About Penelope

The Revd Penelope Swithinbank

Penelope has a heart for women from all walks of life and loves encouraging them in reaching their God-given potential. She is a widely recognized international speaker for conferences and retreats and the author of “Women By Design”. Having been involved in ministry for over 25 years she has filled the role of pastor’s wife, volunteer, and now ordained Anglican minister and Ignatian Spiritual Director. Having been a teacher, business woman, bed and breakfast owner, pastor, mother and now grandmother she connects with women on a personal level and has a spirit filled gift of walking alongside them.

Penelope and her husband Kim have three children and six small grandchildren. She and her husband recently moved to London after spending seven years living and working in the USA but as part of the family lives in Northern Virginia they have a foot on either side of The Pond!

Penelope divides her time between “Ministries by Design” (speaking on women’s conferences, writing, leading pilgrimages) and helping her husband with the church at St James Muswell Hill where he is now the Rector. St James is a large church, with several clergy on staff, and Penelope is the Associate Minister for Pastorates and Prayer.

She has led Retreats for several churches, spoken at the annual MOPS convention in Nashville, TN and led Pilgrimages in Europe. Penelope has a Masters in Theology from St Andrews University, Scotland, and degrees in both Education and Pastoral Theology from Cambridge University, England. In her quiet moments you can find her with the family, travelling, reading, writing, cooking or on a long walk.

above: Penelope (front far right) with her family: 3 children, 3 in-law children, 6 grandchildren, 1 sister, 1 nephew, 1 niece