Revd Russell Winfield has announced that he will be moving on from his role as Dean of St Mellitus College at the end of this year.
Russell has been involved with the College for over a decade, first as a student and then as part of the staff team, serving as its Dean since 2020. December 2025 will bring an end to his time at St Mellitus College as Dean.
Revd Russell Winfield (Dean): “After 15 years of married life in the UK, my wife and I feel the call to move to the US, for our children’s education, a chance to be close to American family, and to build a new home. Like Abraham, who "went out, not knowing where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8), we step forward in faith, filled with hope and trepidation.
In tendering my resignation to the SMC Board, I expressed my deep gratitude for my time at the College. It has been a true joy to serve alongside such a fantastic team – a group of people whose dedication and faith are a constant encouragement. Our remarkable student body and the entire college community have been a source of immense blessing.
At the end of 2025 I will say goodbye to St Mellitus -- albeit I will continue to celebrate and champion the work from afar. In countless ways, I have been shaped and formed by this wonderful place. Just as "iron sharpens iron" (Proverbs 27:17), the community of St Mellitus has sharpened me, challenged me, and helped me to grow in my faith and leadership. Moving on from the College is something that has simultaneously felt distant and close: there is nowhere I would rather work and serve than SMC, and the joy of being part of this community has offered so many highlights that I am grateful beyond words for. The way I see God working in the College and in the individuals who are a part of it has been blessing upon blessing.
It is a great privilege to be Dean of this College and I thank God continually in my prayers with joy because of our partnership in the gospel (Philippians 1:3-5). I remain fully committed to the work and will continue to oversee the college for the remainder of my time here, ensuring it remains at the forefront of all we do.”
Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin (President and Chair of the Board): “Russell has led St Mellitus College with great skill and wisdom over the past 5 years. He took on the responsibility of leadership at a particularly challenging time, in the peak of the Covid pandemic, and his personal and strategic skills have been key to sustaining the College through that season and in its present flourishing.
Russell ‘s commitment to the vision and values of the college and his passion for its mission in serving the Church have made an impact on the numerous students who have studied at St Mellitus over these past years. These are challenging days for theological education in the UK and Russell has steered the College wisely and hopefully through these times. His leadership and organisational skills, coupled with the humility and drive to bring out the best of a very talented staff team has led the College into the next phase of its life. The College is in good health and strength and that is due in no small part to Russell’s leadership, energy and vision. He will be very much missed, but we are pleased for the opportunities the move to the US present for him and his family.”
The Board will be developing a plan to ensure a smooth succession and the continued fruitfulness of the College and will be working alongside the wider college leadership to ensure this season of transition builds on the foundations laid over these past years since its founding.