THE decision by the Archbishop of Wales, the Most Revd Andy John, to appoint the Bangor diocesan secretary as Sub-Dean of Bangor Cathedral in 2021 has been implicitly criticised in the Visitation report that he commissioned last October (News, 28 February).
The first recommendation of the Visitation report, a summary of which was published on Saturday, is that “any future appointment to the role of Dean or Sub-Dean should be exclusive of other responsibilities”. It states: “Bangor’s Cathedral may not have the size or complexity of some others, but leading it is still a full-time task.”
The Visitation was specifically asked to focus on the period 2022-2024. It was asked to look at: “The culture, language and behaviours exhibited by clergy, employees, officers and volunteers; the quality of Christian faith and holiness in the Cathedral; the integrity of professional and personal boundaries between colleagues; the robustness of supervisory arrangements and the clarity of delegated authority from the Chapter to the senior leadership team.”
In addition to the Visitation, Archbishop John commissioned a safeguarding audit of the cathedral, carried out by the charity ThirtyOne:Eight, in response to safeguarding concerns raised with the Provincial Safeguarding Team (PST). The summary of the audit report, also published on Saturday, does not give a timeframe.
The terms of reference included looking at “culture, language and behaviours and the integrity of professional and person boundaries — with a particular focus on the senior leadership team and the choir”. The reviewers were asked to look at “the safeguarding organisational arrangements and how well they are regarded, understood, and embedded into the life of the Cathedral especially in relation to the choir” and “the robustness of supervisory arrangements and the clarity of delegated authority from the Chapter to the senior leadership team”.
A four-and-a-half page account of the Visitation has been published: three pages of background information, followed by a list of recommendations. The safeguarding summary is 18 pages long.
On Saturday, Archbishop John said that participants had taken part on the condition of confidentiality. Concerns reported to the reviewers had included “management practices that lacked transparency and rigour, with some appointments made without proper paperwork, inadequate oversight arrangements and concerns raised about exclusion due to favouritism”.
The reviewers had been told of concerns about “weak financial controls, unclear reporting lines, and spending decisions that were insufficiently scrutinised”; and “conduct in some areas — relating to alcohol use and sexual behaviour — that did not reflect the professional standards expected in a Christian church”.
Concerns had been raised about “the presence of hurtful gossip, both in person and online, which caused pain and division” and “a safeguarding approach that did not meet the standards expected across the Church in Wales”.
When the Visitation was commissioned, Archbishop John informed the cathedral Chapter that “very serious and urgent” safeguarding concerns had been raised. The Visitors emphasise in their report that they were not conducting an investigation and did not seek to verify what they were told. The safeguarding reviewers emphasise that the audit “did not include a fact-finding exercise where the strength of evidence was tested in relation to complaints made against specific individuals”.
The audit recommends that priority be given to establishing an alcohol policy at the cathedral, after reports of “excessive consumption” and “inappropriate behaviours”. There is a need, it says, to “avoid any pressure to conform to drinking unwanted alcohol”.
The charity heard reports of the use of “inappropriate language” in front of younger members of the choir, including “rude jokes and innuendoes in the choir that left some feeling unsafe and marginalised”. Accounts indicated “a culture in which sexual boundaries seemed blurred, and to some in their view promiscuity was acceptable”. The reviewers also heard of homophobic comments that “do not appear to have been responded [to] or challenged rigorously enough”.
The reviewers write that they were “repeatedly informed of a lack of confidence in those with authority, both in the cathedral and in the wider senior Church in Wales leadership”. The reviewers heard of an “unhappy working environment” and concluded that many of those working for the cathedral did so “in silos with little evidence of a common focus and shared vision/mission”. There “didn’t to some appear to be any safeguards put in place when some individuals’ behaviours reportedly became unacceptable, and this started to affect others”.
A lack of contracts for paid positions or tenancy agreements, together with the absence of codes of conduct, “caused a potentially unsafe environment for those not knowing what their employment status is and this in turn may make them vulnerable to coercion and control by those in authority”. The lack of a recognised or promoted formal complaints process had left individuals “feeling there is no protection for those raising concerns”. There was a “fear of consequence and repercussions”.
In a summary of “strengths”, the reviewers said that they had heard of “significant positive changes” within the cathedral in the past two years, including a commitment to the Welsh language. There was “largely positive” feedback from parents and choristers, many of whom “struggled to understand that there might be any safeguarding concerns”. Those with mental-health problems and autism spoke positively about the choir. The culture was found to be “challenging but not broken with many working in the background for the greater good of others”.
The recommendation in the Visitation report that “urgent consideration” be given to appointing a senior cleric to “steady the ship until such time as the Sub Dean returns or a successor arrives” indicates that it was concluded some months ago.
Bangor Cathedral was without a Dean after the Ven. Kathy Jones left, in 2021. That year, Canon Siôn Rhys Evans was appointed Sub-Dean and Canon Treasurer by Archbishop John. Canon Rhys Evans had been ordained deacon two years earlier, in June 2019, and served his title as an NSM in the Llandudno ministry area. Canon Rhys Evans did not exercise any ministry at the cathedral from March 2024, and, on 29 December 2024, a statement on Bangor diocese’s website said that he was leaving his positions as diocesan secretary and Sub-Dean.
In his statement on Saturday, Archbishop John, who also addressed the cathedral congregation on Sunday, said that he had asked for all recommendations to be implemented within three months, under the leadership of the Archdeacon of Bangor, the Ven. David Parry, who has been chairing Chapter meetings in the absence of a Dean. This would be monitored by an Oversight Board, chaired by Professor Medwin Hughes, who chairs the Representative Body of the Church in Wales. Recruitment of a new Dean has begun.
“I have begun reflecting on what I must learn from this process — not only as a leader, but as a fellow pilgrim,” Archbishop John said. “The call to lifelong formation is one we all share, and I remain committed to walking that path with humility. We shall commit ourselves to the work of repair, of rebuilding trust and of creating a healthier culture — together.”
The report follows a string of cathedral visitations in the Church of England in recent years, including Chelmsford (News, 12 May, 2023), Truro (News, 3 February 2023), Sheffield (News, 22 March 2021), and a Bishop’s Review at Winchester (News 3 March). In March, it was announced that a Visitation would take place at St David’s Cathedral, the report of which is due to be published in the autumn.
This story was updated on 7 May