This morning (Sunday 28th May), the Bishop of Edinburgh, the Rt Revd Dr John Armes, was delighted to announced the appointment of a new Provost for St Mary’s Cathedral.
The Rev John Conway, currently the Rector of St Martin of Tours, Gorgie/Dalry in Edinburgh, will take up his new responsibilities in September. He has been in Gorgie/Dalry since 2001 and has held various Diocesan roles, including his current role as the Diocese’s Convenor of Mission and Ministry.
He succeeds the Very Revd Dr Graham Forbes, who has been in post since 1990 and is retiring at the end of June.
Commenting on his appointment, John said:
“I will leave St Martin’s and Gorgie-Dalry, after sixteen years there, with a deep love and appreciation for its people. Geographically, at least, I am not going far, and I look forward, as a neighbour, to seeing the ways in which St Martin’s continues to grow and engage with its community. The time is right for me, however, to embark on a fresh challenge as I respond to the call of the Spirit and the Church.
“I will be taking on significant new responsibilities as Cathedral Provost. The opportunities to proclaim the Gospel in fresh and creative ways in that context are exciting and I am grateful to the Bishop and to the Cathedral Board for the confidence they have shown in me.
“The Cathedral, with its prominent location in the centre of Edinburgh, its wonderful liturgies and excellent music, and its wider role in the life of our cosmopolitan city, is also, along with the Bishop himself, a central focus of our Diocese and our common mission to respond in faith to God. Working with the Bishop and the Cathedral team I relish the opportunity to build on and develop those roles.
“The Cathedral is also the spiritual home of a flourishing congregation, faithful members mingling with the curious who are maybe simply passing through. Some of the members of the Cathedral may have been around long enough to remember me from my time as Cathedral Chaplain. I look forward to seeing and serving them again, as I get to know the whole congregation, and help us together better to articulate and live out our calling to serve our city and our Diocese.”
Commenting on this appointment, the Bishop of Edinburgh, the Rt Revd Dr John Armes, said,
“I am thrilled that John has accepted this new appointment. I am sure that under his stewardship the congregation will thrive and our Cathedral will further develop her role as a major city institution and as the Mother Church of this diocese.”
The Rev John Conway was ordained in Edinburgh in 1997, after studying for two degrees, in Materials Science from the University of Leeds and in Theology from the University of Edinburgh, and working as an advice worker in Leeds. He is married with 3 children, and enjoys camping and cycling trips with them in the wonderful Scottish outdoors. He served his curacy at the Cathedral in Edinburgh before moving to St Martin’s in Gorgie/Dalry in 2001.
The Cathedral was built in 1879 and is home to a thriving congregation, with worship offered to God every day of the week. It is the only church in Scotland to maintain the Cathedral choral tradition of daily sung services with a Master of the Music, Organist and a full choir. Visit the Cathedral’s website to discover out more about the worship and life of St Mary’s.