The Very Revd Dr Simon Jones will be installed as the 85th Dean of Lincoln at a service in Lincoln Cathedral on Saturday 14 September 2024.
Simon was Interim Dean of Lincoln from March to December 2023, and returns to the city from Merton College, Oxford where he has served as Chaplain and Fellow since 2002. As well as having responsibility for the day-to-day life of the Chapel, Simon was involved in other aspects of the College’s life, including establishing and leading its welfare team.
The Installation service will begin with the new Dean being escorted into the Cathedral by Professor Jennifer Payne, the Warden of Merton College, The Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft, Bishop of Oxford, and Ruth Brewin, who chaired the appointment panel. During the ceremony, official letters from King Charles III will be read, Simon will be placed in his stall in St Hugh’s Choir and will take his place in the College of Canons. As well as these historic practices, the service will be a joyful occasion, welcoming Simon into his new ministry. The music at the service will be sung by the Choirs of Lincoln Cathedral and Merton College, Oxford, and will include a new piece by Gabriel Jackson, written in celebration of Simon’s twenty-two years as Chaplain of Merton, and a motet by William Byrd, who was Organist and Master of the Choristers of Lincoln Cathedral from 1563-1572.
Simon has moved to Lincoln with his partner, Canon Darren McFarland, who served as Vicar of St Andrew’s, Headington, Oxford, from 2011 until this year, and will become Interim Priest of St Mary and St Nicolas, Spalding on 1 October.
Speaking ahead of his installation, Simon said, “It’s a great privilege and joy to be returning to Lincoln as Dean. My time here last year was hugely formative. During those nine months I grew to love this wonderful city, county and, not least, the Cathedral.
“This massive medieval building is a great landmark, but it’s also a beacon of hope, and a sign of God’s presence in the world. As Dean, my task is to open our doors as widely as possible, to encourage more and more people to see Lincoln Cathedral as their cathedral, knowing that whatever their reason for coming here, they are always welcome.
“I’m enormously grateful to those who have offered such a warm welcome to Darren and me since we moved here last month. I don’t underestimate the size of the task that lies ahead, but am greatly looking forward to working alongside Bishop Stephen, as well as colleagues and volunteers at the Cathedral, as together we build on the foundations laid by previous generations and seek God’s guidance for the future.”
The Right Revd Stephen Conway, Bishop of Lincoln, said that he was delighted to be welcoming Simon to Lincoln as the next Dean. “Simon made a wonderful contribution to the ministry and witness of the Cathedral during his tenure as Interim Dean. Now we are looking forward to a new chapter in the Cathedral’s life under Simon’s wise leadership and gentle guidance.
“We are indebted to the Revd Canon Nick Brown who has been the Interim Dean for these past nine months, alongside his existing roles at the Cathedral. I am hugely thankful to Nick, and to all those who in different ways have enabled the Cathedral to flourish during this time of vacancy.
“As Dean, Simon will also be the senior priest of the Diocese, and so I am excited to be working with him, as we seek to further the work of God’s kingdom, not only in the City of Lincoln, but also across Greater Lincolnshire. I pray now for God’s blessing on Simon and Darren in their new life and home, and on our Cathedral and Diocese in our shared endeavours.”
All are welcome to attend the service which will begin at 3pm. It will also be livestreamed on the Cathedral’s YouTube channel.
