Date of Appointment: 21/01/2024

Relevant business and pecuniary interests: Trustee of Shenfield Parochial Church Council and Shenfield Parish Hall

Darren was ordained in 1998 after training residentially at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. Prior to then he worked for a national training charity as a Training Consultant providing inhouse consultancy in leadership, teamworking and communication skills. He served his curacy in the Parish of Rayleigh before moving in 2001 to serve as Team Vicar in the Billericay & Little Burstead Team Ministry where he was the vicar of St John’s Outwood Common and St Mary’s Little Burstead. In 2006 Darren was appointed as Team Rector of the Grays Thurrock Ministry overseeing four, later to become, six churches, leading a large team of clergy and lay ministers. Darren’s primary focus of ministry was as vicar of Grays Parish Church, a large multicultural, mixed age and gender congregation. Whilst Darren was in post, he oversaw a project to reorder and improve the church building costing in excess of half a million pound.  In 2011 he was also appointed by the Bishop of Chelmsford as Area Dean of Thurrock, a post that he continued to hold until his move to the Parish of Shenfield in January 2024. In 2015 Darren was made a Canon of Chelmsford Cathedral and continues to serve as a member of the College of Canons. He has represented the Diocese of Chelmsford at several national conferences and events addressing the topics of Occasional Offices (Baptisms, Weddings & Funerals), Vocation and Mission, all of which in his role as Rector, reflect his passion to make Christ known and see the church grow.

Darren is married to Sarah, who is a teacher, and they have three adult daughters. He is a keen runner and can often be seen running around the roads of Shenfield early in the morning. He also interested in gardening, DIY, current affairs and politics. 

Darren has previously been a Governor at six different South Essex schools and corporation member at a sixth form college.