It is with great sadness that we announce the death of The Venerable Paul Bryer, Archdeacon of Cornwall.

Bishop Hugh Nelson, acting Bishop of Truro, said: “Paul’s confidence and faith in Christ shone through everything he did and everything he said. Whether it was cycling, preaching, doing the work of an Archdeacon, walking with his beloved dog, Molly, or praying quietly, he did it for God. It has been a great privilege to serve alongside him in this wonderful diocese, and he will be much missed.”

Diocesan Secretary Simon Cade said: “Paul came to us with a love for Cornwall and its people, and a passionate belief that God had called him here for this time. In the darkest days of the pandemic it was often Paul’s reminder of God’s enduring purposes that recalled us to a hope that, though sometimes veiled, gave profound comfort and strength  to many.

Archdeacon Paul was installed on September 1, 2019, at Truro Cathedral by the then Bishop of Truro, the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen.

Prior to arriving in the Diocese of Truro, Paul was Archdeacon of Dorking. After serving a curacy at St Stephen’s Tonbridge in the Diocese of Rochester, Paul moved to the Diocese of Guildford in 1994 to become vicar at St Mary’s Camberley. In 2001 Paul took up the post of Vicar of St Paul’s Dorking, also in Guildford diocese, where he also went on to serve as Rural Dean of Dorking and as a member of General Synod.

As a former teacher and head of religious studies, Paul had a lifelong passion for education. He served as a diocesan schools’ inspector and as a director of Guildford diocese’s Good Shepherd Academy Trust.

Throughout his ministry Paul explored new ways of being church – particularly relating to discipleship, small groups, and fresh expressions. As Archdeacon of Cornwall, he helped steer the Diocese of Truro in a strategic and missional direction, focussing on resourcing and releasing parishes and deaneries for mission and ministry through the Saints’ Way diocesan vision.

Whether it be surfing with his three children at Harlyn Bay or exploring the South West Coastal path with his treasured wife Fiona, Paul loved nothing more than being outside in God’s creation. A lifelong supporter of ‘the Saints’ (Southampton FC), Paul often said he had three great loves – faith, family and football.

Paul will be deeply missed by his wife, Fiona, their three children Daniel (and his wife, Nisha), Naomi and Jonathan, as well as his brother John and his wife Sue.