THE decision by the Archbishop of Wales, the Most Revd Andy John, to appoint the Bangor diocesan secretary as sub-dean of Bangor Cathedral has been implicitly criticised in the Visitation report he commissioned last year (News, 28 February).
The report also identifies a number of areas of concern around the working culture at the cathedral, including the personal conduct of certain individuals and management practices “that lacked transparency and vigour”.
The first recommendation of the Visitation report — a summary of which was published on Saturday evening — is that “any future appointment to the role of Dean or Sub-Dean should be exclusive of other responsibilities”.
Bangor Cathedral has been without a Dean since the Ven. Kathy Jones left, in 2021. That year, Canon Siôn Rhys-Evans was appointed Sub-Dean and Canon Treasurer by Archbishop John. He had been ordained as deacon two years earlier, in June 2019 and remained in post as diocesan secretary of Bangor, a position he took up in 2013. On 29 December 2024, a statement on the diocese of Bangor’s website said: “Canon Siôn Rhys-Evans is leaving his roles as Diocesan Secretary and Sub-Dean.”
No further clarification was provided at the time, and the four-and-a-half pages of the Visitation report now published — three pages of background information followed by a list of recommendations — provides limited elucidation. On Saturday, Archbishop John said that participants had taken part on the condition of confidentiality. But the Visitation had found “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,” he said.
The Visitation found that there had been “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”. The report also identified “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”.
The Visitation was commissioned in October 2024 by Archbishop John, who informed the Bangor Cathedral Chapter that “very serious and urgent” safeguarding concerns had been raised. The recommendation in the 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, given confirmation of Canon Rhys-Evans’ departure in December.
The Visitors emphasise in their report that they were not conducting an investigation and did not seek to verify what they were told.
In addition to the Visitation, Archbishop John commissioned a safeguarding audit, carried out by the charity ThirtyOne:Eight in November, in response to safeguarding concerns having been raised about the cathedral with the Provincial Safeguarding Team (PST). The charity emphasises that the audit — which considered the period during which Canon Rhys-Evans was in post — “did not include a fact-finding exercise where the strength of evidence was tested in relation to complaints made against specific individuals”.
It recommends that priority be given to establishing an alcohol policy at the cathedral, following 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 “inappropriate language” being used 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 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 roles or tenancy agreements, and an 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 last 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 autistic people 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”.
In his statement on Saturday, Archbishop John, who is due to address the cathedral congregation on Sunday, said that he had asked for all recommendations to be implemented within three months, with the work led by the Archdeacon of Bangor, the Ven. David Parry, who has been chairing Chapter meetings in the absence of a dean. This will 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 will begin on Sunday.
“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) and Sheffield (News, 22 March 2021).
