The Rt. Rev Susan Goff announces her appointment of Mark Eastham as the new secretary and chief of staff of the Diocese of Virginia, effective Sept. 1:
In this senior leadership position, Eastham will coordinate diocesan convention and offer foundational leadership and support to governance bodies of the Diocese. He will oversee staff development and supervision and will work with regions and congregations to increase engagement with the structures that frame healthy relationships in the Diocese and the wider Church.
“I am so honored to have been appointed Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Diocese of Virginia,” said Eastham. “I look forward to … supporting the good work of Bishop Susan, the diocesan staff, and all members of the Diocese of Virginia community.”
Eastham has served as Head of School for Stuart Hall since 2004. Stuart Hall is one of the six incorporated Church Schools in the Diocese of Virginia. Under Eastham’s leadership, the school merged with Hunter McGuire School in 2007, expanding Stuart Hall into a PreK-12 institution. In 2014, the boarding program was opened to male students, making the school a fully coeducational institution. The school now serves nearly 90 boarders from around the world and more than 200 day students from throughout the Shenandoah Valley.
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
