Bishops' Press Officer

The Revd Canon Owen Spencer-Thomas

Owen Spencer-Thomas

The Revd Canon Owen Spencer-Thomas, MBE, is the Bishops' Press Officer. As the official spokesperson, he handles media enquiries on behalf of the Bishop and the Diocese as well as generating a range of opportunities for the Church in broadcasting and the press.

Born in East Hertfordshire, Owen comes from a farming background. After attending Christ Church Cathedral Choir School, Oxford, from the age of eight, he continued his education as a teenager at Ardingly College, West Sussex. He studied at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester.

He graduated in sociology at the University of London and was the first President of The Polytechnic Students’ Union, Regent Street, from 1966-67. He trained for the ministry at Westcott House and studied theology at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. He became a member of British Mensa in 1980.

After his ordination in the Diocese of London in 1972/73, Owen served his curacy at St Luke’s Church Redcliffe Square, London. He was also Lecturer in Religious studies at the South Kensington Institute.

He has wide experience in the field of communications - mainly in television and radio broadcasting with the BBC and Anglia Television. He spent nearly twenty years as a television and radio news journalist and was senior reporter on Anglia News and Anglia TV's regional magazine programme About Anglia. He has reported for Independent Television News (ITN). He later became News Bulletin Editor for Anglia Television.

Before entering full-time broadcasting, Owen was Director of the London Churches' Radio Workshop which produced programmes for local radio and trained clergy and other Church leaders to appear on television and radio. He joined BBC Radio London as religious producer in 1976 and was a freelance tutor at the Churches' Televison Centre in Bushey. He presented the late night religious TV programme Reflections.

He has published some media tips on this website for anyone wishing to promote their church.

He has been living in Ely Diocese since 1978, serving as honorary team priest in the Parish of the Ascension, Cambridge. He has held two school chaplaincies in Cambridge - St John's College School and St Bede's Inter-Church School. In the University of Cambridge he was Chaplain of Christ's College for four and a half years until December 2001; he served as Acting Dean of Clare College during the Lent Term 2005 and acting Dean of Trinity Hall during the Easter Term 2006. In February 2004, he was made an Honorary Canon of Ely Cathedral.

Owen, is a keen fundraiser and has led several successful major charity appeals. He was the Founder Chairman of the East Anglian Autistic Support Trust (EAST) which established the first and desperately needed specialised accommodation and daycare for adults with autism in Cambridgeshire. He served on the National Autistic Society (NAS) Council from 1996 until 2002 and continues to raise funds for a range of charities. He became a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen's 2008 New Year Honours.

He is married to Maggie; they have three adult children, two sons and a daughter. His hobbies include swimming, scuba diving and gardening.