Archdeacon Stephen Forde Appointed New Dean Of Belfast

Archdeacon Stephen Forde has been appointed the new Dean of Belfast.

The appointment was announced by the Board of Nomination of St Anne's Cathedral.

Archdeacon Forde, 55, was born in Banbridge and grew up in Rathfriland, Crossgar and later Belfast. He was ordained a deacon in 1986 and a priest in 1987. He was educated at Campbell College, Belfast; the University of Edinburgh and the Church of Ireland Theological College.

He was a curate assistant at St Mary's Parish, Crumlin Road, Belfast, Diocese of Connor, from 1986-1989 and was Chaplain at Queen's University, Belfast, from 1989 until 1995 when he moved to Dublin Diocese as incumbent of the Grouped Parishes of Booterstown and Mount Merrion.

In 1999 he returned to the Diocese of Connor as rector of the Parishes of Larne and Inver with Glynn and Raloo.

In Larne, Archdeacon Forde saw through the completion of three major building projects, with the total restoration and refurbishment of Glynn Parish Church (1999-2000), and Raloo Parish Church (2005), and a significant extension to Glynn Church in 2012.

The medieval church of St Cedma's, Larne, which dates to 1350, was sensitively adapted to meet disabled access requirements, and the church roofs and tower were repaired earlier this year.  Since 2011 Archdeacon Forde has led a major project to build a new parish hall complex at St Cedma's.

Archdeacon Forde, whose primary degree is in Architecture, has been a member of the Connor Diocesan Architecture and Buildings Committee since 1999. In his ministry he has been chair of Connor Council for Mission, a member of the diocesan Training Council, a Rural Dean, a member of the Church's Advisory Committee on Training and Ministry and he served as Domestic Chaplain to the Bishop of Connor from 1991-1995. He was a Minor Canon of St Anne's Cathedral from 1989 to 1991.

He has led Connor Candidate Priests' Retreat and similar retreats in the dioceses of Connor and Down and Dromore and is a current member of Connor Synod Planning Group.

He said: "My vision is to see the Cathedral as a spiritual centre at the heart of the city, a Cathedral with doors to pass through, not to pass by. It is a Cathedral open to all, for those who are seeking God and faith in the 21st century. Building on the legacy of those who have gone before, the Cathedral will continue to offer prayer, praise and service."

(CD/LM)