Worship at the Abbey

The Reverend Robert Reiss, Canon of Westminster

Robert's particular responsibilities at the Abbey are as Canon Treasurer, advising the Chapter on financial and fabric matters. This builds on his previous experience as Archdeacon of Surrey in the Diocese of Guildford for nine years, where, as archdeacon, he was both a member of the Diocesan Board of Finance and the Diocesan Advisory Committee, which is the body dealing with fabric matters for the churches of the Diocese.

Prior to moving to Surrey he was for ten years Team Rector of Grantham, then a team with seven churches and five Team Vicars, a curate and several Non-Stipendiary Ministers. He therefore has extensive experience of parochial ministry and managing clergy. While at Grantham he was elected a member of the General Synod and remained on it while archdeacon, so he had almost fifteen years on the Synod.

Earlier he was Selection Secretary and then Senior Selection Secretary of the General Synod's Advisory Council for the Church's Ministry (now the Ministry Division of the Archbishop's Council) and before that was Chaplain of Trinity College, Cambridge.

Among other interests he is carrying out research on the history of selecting candidates for ordination in the Church of England in the twentieth century.