Our Ministry Team
The Rector – The Reverend Dr Mary Kells
Reverend Mary Kells came to the parish in 2025 having previously served as Chaplain to King’s College Cambridge since September 2021. She was previously Assistant Curate of St Faith’s Lee-on-the-Solent in the Portsmouth Diocese having trained for ordination at Ripon College Cuddesdon. Before holy orders she spent much of her career working in the voluntary sector – particularly in the areas of mental health and advocacy. She is a a member of the National Executive Committee of Women and the Church (WATCH) and holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from the London School of Economics.
Reverend Mary is married to the Reverend Alistair Mansfield, a retired Royal Navy Chaplain and they have a son, Aidan.
Associate Priest: The Reverend Charlotte Sleigh
Reverend Charlotte was ordained in Canterbury Cathedral in 2022, having studied at St Augustine’s College of Theology, Kent.
She is currently in self-supporting ministry, working four days a week as an academic in the Department of Science and Technology Studies, UCL. She also teaches science and spirituality at St Augustine’s College.
Reverend Charlotte has lived in Canterbury for over twenty years and is married to Nick with three teenage boys.
When she is not busy doing something else, she loves playing and listening to music (hip hop to classical and lots in between!), gardening, walking and reading.
Lay Reader: Samuel Keeler-Walker
Samuel Keeler-Walker was born in Exeter and grew up in both Exmouth and deepest rural Devon. Samuel came to Canterbury to study Theology at Canterbury Christ Church University and has worshipped with us since 2010.
In addition to his parish and professional work, Samuel is a Minor Canon of Canterbury Cathedral, Associate Chaplain of CCCU and a member of Diocesan Synod. From 2019-2024 he was the LGBT advisor to the Bishop of Dover. He has been in ministry since 2013.
Learning the Organ at a young age, Samuel has worked as an Pipe Organ Tuner and Builder since leaving University and as part of that work has tuned and assisted with building cathedral, concert and parish organs all over the UK. He is currently Head Tuner and Operations Manager at Mander Organ Builders.
Samuel is married to Michael and enjoys socialising, visiting the pub and playing his Xbox.
Lay Reader: Roxane Lee-Affonso
Born in Trinidad, by parents raised my siblings and me in the atmosphere of God first, family second and an understanding that we should live according to the tenets of our Anglican faith.
I have spent most of my life serving in and around whichever parish in which we lived. I have served at all levels of church – Sunday School teacher, thurifer, PCC member, Parish Treasurer, member of various PCC sub-committees, co-chair of the Christian Education Committee, various fundraising committees, and, most recently, as Reader. Since my licensing, I served first at St. Michael’s, Sittingbourne, and at then Minster Abbey, Minster-on-Sea, Sheppey.
In July 2025, when I moved to Canterbury, I began visiting nearby churches to select one in which I felt ‘at home’. Since then, I have visited all of the churches within the city, including Canterbury Cathedral. A friend invited me to visit St. Paul’s, and I feel wonderfully comfortable and welcome here. Last November, I applied to become a registered member of the parish, and so, to me, it is only right and natural that I should offer to serve here.
Lay Reader: Mary Butcher
Mary was born in Sussex but moved to Canterbury aged 7 where she attended Simon Langton Girls’ School. She was a member of St Martin’s choir and the parish youth club later leading the Sunday school at the Church of Bertha the Queen on Spring Lane Estate, where she lived. Initially she worked in a bank, but Mary always wanted to be a teacher so left banking and went to Christchurch College and qualified in 1967. Mary taught in Hackney, Stoke Newington, and Nigeria until finally settling in Ramsgate, with 2 children and taught at St Laurence C of E school for 20 years before she retired early to look after her husband who died in 1997.
Mary became a Reader in 1989 while at St Laurence in Ramsgate. She later, moved to Hornchurch in Essex to look after grandchildren and subsequently to Bradford. In both places she joined a church and continued with her Reader ministry. Mary moved back to Kent, to her old church, St Laurence, and once again picked up her Reader ministry. In 2015 Mary moved back to Canterbury, joining St Martin’s & St Paul’s where she is a Reader now. Mary rather feels her life has gone full circle!