New Dean

Best wishes and congratulations to the newly-appointed Dean of Belfast, the Very Reverend John Mann, who succeeds the Rev Houston McKelvey, who retired as Dean at the end of March.

The new Dean, 56, was born at Blackheath, London. He was ordained a deacon in 1979 and a priest in 1981. He was educated at Clark’s College, Romford, Essex; the Royal Liberty School, Romford; Queen’s University, Belfast, and the Church of Ireland Theological College.

He is married to Helen, a Practice Nurse, and the couple have a daughter, Rowan and a son, David.

the Dean was curate assistant at Cloughfern Parish, Diocese of Connor, from 1979-1982 and at Knock Parish, Diocese of Down, from 1982-1985. In 1985 he was appointed rector of the grouped parishes of Ballyrashane and Kildollagh, Diocese of Connor, where he remained until 1989 when he went to the Diocese of Winchester as rector of the Parishes of Bentworth, Shalden and Lasham.

In 1993 he returned to Connor and the Parish of Cloughfern as rector, and in 2002 he moved to Malone.

In his ministry, the Dean has been a rural Dean of Alton (Winchester); a chaplain to Whiteabbey Hospital; a tutor for the lay reader course in South Connor and General Secretary of the Church of Ireland Men’s Society.

He has been Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of Connor since 1994, and Director of Continuing Ministerial Education in Connor Diocese since 2001.

In 1999 he was installed a Prebendary of Clonmethan in the National Cathedral of St Patrick’s, Dublin, representing Connor Diocese.

The Dean has been speaker at a number of retreats, quiet days and clergy conferences. He has led pilgrimages to the Holy Land, most recently taking a large group from Connor Diocese in March this year, as well as to Oberammagau and Iona.

The new Dean has an interest in music, and for pleasure and relaxation plays the violin and piano and enjoys singing, playing tennis, walking, studying natural history and gardening.