Christopher Swift

Chris was born and brought up in Kirkham, Lancashire UK. After gaining a degree in English Literature and Theology he went on to train for ordained ministry in the Church of England at Wescott House, Cambridge. Following a curacy he has served in the dioceses of St Albans, Wakefield and Ripon & Leeds. Chris entered health care chaplaincy in 1994 and was Head of Chaplaincy Services in the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 2001 - 2017. He served as President of the UK's College of Health Care Chaplains (2004-2007) and held a number of concurrent academic posts. With research interests around spiritual care and health he completed a PhD in 2005 and went on to publish 'Hospital Chaplaincy in the Twenty-First Century' in 2009. Since then he has contributed to several academic papers and research projects. From 2017 to 2023 he served as Director of Chaplaincy and Spirituality for Methodist Homes, the largest independent provider of chaplains in the UK. In 2019 Chris became a Visiting Professor at Staffordshire University. He now works as an independent consultant, postgraduate tutor, researcher and writer.