Speech by Dean Bob

My dear friends, what a profound gift it is to gather with you today on the Feast of Holy Cross. As we celebrate this ancient feast that proclaims victory through sacrifice, hope through suffering, and life through death, we embark together on a journey that mirrors these very themes—a journey of discernment, transformation, and renewed hope for Guildford Cathedral.

The timing is no coincidence. Today we launch our vision and strategy consultation under the shadow of the Cross, that great symbol of God's love poured out for the world. And we will conclude this process in Eastertide—the season of resurrection, new life, and boundless hope. From Cross to Resurrection, from listening to launching, from discernment to declaration—this is the arc of our journey together.

Before we look ahead, let me pause to look around and back. In my time here as your Dean, I have been profoundly moved by what I have witnessed in this place and among you all.

I have seen the beauty of our worship—music that truly lifts the soul, preaching that feeds both heart and mind, and a sacramental life that mediates grace. I have watched visitors from around the world enter our doors as strangers and leave as friends, touched by the warmth of your welcome and the beauty of this sacred space.

I have witnessed your generosity—the generosity of spirit that volunteers demonstrate week after week, the generosity of heart that welcomes those in need, and the generosity of the hope in a future vision that dares to dream of what God might do through us.

I have been moved by your faithfulness through challenges, and your commitment to being not just a beautiful building but a living community of faith. You have taught me that a cathedral is not made of stone and brick, but of prayers and people, of worship and witness, of tradition and transformation.

This joy I have experienced here is not just personal—it is prophetic. It points to what God has in store for us in the years ahead.

Before we explore the foundations of our work ahead, I want to emphasise something vital: this entire process will be bathed in prayer from beginning to end. We are not embarking on a merely administrative exercise or strategic planning in our own wisdom, but seeking to discern God's will for this place and this people.

Prayer is not an add-on to our process—it is the atmosphere in which we will work, the foundation upon which we will build, and the means by which we will discern the Spirit's leading. From our Steering Group meetings to our consultation sessions, from our financial planning to our vision articulation, prayer will be woven through every step. You are part of that process.

To ensure that our community is truly supporting this work through intercession, we are forming a dedicated prayer group for the vision and strategy process. Marion Roberts has kindly agreed to coordinate this vital ministry. If you feel called to be part of this prayer fellowship—whether praying individually or gathering with others—please do speak with Marion. There is no more important contribution you could make to this process than faithful, persistent prayer.

As the Psalmist reminds us: "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain." We want the Lord to build this vision with us, and that happens through prayer.

Before we explore the exciting vision for the future, I need to speak with complete honesty about our present financial reality. This is difficult to share, but transparency and trust demand that I do so.

I know that in the past, we have spoken about financial challenges and asked for your support, and yet here we find ourselves once again in a hugely precarious position. I can only apologise for that, and I understand if some of you feel frustrated or weary of hearing about financial difficulties.

But this time is different. This time, our reserves have almost run out. This is not another appeal where we're asking for help to make things easier—this is a stark reality where, without significant financial intervention, the cathedral may not be able to continue in its present form. That is how serious our situation has become.

I am not crying wolf. This is desperate. When I arrived as your Dean, I inherited an annual structural deficit of approximately £200,000 per year. We have been working incredibly hard to eradicate this deficit, but transformation of this magnitude takes time. Our vision and strategy process is designed to address these fundamental issues, and we will set a balanced budget as part of this work by the end of 2027. We are introducing robust measures of financial probity to address this.

However, vision and strategy need time to work through, and time is precisely what we lack. Without raising £2-300,000 soon, we will not be able to continue in the way that we do now after the middle of next year. I know that might sound like it's a way off, but in financial planning terms, it is very, very soon.

My friends, we will need your help when we launch a major appeal. Not just your prayers, though they are vital. Not just your participation in our consultation, though that is essential. We will need your financial support to bridge the gap between where we are now and where our new strategy will take us.

This is the context in which we undertake our vision and strategy work—not from a position of comfortable planning, but from an urgent need to secure the future of this place we all love. The stakes could not be higher, but neither could the potential for transformation. This is an issue which will not go away, and which needs to be remedied by all of us; we cannot carry on as we are. In the coming weeks more said about this, and the plans to deal with it, but today there needs to be a focus on the wonderful opportunities we have through our vision and strategy going forward.

As we launch this vision and strategy process, we begin where we must always begin—with Jesus Christ. In the words of Paul to the Colossians, "in him all things hold together" and "in everything he might have the supremacy."

This is not merely theological rhetoric. It is the practical foundation for everything we will discern together. Every decision we make, every priority we set, every pound we spend, every programme we develop—all must flow from our commitment to Christ and our desire to see His love, His justice, His mercy, and His hope proclaimed and lived out in this place.

When Christ is at the centre, we are not merely preserving an institution—we are participating in the mission of God. We are not simply maintaining a building—we are building up the body of Christ. We are not just planning for sustainability—we are planting seeds of eternal significance.

The journey we begin today mirrors the great arc of salvation itself. We start on the Feast of Holy Cross, acknowledging honestly where we are—the challenges we face, the changes in our context, the need for renewal and transformation. Like the disciples at the foot of the cross, we may feel uncertain about the future, but we do not despair.

Through the autumn and winter months, we will enter our own season of patient waiting and careful listening. We will gather your voices, your hopes, your concerns, and your dreams. We will pray together, reflect together, and discern together what God is calling us to be and to do.

And then, in Eastertide 2026, we will celebrate the resurrection of our shared vision. We will launch a strategy that emerges not from human wisdom alone, but from the Spirit speaking through the whole people of God. We will step into the future with hope because our hope is grounded not in our own strength, but in the power of the risen Christ.

As we have begun our reflection, eight key areas have emerged as focal points for our future—eight pillars upon which we will build our shared vision:

1. Mission and Outreach: A Sending and Welcoming Hub We will be a place where the gospel is clearly proclaimed and joyfully lived. Our doors will be wide open to the spiritually curious, the seeking, and the searching. We will embrace new ways of reaching people, including digital ministry, while maintaining the timeless truth of Christ's love for all.

2. Beautiful Liturgy: Excellence in Worship Our worship will continue to be a foretaste of heaven—music that stirs the soul, preaching that challenges and comforts, sacraments that mediate God's grace. We will create liturgy that is both deeply rooted in Anglican tradition and genuinely accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds.

3. Mother Church: Serving the Whole Diocese We will embrace our calling as the diocesan cathedral with joy and humility, providing a spiritual home for clergy and lay ministers, hosting diocesan celebrations with warmth and dignity, and pioneering new initiatives in theology, arts, and reconciliation.

4. Financial Stewardship: Faithful and Sustainable We will achieve financial stability not as an end in itself, but as a means to sustainable mission. Through imaginative fundraising, wise stewardship, and diversified income streams, we will reach our goal of a balanced budget by 2028 while maintaining gospel values in all our financial decisions.

5. Congregational Growth: Deep Community We seek growth that is both spiritual and numerical, rooted in authentic community where people are known, loved, and empowered to serve. Through enhanced hospitality, small groups, and formation programmes, we will create a culture where everyone can find their place and calling.

6. Young People's Ministry: The Future of Faith Following Jesus' example of welcoming children, we will develop robust ministries that don't just serve young people but empower them to shape cathedral life. We will build strong links with schools and universities, mentor young leaders, and ensure our community truly reflects all generations.

7. Diocesan Partnerships: Stronger Together We will strengthen our relationships with parishes across the Diocese, supporting them in evangelism and discipleship while serving as a centre for training, mutual support, and shared mission. We are stronger together than we are apart.

8. Lifelong Learning: Growing in Faith We will create a culture that prioritises learning, reflection, and spiritual maturity through regular teaching, study groups, theological forums, and retreat opportunities. Our discipleship will be intergenerational, intercultural, and inspiring.

Now here's the crucial truth: this vision belongs to all of us. Over the coming weeks and months, we will be asking for your voice to be heard. This is not a token consultation—your insights, experiences, and hopes are essential to this process.

Whether you're a long-standing member or a recent arrival, whether you're on staff or a volunteer, whether you attend every week or occasionally—your perspective matters. The Spirit speaks through the whole people of God, and we are committed to listening carefully to what the Spirit is saying through you.

Today we launch the listening phase. In the coming weeks, you'll receive invitations to participate in various ways. These invitations will come in multiple formats to ensure everyone can participate in the way that works best for them. Questionnaires will be available on our website, sent via email, and provided in paper copy for those who prefer that format. We are also reaching out beyond our immediate cathedral community to survey and listen to external stakeholders—local community leaders, partner organisations, and others whose perspectives will enrich our understanding of how we can better serve God's mission in this place. Please be assured that all responses, whether from within our community or beyond it, will be carefully listened to and faithfully prayed over as we seek to discern God's will for our future together. I encourage you to engage wholeheartedly, bringing not just your ideas but your prayers, your wisdom, and your passion for the mission of this cathedral.

As we begin this journey, let me share with you why I am filled with hope for what lies ahead.

I am hopeful because I have seen what God has already done in and through this community. The faithfulness you have shown, the love you have demonstrated, the creativity you have displayed—these are signs of God's blessing and harbingers of greater things to come.

I am hopeful because this process is grounded in prayer and theological reflection. We are not embarking on a merely human enterprise but seeking to discern God's will and follow the Spirit's leading. When we align our plans with God's purposes, we can expect God's blessing.

I am hopeful because of the timing itself. From Holy Cross to Easter, from autumn through winter to spring—this natural rhythm reflects the biblical pattern of death and resurrection, of apparent endings that become new beginnings. What we launch today will culminate in Eastertide, and there is no season more filled with hope than the season of resurrection.

Most of all, I am hopeful because of you. The people of this cathedral community have shown time and again that when called to rise to a challenge, when invited to dream boldly, when asked to give generously of time, talent, and treasure—you respond with faith and courage.

As we conclude, I want to issue four invitations:

First, I invite you to pray. Pray for this process, for our Steering Group, for all who will participate in the consultation. Pray that we might have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to us. Pray for wisdom, discernment, and unity as we journey together.

Second, I invite you to participate. When the surveys come, fill them out thoughtfully. When interviews are offered, say yes. When group sessions are scheduled, attend if you possibly can. This is your cathedral, your vision, your strategy. Make your voice heard.

Third, I invite you to help financially. This means when we speak about funding in the days to come, then it is heard in grace and responded to in generosity. Please do think and pray how you can help, without you the cathedral cannot carry on in its present form.

Fourth, I invite you to hope. Not the shallow optimism that ignores challenges, but the deep Christian hope that believes God has good plans for us—plans to prosper and not to harm, plans to give us a future and a hope.

My dear friends, as we gather today in the shadow of the Cross, we do so knowing that the cross casts no shadow that is not overcome by the light of resurrection. The challenges we face are real, but so is our God who calls us forward into a future filled with possibility.

Together, guided by the Spirit and grounded in prayer, we will discern God's vision for Guildford Cathedral. Together we will develop a strategy that is both faithful to Christ's calling and sustainable for the future. Together we will be a beacon of God's love in our community and beyond.

The journey begins today. The destination is Eastertide. The guide is the Holy Spirit. The goal is God's glory.

Are we ready to walk this path together? My prayer is that we are.