Nicholas Stanley Mercer (born 25 December 1949) is a British Anglican priest who was the Vicar general for the Diocese of London from 2007 to 2017;^[1] he was additionally Archdeacon of London from 2014 until 2016.^[2]

Mercer was born on Christmas Day 1949 and raised at Shoreham-by-Sea, one of seven children in a family living in a small three-bedroom home, and was a member of the town's local Baptist church.^[3] He was named Nicholas after Saint Nicholas of Myra, Santa Claus.^[3] He was educated at primary school in his home town, Worthing High School,^[3] and Selwyn College, Cambridge, graduating Bachelor of Arts in 1972 (and Master of Arts in 1976).^[4] Remaining at Selwyn College, he studied for, and was awarded, the Postgraduate Certificate in Education as a qualified teacher in 1973.^[4]

Following a short spell of teaching at Lancing College,^[3] an independent boarding school located close to his family home, he enrolled at Spurgeon's College, graduating with a second BA degree in 1978.^[4] He entered the ministry of the Baptist denomination,^[3] beginning as a student minister at a large Baptist church in Enfield, north London,^[5] and subsequently as Assistant Minister at Upton Vale Baptist Church, Torquay; later studying at London Bible College (where he was the Laing Scholar), obtaining a Master of Philosophy degree in 1986.^[4][3]

Mercer's theological studies eventually led him from the Baptist Union into the Church of England, where he self-identified as an anglo-catholic, later stating that he had been a "closet anglo-catholic" since his university days at Selwyn College.^[3] Following training at Cranmer Hall, Durham, he was ordained as a deacon in 1995, and as a priest shortly afterwards, in the same year.^[4] In his autobiography, published in the anthology "The post-evangelical debate" (1997), Mercer speaks of a growing realisation that he was no longer a conservative evangelical, despite his continued deep Biblical faith.^[3] After curacies in Northwood Hills and Pimlico he was Director of Ministry for the Diocese of London from 2003 to 2007. He was Diocesan Director of Ordinands (overseeing a team of Directors) from 2007 to 2017. He was a Prebendary of St Paul's Cathedral from 2008 (around the time of his appointment as Vicar general) to 2017. He was also honorary priest in charge of St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate in the City of London from 2015 to 2016.^[6]

He retired in 2017, on reaching the customary Church of England retirement age of 68 years.^[4] He was appointed an emeritus Prebendary of St Paul's cathedral, and an emeritus Archdeacon of London, on his retirement.^[7]