New Dean of Chichester appointed by King Charles

The Venerable Dr Edward Dowler will take over the position in September.

The Archdeacon of Hastings has been appointed by King Charles as the new Dean of Chichester.

The Venerable Dr Edward Dowler will take over the position in September after the resignation of The Very Reverend Stephen Waine.

Dr Dowler told BBC Radio Sussex he was excited at the prospect of his new role.

He said: “I’ve lived in East Sussex for the last eight years and in the same diocese that we’re in here in the cathedral so I’ve got to know and love the cathedral and Chichester as well as a city.”

Safeguarding

He took up his current role as Archdeacon of Hastings in the Diocese of Chichester in 2016 and, since 2020, has also been serving as Priest-in-Charge of St John the Evangelist, Crowborough. He is currently Chaplain to the High Sheriff of East Sussex.

In 2019 the diocese commissioned an independent report into child sexual abuse in the diocese.

Over a 50 year period 18 members of the clergy were convicted of offences.

Bishop Peter Ball was jailed in 2015 for 32 months for offences against 18 teenagers and men between the 1970s and the 1990s.

Dr Dowler says the diocese has strong systems for safeguarding in place.

He said: “Safeguarding is something that belongs to all of us and so it’s the responsibility of everybody in the cathedral from the dean and everybody else to make sure that it’s a safe place for children, vulnerable adults and everybody else and I have no doubt that we will do that.”