John Hall, as the 38^th Dean of Westminster since 2006, leads the life and work of Westminster Abbey. He chairs the governors of Westminster School and Harris Westminster Sixth Form. After teaching for a short time, he was ordained in 1975 and worked in parishes, later serving as the Church of England's Chief Education Officer. He has been a trustee of many charitable trusts. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, of Canterbury Christ Church University, and of St Chad’s College in the University of Durham and an honorary Fellow of the College of Teachers and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. He has honorary doctorates from four universities and is a Pro Chancellor of the University of Roehampton. He has recently taken on the chairmanship of a national Commission on the place of Religious Education in the school curriculum. He is a vice president of the Royal Overseas League and currently on the general committee of the Athenaeum.