Stephen Taylor

Stephen Ronald Taylor (born 2 May 1955) is a retired priest of the Church of England who served as Archdeacon of Maidstone and then Diocesan Secretary in the Diocese of Canterbury.

Family and education Taylor was born on 2 May 1955 to Ronald and Joyce Taylor in Bradford, Yorkshire, England. He attended Sunday School at and was confirmed at the Open Evangelical St Peter's Shipley. He was a community recreation officer in Bradford in 1978.

In 1981, he married Julie Anderson, and welcomed in a civic ceremony at All Saints Church, Maidstone on 25 September. As Archdeacon, he has responsibility for his archdeaconry and for "help[ing] churches better support their local communities" across the diocese, Taylor took up a new appointment (ceasing to be Archdeacon of Maidstone) on 27 September 2020, as Senior Chaplain to Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover, and an archdeacon (albeit without a territorial archdeaconry). On 1 January 2021, he became also Diocesan Secretary of the Diocese of Canterbury — he was originally seconded to the role in an acting capacity before the post was made substantive at a later date. He ceased to be Senior Chaplain in 2022 (probably around the time of his substantive appointment as Diocesan Secretary). his retirement was effective on (or around) his successor's start date, 2 April 2024.

Charities and committees Outside of his clerical posts, Taylor also: founded the Kilimatinde Trust, Tanzania in 1997; sat on the Church of England's General Synod (2000–2005); Chaired the 'Church and Society' working group for Durham and Newcastle dioceses (2005–2006); was Chairman of the Sunderland Local Partnership (2006–2011); and became an Honorary Fellow of the University of Sunderland in 2009. He was invested a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2009.