The biggest thing is welcome… it’s about being willing to adapt and learn.”
Beyond her ministry, Anne is an avid dog lover. She and her two loyal companions - Barney the terrier and Lola the Cockapoo - can often be seen walking through Rochdale. Lola frequently accompanies her on parish visits. Her adult children Bethan and Andrew, live nearby. She has Irish roots and remembers her grandfather’s farm in Ireland as a source of childhood wonder.
Creativity plays a central role in Anne’s life. An amateur artist and drama enthusiast, she hopes her new position as Area Dean will allow her the flexibility to pursue these passions more regularly.
A highlight in Anne’s personal life was a life-changing trip to South Africa, where visiting a township church, she witnessed faith’s power in communities facing adversity.
Anne’s environmental awareness is deeply personal. She often quotes an c saying: “We have not inherited the land from our parents, we are borrowing it from our children.” It reflects her conviction that faith and caring for creation are inseparable.
As Area Dean, her vision is clear: to guide the Deanery through change, rooted in communication, listening, and collaborative mission. She finds genuine joy in “meeting and working with a variety of people” and savours the unpredictable nature of daily ministry life. Whether walking Barney, supporting bereaved families, or nurturing cross cultural communities, Anne Gilbert embodies a modern ministry that is inclusive, creative, and deeply engaged with the world she serves.
