MEET US
CLERGY
REV. CANON CAROLYN COOKE
Carolyn was ordained deacon and then priested in Southwell and Nottingham Diocese in England, in 2002 and 2003. She moved out to Switzerland in October 2010 to be Chaplain of La Côte. She is married to David and they have two children and a feisty new canine in residence, Rusty. She loves being outdoors, swimming, walking, cycling and gentle running. To unwind in an evening she enjoys sharing a bottle of wine in front of a ‘good’ DVD, reading, and spending time with family. (Carolyn takes Saturday as her day off.)
REV. BETTY TALBOT
Betty was ordained deacon in 2024 and priested the following year. By profession and vocation, Betty is a teacher and loves teaching and watching people learn to love learning, be it her grandson figuring out the construction of a Lego model, or teenagers understanding how the periodic table is organised, or adults gaining new insights when studying Scripture.
And for herself, she delights in learning skills and gaining knowledge. She often watches her favourite theologians on You Tube delivering lectures, or watches cooking programmes that range from Italian to Chinese cuisine. Currently, she is trying to learn jazz piano and line dancing. But as she grows older, Betty is drawn to Christian contemplative practices and spends time in quiet and stillness.
CHURCH WARDENS
LIZ BRAMLEY
Having lived for many years in Switzerland, Liz is happily retired, although her many duties as churchwarden keep her busy. She likes to spend time with her family, walk the dog and provides the La Côte Church archives with a photographic record of events. Many of the Website and Newsletter photos are hers!
DIANTHA TERRY
Diantha moved to Switzerland in 2009 following her husband’s job at a UN Organization. She spent the last years bringing up their two children and helping them all to adjust to life in this country. She enjoys many types of craft-making, and you can find Diantha most days working in Wooly Tricot, Signy Centre, where she passionately enjoys crochet and knitting. She has also developed an amateur interest in alpine wild flowers. She enjoys life outdoors, skiing and hiking and is often to be found in the Jura mountains or around St-Cergue walking her two much loved dogs.
COUNCIL MEMBERS
ARCHDEACONRY SYNOD REPRESENTATIVE
NONALEE DONG
Nonalee Dong is a musician and teacher. She was born in Canada and has lived in many countries in Europe, Asia and North America. Nonalee loves everything outdoors – hiking, skiing, and gardening, and indoors – yoga, reading and making music!
ARCHDEACONRY SYNOD
REPRESENTATIVE
ALICE DEBELL
Born in London, Alice moved with her husband and 2 girls (now adults) to Switzerland in 2011 and has never looked back. Alice loves the outdoor life and speaking foreign languages. She particularly enjoys running and walking in the mountains and cold water swimming. She has worked at the International School of Geneva since 2015 in Learning Support. Aside from her involvement in church, she sings in her local choir, loves travel (especially to Africa) and above all enjoys hanging out with her friends over a coffee or something stronger!
JENNY BEIGHTON
I have been attending La Côte Church for the past three years, having returned to the region after a decade living in Malaysia and India due to my husband’s work. Although I was born in the UK, France has been our family home since 2002. By profession, I trained and worked as a speech and language therapist as well as a special needs teacher. I am married to Richard, and we have three adult children.
My involvement in church life over the years has been varied and deeply meaningful. I have attended, hosted, facilitated, and led women’s ministry groups in both India and Malaysia. I have also taught Sunday School, run a church youth group, and hosted and led home groups. In addition, I have participated in and facilitated Alpha courses. During the pandemic, I established and managed a feeding programme supporting a village of daily‑wage earners in Delhi.India feeding project
I love studying the Bible and have enjoyed taking part in various theology courses. More recently, I completed training in pastoral care as a Stephen Minister. I take great joy in hospitality—bringing people together, helping them feel welcome, and encouraging a sense of belonging within the community.
STEVE RAWCLIFFE
A translator and editor from the UK who originally came here to work at the International Committee of the Red Cross, Steve has been a member of the La Côte community since 2000. He can sometimes be heard leading the congregation in song alongside his wife Monika and claims to have been building a house for the last two decades.
JESSICA CHAPMAN
Jessica is married to Chris and has two children, Lizzy and Johnny, the family moved to Pays de Gex from Oxfordshire in 2019 and now live in Crozet. Jessica is privileged to teach English in the Lycée International in Ferney-Voltaire.
RICHARD WARREN
Richard was born in the UK and first moved to Switzerland in 2002 to follow post graduate studies at the University of Geneva. He then worked at the UN and iNGOs in the region before leaving Switzerland in 2013 for a role abroad. He moved back to Switzerland in 2021 and now works at CERN. He is married with two school-aged children.
ADMIN
TREASURER
JOHN BUCKINGHAM
Bio pending
COUNCIL SECRETARY KATE SHEPHERD
Originally from the UK, Kate has lived in Switzerland for over 20 years and has been a member of the La Cote church community for the last 10 years. Kate is on the board of an educational non-profit specializing in supporting children and young adults who have Special Education Needs (SEN) in Switzerland and works part-time supporting SEN children in schools. Married with two sons and a dog, in her spare time Kate can be found behind a sewing machine or engrossed in a book.
ADMINISTRATOR LIZ LE FEUVRE
Liz has a background in administration work, having worked at international companies and organisations in London and Singapore. After her husband’s work moved the family here in 2011, she has been kept occupied with her two teenage boys, two cats and a dog, and has enjoyed using her creative side to retrain as a silversmith and runs a small jewellery business. In her spare time, Liz enjoys dinners with friends, walking, reading and trips to the cinema and theatre!
MINISTRY TEAM
CHRIS POTTER
Chris read law in the UK and in France, before qualifying and practicing as a French avocat. In 2010, he and his family moved from Paris, where they were members of the Holy Trinity Maisons Laffitte congregation. Chris enjoys learning and sharing, and has a particular interest in faith at work – God at the coalface!
CHRIS TALBOT
Bio pending
NIKI LOW
Bio pending
