on Sunday, 16 February 2025 at 10.28 pm by Peter Owen
categorised as Church of England, News
The Dean of Wakefield, the Very Revd Simon Cowling, announced this morning that he will be retiring on 31 July this year. Details are on the Leeds diocesan website.
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Homeless Anglican
1 month ago
Fr Simon has had a rough time at Wakefield with various woes and challenges. But I think he is a fine wise priest and I wish him well. Another small cathedral with a huge deficit and challenges ahead.
Maungy Vicar
1 month ago
Time to ‘close’ a couple of cathedrals (revert them to parish Churches) and stop pretending Leeds Diocese is something it is not?
Slow off the mark as usual, I hadn’t realised Leeds diocese still retained all 3 cathedrals from the amalgamated dioceses. Even with an over-big hierarchy, surely not enough episcopal activity to justify 3 such costly establishments. Plus Leeds Minister! Time to rationalise, surely?
Turkeys are not in the habit of voting for Christmas Pax, a slimmed down hierarchy would mean more work for the remaining senior clergy. The CofE has more bishops and archdeacons than at any point in its history with the fewest parish clergy and as parishes are endlessly amalgamated. Squabbling about the bedroom activities of lgbtqi+ people avoids facing up to the existential crisis taking place.
I note from the Diocesan announcement (link above) that the Dean’s Very Rev’d colleague at Ripon finds value in having two fellow Diocesan Cathedral Deans. Perhaps a plea for more Deans please- lol 😉 120-something Deans??
Or a reversion to a Vicar of Wakefield- would it be a good use of my time to read it? I did find the work of Trollope- Joanna that is- worth my while!
Just Another Christian
1 month ago
Ripon, Wakefield and Bradford all have cathedrals in the same diocese? Isn’t this an example of how we are top-heavy with functionaries and administrators, rather than front-line parish priests? . I’m amazed that one hasn’t been turned into a theme park with a helter-skelter (Ripon perhaps?) leaving the other one, Bradford, to be sold off to be turned into a mosque. After all, surely this would net more funds than incurring further substantial losses on cathedrals that cannot pay their way? Surely that would have been the Welby Way? PS This is not what I believe but, given previous decisions… Read more »
Fr Simon has had a rough time at Wakefield with various woes and challenges. But I think he is a fine wise priest and I wish him well. Another small cathedral with a huge deficit and challenges ahead.
Time to ‘close’ a couple of cathedrals (revert them to parish Churches) and stop pretending Leeds Diocese is something it is not?
Indeed, if ever there was a top heavy diocese Leeds is it. The Bishop of Leeds has expanded the hierarchy rather than slimming it down.
Slow off the mark as usual, I hadn’t realised Leeds diocese still retained all 3 cathedrals from the amalgamated dioceses. Even with an over-big hierarchy, surely not enough episcopal activity to justify 3 such costly establishments. Plus Leeds Minister! Time to rationalise, surely?
Turkeys are not in the habit of voting for Christmas Pax, a slimmed down hierarchy would mean more work for the remaining senior clergy. The CofE has more bishops and archdeacons than at any point in its history with the fewest parish clergy and as parishes are endlessly amalgamated. Squabbling about the bedroom activities of lgbtqi+ people avoids facing up to the existential crisis taking place.
“a slimmed down hierarchy would mean more work for the remaining senior clergy.”
Not necessarily. People will always find work to do, even if it is non-productive work. So reducing people may also reduce work.
I note from the Diocesan announcement (link above) that the Dean’s Very Rev’d colleague at Ripon finds value in having two fellow Diocesan Cathedral Deans. Perhaps a plea for more Deans please- lol 😉 120-something Deans??
Or a reversion to a Vicar of Wakefield- would it be a good use of my time to read it? I did find the work of Trollope- Joanna that is- worth my while!
Ripon, Wakefield and Bradford all have cathedrals in the same diocese? Isn’t this an example of how we are top-heavy with functionaries and administrators, rather than front-line parish priests? . I’m amazed that one hasn’t been turned into a theme park with a helter-skelter (Ripon perhaps?) leaving the other one, Bradford, to be sold off to be turned into a mosque. After all, surely this would net more funds than incurring further substantial losses on cathedrals that cannot pay their way? Surely that would have been the Welby Way? PS This is not what I believe but, given previous decisions… Read more »