Appointment of Dean of Exeter: 10 November 2026

The King has formally approved the nomination of The Reverend Arwen Caroline Folkes to serve as Dean of Exeter, succeeding The Very Reverend Jonathan Desmond Francis Greener, who resigned from the position. The appointment follows standard ecclesiastical procedures and reflects the Crown’s role in endorsing senior Church of England appointments. Folkes will take up her new role at Exeter Cathedral in the coming months, pending formal installation ceremonies.

Arwen Caroline Folkes, currently Vicar of St Mary the Virgin, Eastbourne, in the Diocese of Chichester, brings extensive parish and leadership experience to the role. She trained for ministry at Westcott House, Cambridge, and holds a BA (Hons) and MA from Durham University. Her theological formation and academic background align with the requirements for the deanery, which oversees cathedral worship and pastoral care.

Folkes’ ministry has spanned multiple dioceses, beginning with her title post at St Just in Roseland and St Mawes in the Diocese of Truro, where she was ordained priest in 2017. She later served as Rector of St Peter’s East Blatchington and St Andrew’s, Bishopstone, in the Diocese of Chichester from 2019 until 2024, when she became Vicar of St Mary the Virgin, Eastbourne.

The Dean of Exeter holds responsibilities including leading cathedral worship, overseeing pastoral ministry, and supporting the bishop in diocesan leadership. Folkes’ appointment marks a continuation of the cathedral’s tradition of clergy leadership while introducing a new figure to guide its mission and community engagement. The transition period will include handover arrangements to ensure continuity in cathedral operations.