Fr Michael Jarman

My name is Fr. Michael Jarman. I was born and brought up in South Wales, in the tiny village of Cwmbran, before it was developed into a New Town in the 50's. I have one brother, Ken, who is one year older than me. When I left school, I started a career as a Quantity Surveyor and then subsequently went on to university to study a degree in Business. In

the early seventies I went to live and work in the Middle East, mostly in Abu Dhabi, working for the Oil Companies there as a Contracts Advisor. I remained in the Middle East for 32 years and returned to Wales in 2002.

Whilst I have always, since my youth, been a regular church attendee, I had no intention, upon my return from the Middle East, of going forward for ordained ministry, but instead was excited about the prospect of retirement with lots of golf and spending more time with my family. I am not married.

But as we know 'God works in mysterious ways' and after a period of discernment, I was selected to go for ordination training by the Church In Wales, the Diocese of Monmouth. I spent two years as a full-time student at Trinity College,

Bristol University. It was a degree course but I stopped after two years, with my Bishop's permission, with a diploma in theology because I was fast approaching the age of sixty and wanted to be more actively involved in the priesthood, before I got too old!

I was ordained in 2008 and after a varied and interesting curacy, was made Priest In Charge of the Parish of Holy Trinity Christchurch, Newport, in 2012. I remained in that Parish for nearly seven years until my retirement.

In 2019 I was appointed Chaplain to the Parish of Holy Trinity Funchal in Madeira, for a period of five years. I remained in Madeira until June 2024 when I returned to my home, which is now in Newport Gwent.

I hold Permission to Officiate from both Bishop Cherry in the Diocese of Monmouth and Bishop Robert in the Diocese in Europe and have served as a Locum Priest in Ibiza in 2025 and am on the rota of three different Ministry Areas in Monmouth, so I have an altar most Sundays in a number of different churches in the Diocese.

May I conclude by saying that I am looking forward very much to meeting you and to serving God's Church in Tenerife.