THE Revd Canon Dr Jessica Martin will be officially welcomed to the Diocese of
Chelmsford and installed as the next Dean of Chelmsford at a special welcome service
taking place at Chelmsford Cathedral at 3.30pm on Sunday 5 January 2025.
The service, which marks the beginning of Canon Jessica’s new ministry, is an
opportunity to welcome her formally into her new role. The service will be attended by
church leaders and church communities from across Chelmsford Diocese as well as
civic leaders and Jessica’s former colleagues from Ely Diocese.
During the service, Canon Jessica will make her Oaths and Declarations to His Majesty
the King and the Bishop of Chelmsford. She will then be Collated and Inducted, and, as
a symbol of her office, the Venerable Jonathan Croucher, the Archdeacon of
Chelmsford, will place Jessica’s hands on the key to the west door of the Cathedral,
after which she will ring the bell to signify beginning of her ministry to the Cathedral,
City and Diocese. Jessica will also be presented with her Cathedral Cope and
symbolically placed in the Dean’s Stall at the Cathedral.
The Right Reverend Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, the Bishop of Chelmsford, introduced
Canon Jessica as the next Dean of Chelmsford on 28 June 2024 at Chelmsford
Cathedral, where she spent the day meeting people from the Cathedral community, and
from churches across Chelmsford Diocese. Canon Jessica also met local civic leaders
and visited the Chelmsford Cathedral School to meet with pupils and staff.
Canon Jessica is joining us from the Diocese of Ely where she has served as
Residentiary Canon at Ely Cathedral since 2016. During 2024, Jessica has also served
as one of the two theological advisers to the bishops of the Church of England.
Speaking ahead of the service, Bishop Guli said:
“We are very much looking forward to welcoming Jessica to Chelmsford Diocese with
this special service at the Cathedral to mark the beginning of her ministry as the next Dean of Chelmsford.
Please join me in praying for her, and her family, as she prepares to
take up her new ministry alongside the team at the Cathedral and as a member of the
Bishop’s Leadership Team. Jessica’s extensive Cathedral experience together with her
considerable skills and wisdom, will be a great blessing for the whole diocese.”
Looking forward to the welcome service, Canon Jessica said:
“It’s wonderful to be coming to the Diocese and to the Cathedral as the new year begins.
I and my family are so thankful for the prayers and support we are already receiving from
Bishop Guli and others, and both Cathedral and Diocese are regularly in my own
prayers. I am eagerly anticipating working, praying and living in this new and exciting
community as its new Dean. ”
Canon Jessica succeeds the previous Dean of Chelmsford, the Very Rev Nicholas
Henshall, who left post in February 2023, after which the Very Rev Paul Kennington
served as interim Dean until December 2024.
