A month ago, Rev Canon Dr Andrew Braddock was revealed as the new Dean of Norwich Anglican Cathedral. Speaking exclusively to Network Norfolk, he said he wants an outward focused Cathedral community. Keith Morris reports.
“The Cathedral is a place of welcome and hospitality so that all those who come can discover something of the mystery and the beauty and love of God in Jesus Christ. This is complemented by us looking outwards, working in partnership with other churches and other community groups and other faiths and so on to make a difference and work for the common good,” said Canon Andrew.
“It really is putting into practice Jesus’ command to love God and love your neighbour as yourself and what does that look like in Norwich at the start of the 21st century.
“I am looking forward, when I arrive in January, to learning about all the partnerships and networking that are already happening and to making those relationships for myself with other local community and faith and church leaders and discovering together what is God calling us to do and be in times such as these.
“We know about the cost of living crisis, the climate crisis and all those challenges our communities are facing, so how together as God’s children is God calling us to love and serve the communities in which we are set. I am really looking to work with others to see how we can play our part as part of that building on what the cathedral is already doing.”
In his current role in Gloucester, Canon Andrew is putting his words into practice.
“I am personally involved in being a trustee for a Christian counselling service, listening post, for those who could not otherwise afford it making a real difference in people’s lives.
“I have also been involved with our local credit unions – dealing with financial exclusion and most recently, this year, I have been asked to chair the city centre commission in Gloucester, working with a whole range of different stakeholders and partners to help come to a common vision as to what the city of Gloucester aspires to be in the future.
“I have a personal commitment to working with others and I look forward to see what opportunities there will be in Norwich. I know that there is already a lot going one and it is important to come and to listen and to learn and to discern what might be the new things as well as those to continue to be involved with and to encourage the team here to continue to develop.”
So what does Canon Andrew think about bring dinosaurs and helter-skelter rides into the Cathedral?
“What I love about Norwich Cathedral is that it is not afraid to try something different,” he said. “It recognises that many thousands of worshippers and visitors and pilgrims come her every year, but there are still many people in the city and county that have not come in, to discover that it is their cathedral as well. Absolutely the right spirit.
“Why be afraid to try something different, never for the sake of novelty but because we want people to come here to encounter something of the love and the beauty and the presence of God because, at the end of the day, this is a place of worship and prayer that speaks of God’s love in Christ.
“There may be different ways to get people to engage with us and going out to engage with others but it comes back to that call to love God and to love our neighbours as ourselves and enable people to follow the way of Christ.”
Read our previous article on this subject.
Pictured above is Canon Andrew Braddock outside Norwich Cathedral. Picture by Bill Smith.
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