The Reverend Paul Willis was licensed as the new Chaplain of The Anglican Chaplaincy of Midi-Pyrénées & Aude at the Chaplaincy Holy Communion Service on Sunday, February 22, 2026 at 11.00 am Église St Eugène, 81600 Brens celebrated by Bishop Robert, with Archdeacon Peter.

he Revd Paul Willis grew up in the North East of England in a Salvation Army family and left school at the age of sixteen. A few years later, he joined the Royal Air Force as a musician. During many years of service in Germany, he trained as a Methodist Local Preacher, assisting Service Chaplains and, on his return to the UK, ministering on the Methodist Circuit. In due course, Paul began worshipping in the Church of England and was baptised and confirmed. Sensing a call to ordained ministry, he explored ordination and was accepted for training on the St Albans and Oxford Ministry Course.

He was ordained deacon in 2006 and priest in 2007. Paul served his curacy and title post in High Wycombe. As a curate, he was involved in establishing the Wycombe Homeless Connection, and later, as parish priest in an Urban Priority Area with significant levels of deprivation, he played a leading role in a community regeneration project. In 2015, he moved to Reading, where he became Rector of a group of four churches, a post from which he retired in 2020.

He now lives in south-west France with his wife, Gill. They have three grown-up daughters living in the UK with their families and are blessed with two granddaughters. Since his arrival in south-west France, Paul has offered regular ministry in this region, supporting Anglican life and worship. On 21 September 2024, he was commissioned as Area Dean for South West France. We are greatly blessed and privileged to be welcoming Paul as our new Chaplain, and we are encouraged to offer Paul and Gill our prayerful support, together with all the help and assistance they may need as Paul undertakes this new ministry among us.