Mark Nam
Nominee Profile
Location: Reading
Mark Nam 甄英深 is a British born Chinese priest in The Church of England. He is vicar of St. John the Evangelist, Woodley, in the Diocese of Oxford, and founder of The Teahouse, a network that raises the profile and participation of Chinese-heritage clergy. Mark has served as the Minority Ethnic Vocations Champion for the Diocese of Bristol and is a mentor for UKME and GMH clergy in The Church of England.
Chinese-heritage clergy like Mark represent just 0.02% of stipendiary clergy in The Church of England. As a trail-blazer and role model, Mark challenges two cultural stereotypes, namely: a) what a typical English parish priest might look like; and b) what a Chinese-heritage person might aspire to be. A photo portrait of Mark was commissioned to address these questions, and formed part of a 6-month exhibition at The British Library in London titled 'Chinese & British: Exploring British Chinese Communities & Culture' that ran from November 2022 - May 2023.
In addition to his parochial responsibilities, Mark is a trustee for SPCK Publishing, and the Li Tim-Oi Foundation which provides grants to women in the Majority World to access theological training. Mark is a chaplain to the Asian Christianity MA students at CMS (Church Mission Society) and a trustee for CARG (Campaign Against Racism Group) who work with the Government to combat hate-crime against East and South-East Asian ("ESEA") communities.
Mark has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of issues affecting the ESEA communities in the UK. Each year on 11th November at 11am, he is invited to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph in London in honour of the 120,000 Chinese Labour Corps who served Britain during the First World War—yet who remain largely unrecognised and without a formal memorial. He has also launched a petition urging the Church of England to commemorate Florence Li Tim-Oi, the first woman ordained in the Anglican Communion. Her pioneering role in paving the way for women’s ordination is a significant part of church history, but one that is too often overlooked. Since the introduction of the UK Government’s visa scheme allowing 300,000 Hong Kongers to settle in Britain—the largest migration from outside Europe since the Windrush generation—Mark has played a leading role in shaping the Church of England’s response. His efforts have contributed directly to the creation of a national post: the ‘Hong Kong Communities Enabler.’
In 2023, Mark received the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lambeth award for his “outstanding contribution to raising the profile and participation of Chinese-heritage clergy and communities in the Church of England and commitment to serving the overseas Chinese diaspora, particularly those settling in the United Kingdom from Hong Kong". Mark has also delivered lectures at several theological colleges and his writing has appeared in Preach Magazine, The Canterbury Preacher’s Companion, and academic works such as ‘Chinese-heritage in British Christianity’ (SCM Press). A regular contributor to local BBC Radio, Premier Radio, and United Christian Broadcasters, Mark shares insights on faith, culture, and justice. Mark is married to Kayi and they have three young children. He tweets/X @marknam
Personal Message from Mark:
"Hi everyone, thanks for lending your support. I do want to say that at first, I wasn't sure if I ought to stand for nomination—but then I discovered the awards ceremony will be held at Liverpool Cathedral. The cathedral backs onto Europe’s oldest Chinatown, and Liverpool was where my paternal grandparents first arrived in the UK as migrants. That really struck a chord. It felt like something of a full-circle moment—returning to the place where my family’s journey in this country began. If I make it to the ceremony, I hope to carry not just my own story, but theirs—and the stories of many other migrants—into that sacred space. Thanks so much if you're able to support. It means a lot!"
- https://www.churchofengland.org/life-events/vocations/mentor-directory/mark-nam
- https://theteahouse.org
- https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2021/20-august/news/uk/tea-house-brings-together-chinese-heritage-clergy
- https://wokingham.today/woodley-vicar-lays-wreath-for-forgotten-army/
- https://www.change.org/p/appeal-for-the-church-of-england-to-commemorate-florence-li-tim-oi-with-a-feast-day
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/14/600-uk-churches-sign-up-to-welcome-christian-arrivals-from-hong-kong
- https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-priest-honoured-langton-award-8553593
- https://www.bristol.anglican.org/news/meeting-the-king-marks-a-special-birthday.php
- https://churchmissionsociety.org/pioneer-staff/mark-nam/
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0hrn5w4
- https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2021/27-august/comment/opinion/heed-the-voices-of-chinese-clergy
Chinese-heritage clergy like Mark represent just 0.02% of stipendiary clergy in The Church of England. As a trail-blazer and role model, Mark challenges two cultural stereotypes, namely: a) what a typical English parish priest might look like; and b) what a Chinese-heritage person might aspire to be. A photo portrait of Mark was commissioned to address these questions, and formed part of a 6-month exhibition at The British Library in London titled 'Chinese & British: Exploring British Chinese Communities & Culture' that ran from November 2022 - May 2023.
In addition to his parochial responsibilities, Mark is a trustee for SPCK Publishing, and the Li Tim-Oi Foundation which provides grants to women in the Majority World to access theological training. Mark is a chaplain to the Asian Christianity MA students at CMS (Church Mission Society) and a trustee for CARG (Campaign Against Racism Group) who work with the Government to combat hate-crime against East and South-East Asian ("ESEA") communities.
Mark has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of issues affecting the ESEA communities in the UK. Each year on 11th November at 11am, he is invited to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph in London in honour of the 120,000 Chinese Labour Corps who served Britain during the First World War—yet who remain largely unrecognised and without a formal memorial. He has also launched a petition urging the Church of England to commemorate Florence Li Tim-Oi, the first woman ordained in the Anglican Communion. Her pioneering role in paving the way for women’s ordination is a significant part of church history, but one that is too often overlooked. Since the introduction of the UK Government’s visa scheme allowing 300,000 Hong Kongers to settle in Britain—the largest migration from outside Europe since the Windrush generation—Mark has played a leading role in shaping the Church of England’s response. His efforts have contributed directly to the creation of a national post: the ‘Hong Kong Communities Enabler.’
In 2023, Mark received the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lambeth award for his “outstanding contribution to raising the profile and participation of Chinese-heritage clergy and communities in the Church of England and commitment to serving the overseas Chinese diaspora, particularly those settling in the United Kingdom from Hong Kong". Mark has also delivered lectures at several theological colleges and his writing has appeared in Preach Magazine, The Canterbury Preacher’s Companion, and academic works such as ‘Chinese-heritage in British Christianity’ (SCM Press). A regular contributor to local BBC Radio, Premier Radio, and United Christian Broadcasters, Mark shares insights on faith, culture, and justice. Mark is married to Kayi and they have three young children. He tweets/X @marknam
Personal Message from Mark:
"Hi everyone, thanks for lending your support. I do want to say that at first, I wasn't sure if I ought to stand for nomination—but then I discovered the awards ceremony will be held at Liverpool Cathedral. The cathedral backs onto Europe’s oldest Chinatown, and Liverpool was where my paternal grandparents first arrived in the UK as migrants. That really struck a chord. It felt like something of a full-circle moment—returning to the place where my family’s journey in this country began. If I make it to the ceremony, I hope to carry not just my own story, but theirs—and the stories of many other migrants—into that sacred space. Thanks so much if you're able to support. It means a lot!"
- https://www.churchofengland.org/life-events/vocations/mentor-directory/mark-nam
- https://theteahouse.org
- https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2021/20-august/news/uk/tea-house-brings-together-chinese-heritage-clergy
- https://wokingham.today/woodley-vicar-lays-wreath-for-forgotten-army/
- https://www.change.org/p/appeal-for-the-church-of-england-to-commemorate-florence-li-tim-oi-with-a-feast-day
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/14/600-uk-churches-sign-up-to-welcome-christian-arrivals-from-hong-kong
- https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-priest-honoured-langton-award-8553593
- https://www.bristol.anglican.org/news/meeting-the-king-marks-a-special-birthday.php
- https://churchmissionsociety.org/pioneer-staff/mark-nam/
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0hrn5w4
- https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2021/27-august/comment/opinion/heed-the-voices-of-chinese-clergy