Our Archdeacons
The Ven Dr Peter Hooper
Peter was born in the North East of England and after studying at Newcastle University, worked in the agricultural supply industry, eventually becoming managing director of a large agricultural seeds business based in Toulouse, France.
While living there he served as a Chaplaincy Warden. He was ordained in Leicester Cathedral in 2006 and joined the Leicester Diocese as an ordinand from the Diocese in Europe, having completed most of his training at the Institut Catholique de Toulouse.
Much of his ministry has been directed to growing Christian communities and presence, within established settings as well as in start-up situations and secular organisations. Children and young people have been a particular focus. As an Area Dean for over ten years, he emphasised the need to care for and encourage both clergy and the wider community.
Contact
E: peter.hooper@europe.anglican.org
T: +44 (0) 78 4520 5283
The Ven Dr Leslie Nathaniel
Leslie’s church roots are in the Church of South India (CSI) where he was raised. After his postgraduate studies in business administration, he worked for an international, church-related childcare agency. After marrying, he moved to Germany and worked for a social welfare agency before returning to serve in the CSI. He was ordained in the CSI diocese of Nandyal.
Returning to Germany he served as an officer for ecumenical affairs for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Württemberg with responsibilities as assistant pastor in the main church and supported St Catherine´s Anglican Chaplaincy during a vacancy.
Next, he moved to London to work for CMS and also served his parish as assistant priest. After completing a PhD in Theology, he worked for Archbishop Rowan Williams and then Archbishop Justin Welby as International Ecumenical Secretary and in Church House as the European Secretary. He then became chaplain of St. Thomas à Becket in Hamburg before taking on his current role with us in November 2019.
He represents the Church of England on the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches and also supports the work of the Conference of European Churches, in which he represented the Church of England as a Governing Board member for several years.
Contact
E: leslie.nathaniel@europe.anglican.org
T: +49 (0) 7162 5846
The Ven Canon Sam Van Leer
Sam hails from Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States and is a lifelong Anglican. He studied Political and Social Thought at the University of Virginia then Political Science at the University of California-Berkeley before coming to Belgium for graduate research on language, politics and variants of federalism. It was there that he felt a calling into ordained ministry - and also met his future wife!
Sam trained at Cranmer Hall, St John’s College, in Durham, England and has served in the Diocese in Europe ever since, first as assistant curate in Bern and Neuchâtel in Switzerland, then as chaplain for Arnhem, Nijmegen and Twente in the Netherlands. He was Area Dean for the Netherlands 2015-17 and is now chaplain at Grace Church in the Dutch town of Groningen.
In addition, he is a university chaplain and also Assistant Director of Ordinands for the Diocese in Europe. He is also working on a PhD at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.
Contact
E: samvanleer@europe.anglican.org
T: +31 (0) 50 785 0703
The Ven David Waller
David grew up in Carshalton in Surrey and began his journey of faith after attending a church youth group. He worked in local government finance before a deepening sense of vocation led to him taking a degree in Religious Studies and Geography at Whitland’s College (where he met his future wife, Julie) before further theological training at Ripon College, Cuddesdon.
After a curacy in Wolverhampton, he served as a university chaplain in London, and studied for an MA in Education and Theology then an Mth in Pastoral Theology at Heythrop College, London University. Then, after serving in parishes in London and Plymouth, he moved to Spain to become a chaplain in Mallorca where he now lives. David served as an Area Dean for the Diocese in Europe for five years and was licensed in his current role in January 2020.
He is fascinated by how leadership and group relationships are expressed in church settings. A part of this work has been the creation and encouragement of a clergy cluster support group to allow space for reflection.
Contact
E: david.waller@europe.anglican.org
M: +34 (0) 6282 57937
