Wales Online reports tonight that First female Dean of Llandaff Cathedral quits after two months.
The first woman Dean of Llandaff Cathedral has resigned just two months after she was installed in the post.
The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, said he had accepted Janet Henderson’s resignation “with enormous sadness”.
Church in Wales sources have told WalesOnline that Dean Henderson had had “a “difficult time” since her appointment, with some clergy resenting the appointment of a woman…
The press release from the Church in Wales has nothing to say about the reasons for the Dean’s resignation, and neither does this report from the BBC.
Very, very sad to read this. There is an unhappy story behind the bare facts. Sorry that Llandaff have lost such a competent and good person so fast.
If it is true that the attitude of some Janet Henderson’s colleagues played a significant part in her decision to resign; then they to should be asked to do likewise – not that this will happen since displaying blatant sexism is of course seen as being allowable in the UK’s Anglican communion (at least at present)
That bit about the pay for the choir seems odd without enough information. How much time did it take to do that program? Musicians are generally paid by the service and there is typically a customary fee per service. Did the Dean “volunteer” professional musicians to sing below their customary fees? If they don’t have customary fees, then they don’t seem particularly professional. It doesn’t seem like a reason to resign, unless the underlying communication issues were endemic. If the resignation is because of clergy resistance to having a woman in charge, that would not speak well of those “christians.”… Read more »
“There is an unhappy story behind the bare facts.” I suspected so. Some guys feel absolutely ENTITLED to their position and privileges and ENTITLED to harass and demean “the wrong sort,” i.e. people who aren’t like them. It is actually quite amazing that plenty of guys have come to see the Kingdom of God in a different light, kinder, gentler, and more inclusive. I think that is a more difficult journey because it is so challenging to empathize and walk in another’s shoes. Especially in the case of women, whose shoes are bound to be too small! It is easier… Read more »
I knew Janet Henderson well when she was Archdeacon of Richmond in the Ripon and Leeds Diocese. She is a woman of intellect, integrity, great spirituality, vision, endless warmth and a tireless worker. She approached her new post with enthusiasm. Her position must have been made impossible for her to relinquish it. She is greatly missed here.
This is very sad and disturbing news. Janet Henderson is a woman with a positive proven record of significant ministry. Many prayers are with her and I hope the strength of them will enable transparency.
The Bishop appoints best person he can find for the job. There’ll always be some who discriminate on gender or other excuse. But there’s yet another issue waiting here to be addressed – Cathedral stakeholders refusing to knuckle down and unite in support of the ministerial leadership entrusted to the Dean by said Bishop. It’s a revolt against him. Deepest sympathies to Janet, caught in the middle. She was wise to take herself out of the story and not let church power games destroy her. Would that more clerics in toxic situations had that sort of courage. How can the… Read more »
Actually we don’t know ANYTHING about the reasons behind the resignation apart from some press speculation, so it’s a little early to be casting aspersions! Janet is very well respected in Ripon & Leeds and a great archdeacon. As a curate I benefitted enormously from her wisdom. Whatever the reason for her resignation it is very sad that Llandaff cathedral has lost someone of such profound spiritual depth & great sense of humour.
What an absolute disgrace. How will any one be able to take Llandaf diocese or cathedral seriouly after this ? And who would wish to become the next dean any time soon ?
A Church in great decline, indeed.
I hope the minister who has resigned will receive support in many forms, but had she been supported, resignation might not have been necessary.
Lindsay is right; the resignation is reported as fact; everything else is by ‘sources at the cathedral’ or ‘sources in the church’- i.e. gossips at best, those with an axe to grind at worst. They’re anonymous for a reason …
Former Dean Janet was welcomed by the parishioners at Llandaff – it’s a parish church as well as a cathedral – and many were impressed by her personal warmth and commonsense approach. Her resignation has stunned many, but the gender issues claimed in statements by “Church sources” are probably not the main cause of this. There are intransigent problems with Llandaff that have arisen since 2000, due to previous appointments. Keith Kimber’s comments are singularly ill-informed, since the congregation – contrary to his picture of “rampant congregationalism” – actually have very little say in the running of the place. Any… Read more »
Janet Handerson was in post as Archdeacon in North Yorkshire while I was a Church Warden. I know her to be a very warm caring person of great integrity, deep spirituality, with a wonderful ability to communicate at all levels. She will not have taken this decision lightly. She is greatly missed here and is very much in our prayers.
A sad decision indeed, but stability in this diocese was achieved by a moratorium on the appointment of women as priests (not as deacons or conceivably archdeacon) by previous bishops of Llandaff, which the current Archbishop proved determined to overturn, a direction he has endorsed by two key appointments made in rapid succession. Unfortunate remarks about male priests needing to accept female authority may have been provocative and have certainly proved counter-productive.
“Unfortunate remarks about male priests needing to accept female authority may have been provocative and have certainly proved counter-productive.”
So, assuming that this was the root cause for the resignation, we just have to accept that the poor chaps had no choice but to treat a new colleague so badly that she resigned within 2 months?
I’m chairman of the Friends of Ripon Cathedral and know Janet Henderson quite well. She is a very spiritual and profoundly religious person and would have made a wonderful Dean of any cathedral, Llandaff included. The full story of the debacle of her departure has yet to be told of course, but I fear it reflects badly on the church community of Llandaff. If she was forced to leave because of anti-women sentiments, all I can say to those who were instrumental in her departure is: Shame on you! You have missed a God-given opportunity to widen the depth of… Read more »