Penny Pullan

Penny is training for ordination at St Hild College and continues to serve as a licensed Reader here at All Saints with Holy Trinity. She’s looking forward to being ordained deacon on 3 October 2027 and staying with us as a very part-time, self-supporting curate.

Penny loves exploring theology and how it connects with everyday life, having completed her MA in Theology, Mission and Ministry in 2024. She cares deeply about making church a place where everyone can belong and flourish, especially those on the margins of society. She’s passionate about LGBTQI+ inclusion, disability and neurodiversity, and about helping churches remove barriers to belonging. Her Master’s research explored the experiences of people living with unseen illness in church, and she continues to research, speak and write about inclusion and power imbalances in church settings.

Penny also runs her own consultancy, helping people work well together and supporting leaders through complexity and change. She has written several books on leadership and facilitation, and leads Master’s-level leadership modules at St Hild, as well as teaching at other universities and theological colleges. 

Penny originally trained as an engineer and gained a PhD in nanotechnology at the University of Cambridge. It’s perhaps not the most obvious route towards ordained ministry!

She’s married to Malcolm, who came to All Saints before she did. They have two grown-up children: one ordained and the other an analyst and aspiring conductor. Penny loves growing annual flowers and supplying church with bunches from her own flower patch. She also plays the violin occasionally, which could probably do with more attention!

As curate, Penny will serve alongside her professional work. She'll continue her involvement with the wonderful Muddy Saints, our outdoor children’s church, and spend some time supporting village churches in our Minster Community. She’s delighted to keep learning and serving alongside the church community she’s come to love since arriving during the COVID lockdowns.