Background
Winkett was born on 8 January 1968.
Winkett was born on 8 January 1968.
She graduated from the University of Cambridge with a Bachelor of Arts (Bachelor) degree in 1990. As per tradition, this was promoted to a Master of Arts (Master of Arts (Cantab)) degree in 1994. She then entered the Royal College of Music to train as a singer and completed the ARCM qualification in 1992.
During her training, she also studied theology at the University of Birmingham and graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity (Bachelor's Degree) degree in 1994.
She was Canon Precentor of Street Paul"s Cathedral, London prior to her appointment in 2010 as Rector of Street James"s Piccadilly. Her contemporaries at Cambridge included the comedian Alexander Armstrong with whom she starred in a production of Guys and Dolls. Having trained as a singer, she changed career path and began training for ordained ministry at Queen"s College, Edgbaston.
While she was an ordinand, she was part of the British Broadcasting Corporation documentary The Calling.
She served her curacy at Street Michael and All Angels, Little Ilford, London in the Diocese of Chelmsford. In 1997, she was appointed a minor canon and a chaplain of Street Paul"s Cathedral.
When her appointment was announced in February 1997, it was criticised by the cathedral"s chancellor John Halliburton, who was against the ordination of women priests. In 2003, she was appointed precentor and a canon residentiary of Street Paul"son
She returned to parish ministry when she was appointed Rector of Street James"s Church, Piccadilly in October 2010.
Winkett writes, speaks and debates on a wide range of issues reflecting on culture, gender and religion. She was a contributor to the best-selling Why I Am Still an Anglican (Continuum 2006) and to Seven Words for Three Hours (DLT 2005). She is author of Our Sound Is Our Wound (Continuum 2010), which was the Archbishop of Canterbury"s Lent Book, and a regular contributor to British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 4"s "Thought for the Day".
She is a founding advisor to Theos, a think tank launched in 2006.
She serves as Chair of Governors of Street Mary Magdalene Academy, Islington and of an non-governmental organization, the Amos Trust. In her second year of university, Winkett"s boyfriend Andrew Stillwell had an accident whilst climbing and was left in a coma.
She flew out to him in Switzerland and was with him when he died. This had a lasting effect on her and contributed to her pursuing ordination.
She was also reportedly spat at by members of the clergy at Street Paul"son