York Minster Residentiary Canons background material
Introduction
York Minster is one of the country’s great cathedrals. Based at the heart of the city the Minster has a large
and growing congregation and plays a critical role in the Christian and cultural community in Yorkshire. It has
the potential to contribute significantly to the life of the national church as well as to the life of York and
North and East Yorkshire.
Following the appointment of Canon Jonathan Draper as Dean of Exeter and Canon Glyn Webster as Bishop
of Beverley and the arrival of the Very Revd Vivienne Faull as Dean, the Archbishop of York, in consultation
with the Chapter, is seeking to appoint two Residentiary Canons. The post of Chapter Steward is also being
advertised and there is an opportunity, rare in cathedral life, for existing and incoming senior staff to work
together to develop a new senior team at the Minster. Chapter has decided to advertise and to interview for
both Residentiary posts simultaneously. The timetable for refurbishment of our housing stock means that we
look to welcome and install one Residentiary in early and one in late summer.
The Chapter’s existing Vision / Mission Statement provides the foundation for the new team’s strategic
thinking and detailed planning.
York Minster is a Church of England cathedral that seeks to serve the mission of God in the Diocese and Province of
York.
York Minster exists for the glory of God and as a sign of God’s Kingdom in the world. This mission is expressed
through:
 daily worship and prayer;
 welcome and pastoral care;
 education and learning;
 service to the community.
In order to fulfil that mission we commit ourselves to:
 Provide patterns of worship and music appropriate to our setting and to the needs of those we serve
 Welcome in Christ’s name all who come here to take part in Christian worship, or who visit as pilgrims,
tourists or to attend events
 Work with the Archbishop of York in the mission of the church in the City, Diocese and Province
 Work with other Christian churches to promote the unity of the church
 Develop educational resources and programmes to enable people to learn about and grow in the Christian
faith
 Maintain and develop the heritage of the Minster, its surroundings and its environment as a witness to the
Christian faith and as a resource for both church and community.
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The Diocese of York
The Diocese of York – founded in 627AD – is
geographically one of the largest in the Church of
England. It has been the centre for Christianity in
the North of England since then and it retains that
role today. It includes the Unitary Authority of
York, the East Riding of Yorkshire (apart from a
small area in the south west corner which is part
of the Diocese of Sheffield), the major urban area
of Kingston-upon-Hull, Redcar and Cleveland, the
urban area of Middlesbrough, the eastern half of
North Yorkshire, and a small part of Leeds.
Roughly this is an area bounded by the Tees in the
north, the A1 on the west, the Humber on the
south and the North Sea on the east. It covers an
area of about 2,661 square miles and includes the
whole of the North York Moors.
The Diocese has a population of about 1.5 million and is divided into
263 benefices made up of 454 parishes and 610 churches. There are
just over 200 full time stipendiary clergy. The Diocese is divided into
three Archdeaconries: Cleveland covering the northern part of the
Diocese and led by the Bishop of Whitby and the Archdeacon of
Cleveland; the East Riding, covering the eastern side of the Diocese
and half of the south and led by the Bishop of Hull and the
Archdeacon of the East Riding, and the York Archdeaconry covering
the western and part of the southern side of the Diocese and led by
the Bishop of Selby and the Archdeacon of York. The Diocese and
Province is also served by the Bishop of Beverley who is the Provincial
Episcopal Visitor.
The Province of York
As well as being the Cathedral Church for the Diocese of York, York Minster
is the Metropolitical Church for the Northern Province. It is used to hold the
Court for Confirmations of Election of Diocesan Bishops for and all episcopal
consecrations in the Northern Province.
York Minster is important to the Archbishop of York as a spiritual home and
as a platform for his ministry within the Province and Nation as well as the
Diocese. The Archbishop of York’s provincial role means that York Minster
is used for a wide variety of services and events, including all the episcopal
consecrations and the Confirmations of Election of Diocesan Bishops in the
Province in the North. The Minster is often the place to which groups and
organisation from all over the north of England look at times of celebration
or sadness.
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The City of York
The Minster enjoys a fruitful and positive relationship with the City of York. York is a significant tourist
venue and draws people from all over the world. The Minster plays an important part in the tourist industry,
and benefits greatly from it. Possibilities for wider partnership are being be explored. In addition, York has
two universities, both of which have global reach. Although the University of York is a non-aligned secular
foundation, links with the Minster are highly valued by both parties. York St John University is a church
foundation and a partner in the Ebor Lectures – a public lecture series overseen by the Canon Chancellor;
an important contributor to public theological debate in the City and region. The visibility of the Minster
gives it significant impact on local life, and while the memory (and in many cases practice) of Christian faith is
strong, many of those who come to the Minster to visit, or for worship, would not identify as Christian.
Worship
York Minster sustains a rich pattern of worship which serves the resident Foundation, the Minster
Community, the Diocese of York, the Northern Province and a vast number of visitors. The Minster is
above all else a house of prayer.
The Minster’s worship centres on the daily celebration of the Offices and Eucharist and follows this pattern:
Sundays
8.00 Holy Communion (BCP)
10.00 Sung Eucharist (Common Worship: Order One)
11.30 Choral Matins (BCP)
[Solemn Eucharist (BCP) on the first Sunday of the month]
4.00 Choral Evensong (BCP)
Weekdays
7.30
7.45
12.30
5.15
Morning Prayer (Common Worship)
Holy Communion (Common Worship: Order One)
Holy Communion (Common Worship: Order One) (BCP on Wednesday)
Choral Evensong (BCP)*+
* usually Evening Prayer on Monday
+ Solemn Eucharist on principal Holy Days
Full details of worship may be found on the Minster website.
Choral Evensong, sung by the Minster Choir from Tuesday to Sunday, attracts large congregations (150 –
450 daily) of regular worshippers and visitors.
Minster worship is broadly in the central tradition of the Church of England. Incense is used at the Eucharist
on principal feasts and holy days and at Evensong on Festivals. The Common Worship Calendar and
Lectionaries (including the Pillar Lectionary for Evensong) are used at all services except the 8.00 Sunday
Eucharist.
The Minster Choir is central to worship and in recent years musical standards have risen to place the choir
on a level with the best in the land. The choir comprises 20 boy choristers and 20 girl choristers, and 12
adult male singers: a mixture of ‘songmen’ (older professional singers) and choral scholars (undergraduates at
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the University of York). The choristers are all educated at the Minster School, an independent coeducational day school, where they receive significant scholarships.
In addition to the 28 statutory services each week, the Minster hosts a wide variety and growing number of
‘special services’. All episcopal consecrations for the Northern Province take place in York Minster, and the
Archbishop (in his capacity as Diocesan) ordains all deacons and priests and licenses all Readers at the
Minster. In December, there is a succession of Carol Services for local organisations and schools. The
Minster enjoys excellent relationships with the Armed Forces and a growing number of services for military
personnel from across the north of England take place here.
The growth in regular congregations in recent years has led to an increasing number of baptisms and pastoral
offices. A collaborative venture with the Visions community in York led a few years ago to Transcendence, an
occasional service in the alternative worship tradition. In addition, there are constant requests to hold
celebratory, commemorative and memorial acts of worship throughout the year. The Minster is committed
to responding to these requests positively, seeing its flourishing liturgical ministry as part of a broader
commitment to the Minster being a place of welcome, openness and generosity.
York Minster: A brief history
The first Minster: 7th to 11th Centuries
York's first Minster was built for the baptism of the Anglo
Saxon King, Edwin of Northumbria. Edwin was christened in
a small wooden church that had been built for the occasion,
this event occurred on Easter Sunday in the year 627.
Almost immediately Edwin ordered that this small wooden
church should be rebuilt in stone. Edwin was killed in battle
in 633 and the task of completing the stone Minster fell to
Oswald.
This small stone church built on the same site as the original wooden one was enlarged over time. It
survived through the Viking age in York but was badly damaged by fire in the year 1069 when the
Normans finally took control of the city of York. While we know something of the history of these
early versions of York Minster, to date no archaeological evidence of them has been uncovered.
The Norman Minster: 1100-1220
Once the invading Normans had taken control of the city a decision was taken to build a new Minster
on a fresh site to replace the old fire damaged Saxon Minster. Around the year 1080 Thomas of Bayeux
became Archbishop and started building a cathedral that in time grew into the Minster we have today.
This vast Norman church was completed around the 1100, and the base of some of its distinctive
columns can be seen today in the Undercroft. During the mid 12th century the Norman church was
enlarged at both East and West; this may have been due to fire damage sustained in 1137, but this now
seems unlikely.
Today's Minster: from 1220 into the future
In 1215 Walter de Gray became archbishop and he was to serve the cathedral for 40 years. It was
Archbishop Walter who started to transform the Norman Church in to the Minster we have today.
Firstly the South and North transepts were built, Walter died before they were completed. In 1291
work began on the Nave (western end) this was completed by around 1360. Work then transferred to
the East end with the building of the Lady Chapel and then the Quire this was completed by around
1405. In 1407 the central tower collapsed and work on its replacement was not finished until 1433.
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Between 1433 and 1472 the Western towers were added and the Minster finally completed. The
Minster that we know today had taken about 250 years to build.
Heritage and challenge
From 1472 until 1829 the fabric of the building changed very little although there were big changes to
the way in which worship in the Minster was carried out. In February 1829 Jonathan Martin deliberately
started a fire in the Quire. This act of arson resulted in the destruction of the entire east end roof and
timber vault and all the wooden furniture of the Quire. Just 11 years later a second, accidental, fire
destroyed the Nave roof and vault.
In the twentieth century two major events affected the building. Between 1967 and 1972 major work
was undertaken to stop the Central tower collapsing. This involved close co-operation between
engineers and archaeologists, but no trace of the Saxon Minster was uncovered.
On the 9th of July 1984 fire broke out in the South Transept after the Minster had been hit by lightning.
The damage resulting from 3 hours of fire took some 4 years to fully repair and restore.
York Minster Revealed
Work to maintain and restore this ancient building is constant. In time for the
Millennium, major work was undertaken on the West Front of the Minster,
including a new set of carvings around the Great West Doors. Today, the York
Minster Revealed project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, is improving
access to the Minster, revealing more of its story and history to those who visit,
and as its centre-piece restore the Apocalypse section of the Great East Window,
the world's largest single expanse of medieval stained glass.
Organisation, Management and Governance
York Minster is a large complex organization, with almost 200 paid employees, and around 500 volunteers;
its structures of governance and management reflect that. ‘The Foundation’ consists of the Cathedral
Council, the College of Canons and the Chapter. Day-to-day management of the Minster takes place through
Chapter and its officers and employees; governance of the Minster takes place through Chapter working
closely together with the Cathedral Council and the College of Canons. A brief description of the role and
functions of the Council and the College (together with a brief note about the Minster Community
Committee) follows in this section.
Current changes in the senior team gives the opportunity to look afresh at the requirements for the roles of
Chapter members and to consider executive and governance structures. As with many cathedrals, the
Minster has complex and competing demands and the Chapter faces similar challenges in relation to where
they place their energy and time.
Within this structure the Dean has traditionally taken a particular role in the oversight of the Minster’s
Communications, administration, finance and fund-raising and external relations along with being Chair of the
Chapter and the College of Canons; a Lay Chair is appointed by the Archbishop to lead the Council.
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Chapter at present comprises:
 The Very Revd Vivienne Faull (Dean - since December 2012)
 The Revd Canon Peter Moger (Precentor - Residentiary since 2010)
 The Ven Richard Seed (Archdeacon Emeritus of York - Residentiary since 2011)
 Canon Dr Andrew Green (Treasurer; Company Director - Lay Canon since 2008)
 Canon Dr Julia Winkley (Hospital Doctor specialising in cancer care - Lay Canon since 2011)
 Residentiary Canon (vacancy)
 Residentiary Canon (vacancy)
 Lay Canon – vacancy
The Cathedrals Measure (1999) also makes provision for the appointment of a senior lay administrator (in
York called The Chapter Steward). The Chapter Steward attends Chapter and has leading role in the
administrative, financial and commercial activities of the Minster. We hope a new appointee will be in place
by summer 2013.
Chapter meets monthly apart from August and additionally as and when necessary.
The Chapter of York Minster is also the corporate Trustee of the St William’s
College Trust. St William’s College is a significant late 15th century building
which functions as a banqueting and meeting centre.
Various Chapter members are part of the other elements of the Cathedral
Foundation and the Minster Community Committee (the current membership
for Council, College and Committee can be found on the Minster’s website).
The constitutional basis for the Cathedral Council and the College of Canons,
and the basis for the Minster Community Committee follow.
The Cathedral Council (from the Constitution)
A. There shall be a Council, whose duty shall be to further and support the mission and the work of the
Cathedral Church, reviewing and advising upon the direction and oversight of that work by the Chapter, and
in particular without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, to:
(i) consider proposals submitted by the Chapter in connection with the general direction and mission of the
Cathedral Church and to give advice on them to the Chapter; (ii) receive and consider the annual budget of
the Cathedral Church; (iii) receive and consider the annual report and audited accounts of the Cathedral
Church; (iv) consider proposals submitted by the Chapter in connection with the Constitution and Statutes
of the Cathedral Church, with a view to their revision under Part II of the Measure.
B. The Archbishop shall have the right to be present and to speak, but not vote, at any meeting of the
Council.
The College of Canons (from the Constitution)
A. There shall be a College of Canons consisting of: (i) the Dean who shall be the President; (ii) every Bishop
Suffragan; (iii) every full-time stipendiary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese; (iv) every Canon of York; (v) every
Archdeacon in the Diocese.
B. In the event of a vacancy in the See, the College of Canons shall be summoned by the Dean to meet, and
on receiving from Her Majesty a licence under the Great Seal with a Letter Missive as provided by the
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Appointment of Bishops Act, 1533, shall proceed to the election of an Archbishop in the manner laid down
by law.
C. The College of Canons shall: (i) receive and consider the annual report and audited accounts of the
Cathedral Church; and (ii) discuss such matters concerning the Cathedral Church as may be raised by any
of its members.
The Minster Community Committee
The Community Committee is the elected group who represent the views of the Minster community to the
Dean and Chapter and the wider community. The committee was established following the Cathedrals
Measure and the new committee was elected in the spring of 2011 for a period of three years. The
committee consists of 15 elected members from the Minster Community Roll, four of whom are elected lay
members on the Cathedral Council and three are elected lay representatives on the York Deanery Synod.
Other members include two of the Canons and the Dean.
York Minster Revealed
York Minster Revealed (YMR) is probably the most significant, and
certainly the most costly and ambitious project undertaken in York
Minster for many generations. Its governance is complex, its funding is a
challenge, and its legacy will be enormous.
Fundamentally the YMR project is about a number of main things:



The conservation and restoration of the stonework of the East End
of the Minster
 The conservation and restoration of the Apocalypse part of the
Great East Window (about 60% of the window)
 New facilities for visitors and staff in the Chapter House Yard
building
 New access arrangements for entry to the Minster, including a new
public space off the South Transept, and new access arrangements,
including a lift, into and around the Undercroft museum in the
Minster
 New ticketing provision at the West End of the Minster
A revision and development of the Minster educational provision
Renewed interpretation throughout the Undercroft and Minster including a high-specification
temporary exhibition in the chapels of the east end.
The main funding partner for the YMR project is the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
The YMR Project Director (Mark Hosea) has been in post for 15 months (as at
01.01.13) and has responsibility for co-ordinating the operational aspects of the
project and as the main point of liaison for the Chapter, YMF, HLF, staff and
contractors.
The YMR project promises a tremendous legacy for York Minster and promises huge and exciting
opportunities for the Minster in the future. The challenge now facing Chapter is how to build on YMR and
develop the mission of the Minster beyond the end of the project in 2016
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Chapter is now seeking to appoint
 A Canon Chancellor who, on behalf of Chapter, will lead the Minster’s work of public theology,
theological reflection and of Christian education, particularly building on the work of YMR.
 A Canon Pastor who, on behalf of Chapter, will work to build up the life and confidence of the
Cathedral Community, oversee the Minster’s work with visitors, be chaplain to the Minster School
and be the ‘first responder’ for pastoral ministry
Chapter sees both these posts in a missiological context as the Minster seeks, through its worship and
witness, to communicate the good news of Christ.
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