Dean of St Albans

Overview

St Albans Cathedral is the home to Britain’s first saint, and the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in the country.

The Dean of St Albans is appointed to lead the life and work of the Cathedral, and to share with me and other senior colleagues in the oversight of the Diocese of St Albans and in supporting our vision of ‘Living God’s Love’.

Further details are available from https://jobs.churchofengland.org/stalbansdean

Post Introduction

St Albans Cathedral is a place of prayer, worship, pilgrimage and learning. Home to Alban, Britain’s First Saint, the Cathedral also has a unique opportunity to tell the story of Alban’s commitment to Jesus Christ nationally and internationally.

We are looking to appoint a new Dean to lead the Cathedral community in sharing and demonstrating the Gospel in the City of St Albans and across the counties of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.

Our next Dean will bring experience of growing churches in number and depth, and have demonstrated a commitment to enabling people of all ages to flourish in their discipleship and vocations. The Dean will have previously led and developed effective teams, and have a relational approach to fostering partnerships with civic, business and community leaders.

Nourished by the daily rhythm of cathedral prayer, the Dean will also be open to embracing and learning from other expressions of Christian worship.

We are committed to nurturing a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion, and want to encourage applications from a diverse range of people. If you are inspired by this opportunity, have the gifts and experience we need and sense that God might be calling you – even if you have not considered ministry in a Cathedral before – we would be delighted to hear from you.

Main Responsibilities

The next Dean will have the opportunity to build on all that has been achieved in, by and through the Cathedral community in recent years, and in particular to:

• Lead the Cathedral Community as it reviews its vision and strategy for mission and ministry, building on the momentum of ‘Alban, Britain’s First Saint’ and in light of the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the Cathedral, Diocese and wider communities;
• Grow and broaden the congregations, building diverse and inclusive communities of faith and championing the Cathedral’s work with families, children and young people;
• Develop the ways in which the Cathedral contributes to the Missio Dei as expressed in the Five Marks of Mission (particularly deepening our voice and action in addressing social justice and environmental issues), and build the confidence of the congregations to engage in mission;
• Strengthen the Cathedral’s engagement with parishes, schools and chaplaincies across the whole Diocese;
• Increase the Cathedral’s presence in the wider community, building relationships with civic leaders in the city and counties, creating and taking opportunities to speak prophetically into the public square and serve the common good;
• Ensure that new governance arrangements are implemented in line with the Cathedrals Measure, and that safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults is embedded in every aspect of Cathedral life.

The Ideal Candidate

The panel are looking to appoint someone who demonstrates these qualities and characteristics:

• Respecting and drawing on the traditions of St Albans Cathedral, is nourished by the daily rhythm of cathedral worship, and is open to embracing and learning from other expressions of Christian worship;
• Is an excellent preacher and teacher, able to equip people of all ages in their discipleship;
• Brings experience of growing a church numerically and spiritually;
• Has a vision for how Cathedrals can contribute to the Five Marks of Mission;
• Brings experience of equipping the whole people of God for their fields of mission, and encouraging everyone to flourish in their vocations;
• Has led and developed effective teams of clergy and lay people, and is skilled at providing constructive challenge and support;
• Enjoys encounters with people, investing time in building relationships with others and demonstrating hospitality;
• Has the gravitas and humility to build strong partnerships with business, civic and community leaders for the benefit of the Cathedral and wider society;
• Able to be an ambassador for the Cathedral across the Diocese, nationally and internationally, encouraging others to support the ministry of the Cathedral (including via fundraising when necessary).

About Us

St Albans Cathedral stands over the place where Alban, Britain’s first Christian saint, was buried after giving his life for his faith over 1700 years ago. It is the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in Britain and home to two medieval shrines, several world-class medieval wall paintings and an amazing mix of architectural styles that bear witness to many centuries of its life, first as a monastic Abbey and now as a Cathedral.

The core of the existing building dates over 900 years and is a major site of Christian pilgrimage to this day and attracted 400,000 visitors in 2019 from the United Kingdom and abroad. 

St Albans Cathedral is home to a vibrant and active Christian community, made up of people of all ages and from many different backgrounds, including our worshipping congregations, youth groups, volunteers, staff and many other individuals. The Cathedral is a parish church cathedral, meaning that as well as being a cathedral for the Diocese of St Albans, it also serves a geographical parish and local community. We have around 1000 worshippers attending services every week and a community of over 600 volunteers. It is a place for large civic, county and diocesan events but also hosts weddings, funerals, confirmations and baptisms for those who live in the parish and members of the congregation living further afield.

Here at St Albans Cathedral we have a rich and unique heritage, reaching over an unrivalled stretch of national history, very much alive and growing, and rooted in the faith of Alban, Britain’s first Christian saint. Our revealing of this story and all that Alban stands for is at the heart of our mission and values. In doing so we seek to communicate something of Alban and his faith, and to become a beacon of discovery and welcome, prayer and reflection, open to all.