Adrian Leak

After the Order of Melchizedek: Memoirs of an Anglican Priest

Cast in the form of an autobiography covering period between 1940 and 2015, After the Order of Melchizedek is, in effect, an account of the Church of England as she was during the second half of the 20th century.

Anecdotal, humorous and allusive, much of the material is drawn from Adrian Leak’s life as an Anglican priest.

“Melchizedek gives us a glimpse of the Church of England in the second half of the 20th century, seen through the eyes of a priest whose contrasting ministries in council estate, rural parishes, and cathedrals ancient and modern, describe a mostly vanished church and different world. It is a timely warning to the Church of England not to discard completely its care for everyone, whether they go to church or not.” – Nigel McCulloch, former Bishop of Manchester

Adrian Leak is an Anglican priest and freelance writer. He is a published author of articles on church history, and for many years was a regular contributor to the Church Times. His work (published by Book Guild) includes three volumes of essays (Nebuchadnezzar’s Marmalade Pot; Archbishop Benson’s Humming Top; The Golden Calves of Jeroboam). Before retirement he served in various country parishes as well as at York Minster and Guildford Cathedral.

Archbishop Benson’s Humming Top

During Adrian Leak’s time as a parish priest, he wrote many monthly ‘letters’ for the local parish magazine. His inspiration was the wide and colourful experience of life as a country parson, and the wish to share his reflections with non-believers as well as believers.

Following the success of Adrian’s first collection, Nebuchadnezzar’s Marmalade Pot, his new book, Archbishop Benson’s Humming Top comprises sixty brief essays adapted from sermons as well as articles previously published in the Church Times.

“Archbishop Benson’s Humming Top propels us from Greek hats to gardens, via compassion fatigue and hunting parsons to the songbirds of Istanbul. Underpinning and uniting these wide-ranging reflections is the conviction that God is to be found in stillness and silence, and that we need to be able to listen if we are to hear the still, small voice. Adrian Leak has created a box of delights: quirky and thoughtful, with plenty of still centres, to be dipped into and savoured: nourishment for the soul, with no damage to the waistline.”– Caroline Chartres, Features Editor, Church Times

The Golden Calves of Jeroboam

During Adrian Leak’s time as a parish priest, he wrote many monthly ‘letters’ for the local parish magazine. His inspiration was the wide and colourful experience of life as a country parson, and the wish to share his reflections with non-believers as well as believers. Like Adrian’s previously published volumes, The Golden Calves of Jeroboam is comprised of mostly edited versions of those letters, which appeared in The Withyham & Blackham Parish Magazine, as well as a few adapted from sermons.

The book is a collection of fifty short pieces, ranging widely over topics briefly related to church occasions and Christian faith including Easter, Christmas, Pentecost, weddings, funerals, parenthood, prayer, belief, and hope. Their style is anecdotal, humorous and allusive.

Though much of the material was written during Adrian’s time as a country parson, it is only occasionally autobiographical.

Adrian Leak is also a published author of articles on church history and is a regular contributor to the Church Times. He was ordained priest in Coventry Cathedral in 1967. His parochial ministry has included incumbencies in the dioceses of Worcester, Durham and Chichester. He was Archivist and Vicar Choral of York Minster and Canon Precentor of Guildford Cathedral. For eight years he served as an honorary assistant priest at Holy Trinity, Guildford, St Mary’s, Worplesdon and St Alban’s Wood Street. His last post before retirement was that of Priest-in-Charge of Withyham and Blackham. He is now honorary assistant curate at Holy Trinity Church, Bramley.