Mina Smallman
British archdeacon (born 1956)
The Venerable Wilhelmina Smallman | |
|---|---|
 The Venerable Mina Smallman, 2013 | |
| Born | (1956-10-29) 29 October 1956 (age 67) Middlesex |
| Alma mater | Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Middlesex University |
Wilhelmina Tokcumboh "Mina" Smallman (born 29 October 1956) is a British retired Anglican priest and former school teacher. She served as the Archdeacon of Southend in the Diocese of Chelmsford from September 2013 until her retirement in December 2016. She was the Church of England's first female archdeacon from a black and minority ethnic background.[1]
Early life
Smallman was born on 29 October 1956 in Middlesex.[2][3] Her mother Catherine was of Scottish descent and her father Bill was of Nigerian heritage.
Career
During her whole career she says she suffered misogyny and racism, mainly due to "privileged white men" who she says "questioned" her right to be a priest.[4]
Teaching
Smallman studied drama, English and Voice at the Central School of Speech and Drama, graduating with a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree in 1988.[5] She then worked as a drama teacher for 15 years.[6] By 2005, she was an assistant principal of John Kelly Girls' Technology College.[5]
Ordained ministry
Smallman trained for ordination on the North Thames Ministerial Training Course. During her training, she also studied contextual theology at Middlesex University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 2006.[5]
Smallman was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 2006 and as a priest in 2007.[5] After curacies in Harrow and Stanmore she was Team Vicar in Barking[7] from 2010 until her Archdeacon’s appointment.[8]
In June 2013, it was announced that Smallman would be the next Archdeacon of Southend.[9] On 16 September 2013, she was installed as archdeacon during at a service at Chelmsford Cathedral.[10] She retired on 31 December 2016.[11]
In 2021 she was chosen by BBC Radio 4's Today programme to be one of seven guest editors during the Christmas period.[12]
Personal life
Smallman had three daughters. Since 1992, she has been married to Christopher.[5]
Smallman's daughters, Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry, were discovered, stabbed to death, in Fryent Country Park, Brent on 7 June 2020.[13]
A murder investigation was launched.[14][15] On 2 July 2020, Danyal Hussein was charged with murdering Nicole and Bibaa.[16] He was found guilty on 6 July 2021[17] and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 35 years.[18]
Smallman is quoted as saying "most of our police force are amazing and doing amazing jobs but there is an element that has taken over the culture of how they banter...and there an element of misogyny in its worst possible form".[19] Smallman maintains Cressida Dick tried to mislead her. Smallman maintains Dick gave the impression problems with investigation of her daughters' murders were unusual and isolated incidents when, in reality Dick knew about investigations of wrongdoing at Charing Cross Police Station and knew there were larger problems. Smallman said, "So she would have known that this wasn't an isolated incident. I didn't expect her to throw herself or the Met under the bus, but to behave in a way that sounds as though 'this is incredible', or 'we've never heard of anything like this in our lives' [the conduct of the officers in Fryent Country Park], it was a lie."[20]
Honours
Smallman was included in the BBC's 100 Women list for 2021, which honours the most inspiring and influential women from around the world.[21] In 2021, the BBC were concerned to highlight women who are hitting 'reset' - women who are reinventing our society, our culture, and our world. Smallman was recognised for her trailblazing as the first female Church of England archdeacon from a black or ethnic-minority background, and for her campaigning to make UK streets safer and to reform the police.[22] This follows the murder of her daughters Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry in 2020.
References
- ^ Dodd, Vikram (27 June 2020). "Mother of murdered daughters attacks 'toxic' Met police culture". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ^ "Wilhelmina Tokcumboh Smallman". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- ^ "Smallman, Wilhelmina T.". Who's Who. Vol. 2016 (November 2015 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 24 July 2016. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ You have to let the anger go’: Mina Smallman on her daughters’ murder – and the police who shared photos of the bodies The Guardian
- ^ a b c d e "Smallman, Ven. Wilhelmina T., (born 29 Oct. 1956), Archdeacon of Southend, 2013–16". Who's Who 2021. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- ^ "From foster child to funk musician... introducing Southend's first female archdeacon". Echo.
- ^ Adigun, Buni (17 April 2013). "Artist creates altar frontal for Thames View church". Barking and Dagenham Post.
- ^ "Chelmsford Diocese". hosted-p0.vresp.com.
- ^ Daily Telegraph, 8 June 2013, p.26, "Senior Clergy Appointments"
- ^ "Church appoints first woman Archdeacon of Southend". Echo Newspapers. 16 May 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ^ Diocese of Chelmsford — Archdeacon of Southend to retire at the end of 2016 (Accessed 22 December 2016)
- ^ adam-sherwin (25 November 2021). "Raheem Sterling leads Radio 4 Today programme line-up of Christmas guest editors". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ^ "Church of England leaders 'devastated' after first female BAME Archdeacon's daughters found dead in London park". www.msn.com.
- ^ BBC Radio Four, 'PM' programme 16:04 GMT
- ^ Raffray, Nathalie (16 June 2020), "Tributes paid to sisters murdered in Kingsbury", Brent & Kilburn Times.
- ^ "Man charged with murdering sisters in Wembley park". BBC News. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- ^ Teenager found guilty of murdering two sisters after pact with Satan to win the lottery
- ^ Danyal Hussein jailed for 35 years for murdering sisters in London park The Guardian
- ^ Mina Smallman: 'We've been to hell and back again' BBC
- ^ Mina Smallman: Dame Cressida Dick gaslighted me, says killed sisters' mum BBC
- ^ "BBC 100 Women 2021: Who is on the list this year?". BBC News. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ^ "BBC 100 Women 2021: Who is on the list this year?". BBC News. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
Christianity portal
- v
- t
- e
- Percy Bayne
- Ellis Gowing
- Neville Welch, Bishop of Bradwell
- Peter Bridges
- John Moses
- Jonathan Bailey
- David Jennings
- David Lowman (became Archdeacon of Chelmsford)
- Mina Smallman
- Mike Lodge
- Mike Power
- unknown
- Michael Fox
- Peter Taylor
- Martin Webster
- Vanessa Herrick
- David Lowman, Archdeacon of Chelmsford (previously Archdeacon of Southend)
- John Perumbalath, Archdeacon of Barking
- Robin King, Archdeacon of Stansted
- Elizabeth Snowden, Archdeacon of Chelmsford
- Chris Burke, Archdeacon of Barking
- Kate Peacock, Archdeacon of Stansted
- Jonathan Croucher, Archdeacon of Chelmsford
External links
- Tributes from the Smallman and Henry families
