Our Diocesan Secretary, the Revd Canon David Dadswell, has announced that he will leave the Diocese later this year.
After forty years of ordained ministry, including seven years of service in the Diocese of Lincoln, David will be laying down his responsibilities in our Diocese and Cathedral on the 31 December 2024.
David joined the Diocese in 2017 as a special advisor to the Bishop of Lincoln and brought a wealth of knowledge and experience in strategic roles, chaplaincy and business consultancy. As Diocesan Secretary, David has overseen the strategy and finance of the Diocese, its Trustees and the officers based at Edward King House during a period of significant change and challenge in our common life.
Through the work of Time to Change Together, David has particularly led the development of a lean but well-resourced and effective Parish Support team, providing support, guidance and care to our parishes, congregations and ministers.
Since 2021, David has also served as a Residentiary Canon of Lincoln Cathedral, contributing to the Cathedral’s life of worship, prayer and preaching. He recently took the lead on the growing ‘After Hours’ service, a gentle and reflective time of worship and exploration of sacred space.
The Bishop of Lincoln, the Rt Revd Stephen Conway, paid tribute to David’s ministry, “In his role as Diocesan Secretary, David has combined the pastoral and servant-hearted nature of his priestly ministry with his wealth of experience in management as a senior leader. He has brought the DBF, its Trustees and Staff through a particularly challenging period, including our recovery from the pandemic and the implementation of TTCT. David was instrumental in transforming our central services into a Parish Support team dedicated to equipping frontline ministry. As such, he will be leaving Edward King House with a happy and healthy legacy for the future and I thank him for all that he has done.”
As Diocesan Secretary, David has worked closely with the Chair of the Diocesan Board of Finance, Canon Professor Muriel Robinson, who thanked David for his leadership, “I’m really sad to be writing this, as although I rejoice for David that he is moving to a new phase of life, I shall miss his wisdom and calm manner greatly in my role as Chair of the Board of Finance. David wears his considerable knowledge and wisdom, garnered from his significant international experience as a consultant, very lightly, but behind his modesty lies a great intellect and a shrewd ability to sum up a situation and to see solutions to challenges as well as a genuine concern for staff and their wellbeing. We have been the richer for having him with us and I wish him every happiness in his future ventures.”
Reflecting on his time in the Diocese of Lincoln, David said, “Serving the people and parishes of the diocese of Lincoln for the last seven years has been a tremendous privilege. It has been a period of considerable turbulence and challenge during which I have learned a huge amount from the wisdom and care of the bishops and the faith and imagination of lay and ordained leaders across Greater Lincolnshire and in the cathedral. Above all I have loved working with the talented, joyful team in Edward King House. I wish them especially and the whole diocese every blessing on the continuing adventure of mission, service and sustainability.”
As the diocese now looks to appoint David’s successor, we pray for God’s blessing on this time of discernment, and on David as he looks ahead to a new chapter.
