We are delighted to celebrate our brilliant Alongsider, Tom Pearson, who has been awarded the Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England by the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Sarah Mullally.
Tom received the award at a special ceremony at Lambeth Palace on Friday 11 September 2026.
The Canterbury Cross is one of the Church of England’s highest honours, personally conferred by the Archbishop of Canterbury. It recognises exceptional service to the Church, and Tom’s award celebrates his outstanding contribution through digital ministry, the creation of resources for parishes and local communities, and the technical design, engineering and delivery of broadcasts and events.
We could not be more pleased to see Tom’s work recognised in this way.
A brilliant Alongsider
Tom has been part of our Alongsider team for many years and has played a significant role in helping GoHealth communicate our work and connect with people.
Some of that work has involved making unique films that help us communicate about Christian healing, and supporting the live online events that have become such an important part of how we equip and encourage people. For example, the films for Being Trauma Informed, Everyday Healing and The Spiritual Intelligence course – all filmed by Tom.
And, as anyone who has worked with Tom will know, making things happen technically rarely means simply pressing a button!
There have been all sorts of challenges along the way – sometimes in the online space and sometimes, quite literally, halfway up a mountain. Through it all, Tom brings the same calm, patient and reassuring presence.
He has a remarkable ability to make complicated things feel manageable.
The ministry behind the scenes
One of the things we particularly love about this award is that it recognises something which can so easily remain unseen: the ministry that happens behind the scenes.
Church ministry increasingly depends on technology, communications and digital platforms. Whether it is an online gathering, a training course, a film, a broadcast or a resource being shared with a local church, there are often people working quietly in the background to make it possible.
Those people may not be the ones standing in front of the camera or speaking from the platform. But their contribution can make an enormous difference to who is able to participate, what can be communicated and how people experience connection and community.
Tom has a particular gift for this.
His technical expertise is matched by his understanding of people. He helps clergy, staff and volunteers feel confident with technology rather than intimidated by it. He brings creativity without unnecessary complexity, and he approaches problems with a calmness that is enormously reassuring when things don’t quite go according to plan!
And perhaps most importantly, Tom is deeply committed to helping the Church flourish.
Making connection possible
At GoHealth, we care deeply about finding new and creative ways for people to connect faith, health and wellbeing.
That sometimes means being willing to experiment, to try something different and to find ways of reaching people who might not otherwise be able to participate.
Tom has helped us do exactly that.
His contribution has enabled conversations, training, worship, storytelling and connection to happen across distance and circumstance. Technology becomes a means to something much more important: people connecting with people, communities learning together, and the Church being equipped for its ministry.
That is why we are so delighted that his contribution has been recognised.
“Deeply humbled”
Tom himself describes the award as a huge surprise:
“I am delighted and deeply humbled to accept the Canterbury Cross. It was such an enormous surprise and I have scarcely taken it in. To have my work behind the scenes recognised in this way is an immense honour.”
He also points to something we know well at GoHealth: ministry is never something we do alone.
“In truth, none of these projects happen in isolation, and I am enormously grateful to the dedicated teams across the Church with whom I work, as well as to my family for their unwavering support.”
That sense of partnership is very characteristic of Tom.
Thank you, Tom
Tom, we are incredibly proud of you – and incredibly grateful for everything you have done for GoHealth over the years.
Thank you for your skill, your creativity, your patience, your generosity and your extraordinary ability to make things work.
Thank you for being willing to tackle the unexpected challenges, whether they happen online or halfway up a mountain.
And thank you for the quiet, faithful way in which you use your gifts to serve the Church and help others flourish.
We are thrilled that some of that behind-the-scenes ministry has now been brought into the light.
Congratulations, Tom. The Canterbury Cross is a wonderful and thoroughly deserved recognition of your service.