Archdeacon retires after 15 years

The Venerable Geoffrey Arrand will retire to Lincolnshire

The Archdeacon of Suffolk, the Venerable Geoffrey Arrand, has announced he is to retire after 15 years in the post.

Archdeacon Arrand will leave at the end of July, 30 years after he took up his first post in the county, the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich said.

The Archdeacon said it had been "a great honour" to serve the diocese.

He said he planned to retire to Lincolnshire with his wife Margaret and would continue to serve parishes.

He said: "I think after 15 years the time has come to give up being an Archdeacon, but I do look forward to serving parishes around Lincoln because I could never imagine not being a priest."