Dean of Wells to be installed at Wells Cathedral
•The Very Reverend Dr John Davies will be installed as the next Dean of Wells
Wells: The Very Reverend Dr John Davies will be installed as Dean of Wells during a celebratory service at Wells Cathedral on Sunday 20 November 2016. People from across the diocese of Bath and Wells and the county of Somerset will attend the service to welcome Dr Davies as Dean of Wells, marking the beginning of his ministry in the Cathedral and in the Diocese. This will be a ticketed event and tickets will be available on a first-come-first-served basis either by collecting in person from the Cathedral Offices or by writing in with a stamped addressed envelope to Dean's Installation Service, c/o Wells Cathedral Offices, Chain Gate, Cathedral Green, Wells, Somerset BA5 2UE.
Appointed by the Crown, the Dean is the Chair of the Cathedral’s Chapter, its principal governing body, and the senior priest in the Diocese. Dr Davies comes to Wells having been Dean of Derby since 2010.
Dr Davies says“I am really looking forward to beginning a new stage of life and ministry in Somerset and to welcoming as many people as possible to the service on November 20th, which I know will be a joyous and wonderful event. Then the work begins!”
The service will be led by the Bishop of Bath and Wells. The Dean-designate will be greeted at the door as he enters the Cathedral by his new colleagues, the Chapter of Wells Cathedral. He will be accompanied as he arrivesby the Chapter of Derby Cathedral, his former colleagues. During the service, the Bishop will ask the Prime Minister's Appointments Secretary to read the Royal Letters Patent (which are signed by Her Majesty The Queen) instructing the Chapter to install the Dean, quite literally, in his stall in the Cathedral’s Quire and Chapter House.
The service will be sung by the Great Choir of Wells Cathedral (the boy choristers, girl choristers and men). Among other music, they will sing two first performances of works commissioned for this occasion: David Bednall'sI was glad when they said unto me, and Christopher Gower's The wells of salvation.
Acting Dean and Chancellor, Canon Andrew Featherstonesays: “John was announced as our next Dean in August and I am delighted to welcome him to Wells. John brings a wealth of experience and energy to the role and I am very much looking forward to working with him”.
The Rt Revd Peter Hancock, Bishop of Bath and Wells, is looking forward to welcoming Dr Davies to Wells, he says: "John's installation at Wells Cathedral will be a wonderful welcome as we celebrate and affirm his ministry. As Dean of Wells, John will bring his passion for theological reflection as well as an enthusiasm and energy for connecting people to each other and to God. I look forward to working alongside him in responding to God's immense love for us all, as we seek to be God's people living and telling the story of Jesus."
Dr Davies succeeds the Very Reverend John Clarke, who retired at the end of 2015.
About The Very Reverend Dr John Davies
Dr Daviesbrings to Wells his years of experience of working withina market town community set within a rural context including as a trustee of the Derbyshire Community Bank, as a trustee and Director of YMCA Derbyshire, as a member of the Derby Renaissance Board, and as a Deputy Lieutenant of the county.
He has pioneered engagement between the Muslim and Christian communities as co-founder of the Muslim-Christian dialogue group in the city of Derby, is a member of the University Council, and also chaired several local trusts including an almshouse board. He has been aregular broadcaster on BBC Radio Derby.
John was previously Director of Ordinands in the diocese and a member of the General Synod. He hasbeen a member of the Bishop’s Leadership Team, chaired a body which links Derby diocese and the Church of North India, and also chaired the body which oversees the work of the ecumenical network of workplace chaplains across the county.
A strong supporter of the Derby Churches Night Shelter project, Johnhas also been very much involved in spearheading a project to establish a new Derby Cathedral School.
Dr Davies studied at Keble College, Oxford and then at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge researching for his Doctorate at Lancaster University. He studied for ordination at Westcott House, Cambridge and became Dean of Derby in 2010.
About Wells Cathedral:
The Cathedral’s history goes back over 1000 years. The present buildings are the result of a building period from the 12th to the 15th centuries. This includes the completion of associated buildings – namely Vicars’ Close and Hall - provided for the Vicars Choral who continue to occupy the medieval houses.Despite its traditional heart, the Cathedral is very much alive today and prepared to innovate in the face of the modern challenges that face it. It’s an inspiring space for daily worship and a busy community hosting a huge range of activities. The Cathedral welcomes thousands of visitors each year who join in with regular daily services and events or who come to simply spend time in this special building.
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