THE next Dean of Bangor is to be the Revd Dr Manon Ceridwen James, Canon Theologian of Newport Cathedral, the Bangor Chapter announced on Monday.
One of the recommendations of the cathedral’s recent Visitation report (News, 27 June) was that a new Dean be appointed urgently.
Canon James, who grew up in Nefyn, on the Llyn Peninsula, has been Dean of Initial Ministerial Training at St Padarn’s Institute since 2018. She is also an author and poet and has been involved in ministerial training in the Church in Wales since 2005. She will take up her new role in September.
Bangor Cathedral has been without a Dean since the Very Revd Kathy Jones left in 2021. That year, the Revd Siôn Rhys Evans was appointed Sub-Dean and Canon Treasurer by the then Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Bangor, the Most Revd Andrew John. Canon Rhys Evans stopped ministering at the cathedral in March 2024 and left in the December. The first recommendation of the Visitation report was that “any future appointment to the role of Dean or Sub-Dean should be exclusive of other responsibilities”.
The Visitation report and a parallel safeguarding audit conducted by ThirtyOne:Eight recorded concerns about both “weak financial controls” and “inappropriate behaviours” at the cathedral.
Last month, after apologising for his part in the failings at the cathedral, and for “errors of judgement” under his episcopate, Bishop John announced his immediate retirement as Archbishop. Before this, he had asked that the recommendations of both reports be implemented in full within three months.
This work is being carried out by an Oversight Board appointed by him and chaired by Professor Medwin Hughes, who also chairs the Representative Body (RB) of the Church in Wales. Before the Archbishop announced his retirement, the RB had agreed a motion calling for a “cultural audit” of the Church in Wales, and a “change in leadership, procedures and governance in the Diocese of Bangor” (News, 4 July). The Charity Commission, which has received a total of six serious-incident reports on Bangor Cathedral, has launched an inquiry.
The announcement on the cathedral website of the new Dean says that “the appointment comes at a significant time for the cathedral as it begins the process of reform and renewal following an episcopal visitation.”
The recruitment process began with a consultation with the congregation, it says, which “identified key requirements for the role, including fluency in Welsh, proven pastoral skills, spiritual maturity, and experience in governance and management. Bishop of Bangor Andrew John removed himself from the process and handed the chair to Assistant Bishop of Bangor David Morris.”
Candidates spoke with staff and volunteers from the cathedral and ministry area as part of the process and were interviewed by a panel of eight, who reached a unanimous decision, the announcement says. An external interviewer, the Dean of Armagh, the Very Revd Shane Forster, participated “to provide additional expertise. An HR professional was present throughout to maintain fairness and transparency in the proceedings.”
Canon James said that she was looking forward to addressing the current challenges and would be “working hard to rebuild trust” in the mission and ministry of the cathedral. “The people of Bangor, and indeed the people of the diocese who look to the cathedral as a mother church, deserve a cathedral which embodies all that is good about the city and the diocese.”
Bishop Morris said: “Manon is coming home, and she does so with her vast experience and gifts.”
Canon James trained at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, was ordained deacon in 1994, and was one of the first women to be ordained priest in 1997. Before ordination, she studied for a humanities degree (including religious studies, sociology, and women’s studies) at the University of South Wales, Pontypridd. She completed a postgraduate certificate in adult education and theological reflection at Chester University in 2008 and was awarded a Ph.D. from Birmingham University in 2015.
She has written two books, Women, Identity and Religion in Wales: Theology, poetry, story (Books, 21 September 2018) and Notes from a Eucharistic Life (Features, 29 November 2024) (poetry). She has contributed chapters to several academic books on topics including women’s faith, Welsh identity, domestic violence, and theology. She is a contributor to the SPCK website assemblies.org.uk and has published material for school assemblies in two SPCK publications.
Canon James is also a regular contributor to BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio Wales. In her spare time, she enjoys attending football matches and comedy events with her husband, Dylan, who is the Group Financial Controller at Bangor University. They also enjoy music concerts, festivals, and travelling.