Former Archdeacon of Rochdale to retire

Archdeacon of Rochdale, Andrew Ballad

Former Archdeacon of Rochdale, Andrew Ballad has announced that he is to retire at the end of January next year.

Ordained in the London Diocese in 1968 he came to work in Manchester having also worked previously in the Portsmouth and Blackburn Dioceses.

He has been a priest in this diocese for 26 years, as parish priest in Walkden and Rochdale and as Archdeacon of Rochdale and Manchester. He is a Residentiary Canon and Sub Dean of the Cathedral.

Archdeacon Ballad and his wife Caroline have three grown up children living in St Helens, London and Edinburgh and they will be moving to Brigg, just South of the Humber in North Lincolnshire.

Archdeacon Ballad said: “It is perhaps a little early to announce my retirement, but I have decided to do so now so that the current discussions in the Diocese about the possible fourth Archdeaconry and related discussions about the job description of the Archdeacon of Manchester can take place with everyone knowing the full picture.”