Governance

Gloucester Cathedral is governed by Chapter with support and oversight from the Cathedral Council and College of Canons. The Cathedral employs approximately 75 members of staff aided by 450 volunteers.

Gloucester Cathedral is a charity and has been entered onto the Register of Charities with the Registered Charity Number 1201309. Like all cathedrals, Gloucester Cathedral reports to the Church Commissioners for England.

About The Very Reverend Andrew Zihni, Dean of Gloucester:

The Very Reverend Andrew Zihni was installed as the 39th Dean of Gloucester on Sunday 23 April 2023.

Andrew was born and grew up in Hong Kong, before moving to the UK with his family. He trained for ordination at St Stephen’s House, Oxford, and was ordained Deacon in 2002 and Priest in 2003. He began his ordained ministry in the former mining town of Goldthorpe in South Yorkshire, before moving to St George’s Chapel, Windsor, where he was a Minor Canon and School Chaplain. Andrew then moved to Southwark, where he was Assistant Director of Vocations in the Diocese of Southwark and Honorary Minor Canon at Southwark Cathedral before becoming Canon Precentor in January 2021. He was also a Priest Vicar at Westminster Abbey from 2018 to 2021.

Reflecting on his Installation, Dean Andrew said:

“It was a huge joy and honour to have been installed during Sunday’s service as the 39th Dean of Gloucester. Some parts of the service had their roots in what happened on such occasions in medieval times, so this was a striking reminder of the significant responsibility that has been conferred on me, going back not only to the Reformation, when the Cathedral was reconstituted as a new Foundation, but to the Abbots of the Benedictine monastery established here in the 11th century.

In celebrating this new chapter in the Cathedral’s story, I am looking forward to the work of leading the Cathedral community as a beacon of Christian hope to the city, the county, and the diocese, pointing to the love of Jesus Christ for all people in the richness and splendour of our diversity.”

The Cathedral Chapter is the governance authority for the Cathedral, and is made up of both clergy and lay members. Chapter is responsible for the strategic oversight of all major Cathedral matters.

Current Chapter members are:

The Very Reverend Andrew Zihni, Dean of Gloucester

Read more about Dean Andrew above.

Canon Margaret Sheather, Senior Non-Executive Member

Margaret was born in the Isle of Wight and, following a 31 year career in local authority social work in various places, came to Gloucestershire in 2000 to be Director of Social Services. Leaving that role in 2010, she worked freelance for a few years and is now retired.  She has been a Governor at National Star College since 2011 and is now a Trustee there. 

Margaret worships at Holy Trinity, Minchinhampton, and has been involved in the life of the Cathedral since 2009, chairing the Cathedral Council from 2013 and joining the Chapter in 2018.  She is involved in the wider life of the diocese as a Deanery Lay Chair and represents the Diocese on the General Synod.

Canon Nikki Arthy, City Canon & Rector

Canon Nikki Arthy is Rector of Gloucester city and Hempsted. A believer in God and Gloucester, Nikki is known locally as the City Canon further linking the Cathedral with the life of the city. Prior to this role, Nikki worked in a large rural multi parish benefice in the diocese and was an Area Dean.

She is married to Giles, a local GP, and has two sons.

Canon Peter Clark, Lay Canon

Peter was born in the North East and studied Philosophy at Swansea University going on to study and qualify as a Lawyer in Bristol 1986. He has mainly worked as a lawyer in Local Govt, firstly at Avon County Council and then Oxfordshire County Council. His specialist area was Child Care Law advising training and representing Social Workers. He was appointed Head of Legal Services in Oxfordshire in 2002, then County Solicitor in 2005 and later became the Council’s Chief Executive from 2015 until he retired in 2018. During his time at Oxfordshire he was Deputy Chair of the Safeguarding Children Board, sat as an Assistant Coroner in Oxford and also was appointed as a Deputy District Judge for the County Courts of the North East.  

Away from work, Peter is married to Tracy and they have 2 adult children (and recently a lovely grand-daughter). His interests include support for his beloved but beleaguered Hartlepool Utd, Films (especially Foreign Language), Music (a rediscovered love of vinyl) and cooking (including voluntary work at a Community Kitchen). 

Peter has been a Lay Canon at Gloucester Cathedral since 2017.

Canon John Coates, Lay Canon

John, originally from Manchester, worked for Ecclesiastical Insurance for over 30 years. He retired as Director responsible for their Direct business which included the core Church of England business.

He is married to Lis and has two children and 2 grandchildren, a golden retriever and tonkinese cat. He is a keen follower of sports, specifically football where he has supported Manchester United for over 60 years. He now plays golf regularly and is his words 'spasmodically' ! Sailing and water sports also take up his summer time.

John joined Chapter in 2014 with specific responsibility for Visitor Experience and welcome .

Canon Marion David, Lay Canon

Marion is French and has been living in the UK for almost 20 years in good company with her husband Lambert, 2 teenage children Raphael & Emilie and a recently rescued black and white cat called Max who has a bad habit of biting when he doesn't want to be stroked.

When she is not working at Trinity Church in Cheltenham as operations manager, she can be seen cycling around Cheltenham and Gloucester or running through the neighbouring countryside with one of her many Superdry hoodies on, acquired during the time that she led the international customer services team of the fashion retailer.

After successfully leading her church to a Silver EcoChurch Award last spring, Marion is looking forward to taking the Cathedral on its next Eco-Journey level, building on what is already a very firm, and green, foundation. 

The Venerable Hilary Dawson, Archdeacon of Gloucester

Hilary was born and brought up in Devon.  She read theology at St David’s University College Lampeter, and then worked as a teacher for 16 years.  She was Lay Chaplain at Exeter Cathedral School before training for ordination with the South West Ministry Training Course whilst also studying for an MA in Biblical Studies at Exeter University.  Ordained Deacon in 2008 and Priest in 2011, Hilary served in parish ministry  in the Diocese of Exeter and was made a Prebendary of Exeter Cathedral in 2018.  In 2019 she moved to Gloucester to take up her current roles.

Canon Rebecca Lloyd, Canon Chancellor and Director of Learning and Participation

Canon Rebecca was installed as Canon Chancellor and Director of Learning and Participation, and Residentiary Canon of the Cathedral, in October 2022. Prior to this, she was Chaplain to the Bishop of Lichfield and Chancellor’s Vicar at Lichfield to Cathedral. She has also worked in parish ministry in London and, before ordination, she was a Whitehall civil servant.

Rebecca lives in Gloucester with her dog, Tina.

Canon Sandra Millar, Director of Mission & Ministry

Sandra grew up Warwickshire, where her parents ran a village shop. After university in Cardiff and a degree in English and Law she worked in retail marketing for several years, before studying for a PhD in adult learning at University of Warwick. She also worked for a large mission organisation, training children and youth workers here and overseas.

Sandra was ordained in 2000 at St. Alban’s Cathedral, and began ordained ministry in Chipping Barnet, before moving to Berinsfield, Oxford where she was  vicar and part-time staff at Ripon College, Cuddesdon.  

In 2007 she arrived in Gloucester  Diocese to be the  Adviser for work with children and families, before working nationally for the Church of England as Head of Life Events.  In 2022 she returned to the Diocese as Director of Mission and Ministry, and and in March 2023 became a Residentiary Canon at the Cathedral as well.  

Canon Jane MacDowall-Scott, Lay Canon

Jane grew up in Wales before studying to be a Chartered Town Planner at Coventry University. After a decade in planning, she became Assistant Chief Executive of both Stratford-on-Avon and West Oxfordshire District Councils. Jane later established a business specialising in stakeholder engagement and, working with all sectors, facilitated events all over Europe and the UK.

Jane worshipped at Coventry Cathedral from the age of 18 and held the voluntary position of Chapter Clerk before being appointed to be the Administrator (COO) in 2007, a post she held until 2012. She then held senior roles in both Wells Cathedral and Bath Abbey, joining Gloucester Cathedral Chapter as a Lay Canon in December 2022. She is currently the Executive Director of ‘AtaLoss’- a national, Christian bereavement charity.

Jane is a keen gardener and a singer with a long career in church music having sung with many choirs and Cathedrals over the years. She is married to James, a teacher at Chosen Hill School and Director of Music of a large parish church in Cheltenham. They live in Shurdington.

As per the Cathedral’s Measure (1999) The Chapter is advised by:

• The Fabric Advisory Committee, which oversees planning and fabric matters – this is chaired by Steven Blake

• The Finance Committee, which oversees financial and investment strategy. The Annual financial statements can be viewed here:

A number of other boards and committees contribute to the Cathedral’s life and mission.