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BEECHWORTH-Eldorado Anglican priest Matthew Healy, Rutherglen-Chiltern’s Scott Jessup and Mansfield’s former priest Melissa Clark - now vicar of Holy Trinity Benalla - have been appointed archdeacons in the Anglican Diocese of Wangaratta.
The three were 'collated' by Bishop Clarence Bester in a service of evensong in Beechworth's Anglican Christ Church on February 2.
The term denotes a bishop's admission of a priest to a position of spiritual care and leadership.
An archdeacon takes a senior role in the Anglican church, making important contributions to church mission and strategy and supporting parish clergy, their families, churchwardens and area or rural deans.
Since 1855, more than five vicars or rectors of Beechworth have been archdeacons.
Canon Healy becomes archdeacon of the Ordinary, assisting the bishop, Canon Jessup becomes archdeacon of the Hume, succeeding Albury's Peter MacLeod-Miller in that role, and Canon Clark becomes archdeacon of the Goulburn.
The bishop further commissioned area deans.
Reverend Moira Evers of Alpine Anglican parish becomes area dean of the Hume and Reverend Jerome Francis of Shepparton’s St Augustine's Anglican Church becomes area dean of the Goulburn.
The congregation at Sunday's service included many from Wangaratta's Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral, St John's Mansfield, St Mary's Woodend, Holy Trinity Benalla, Rutherglen-Chiltern Anglican parish, Shepparton, Eldorado and Beechworth.