Canon Tim, Canon for Congregational Nurture and Discipleship
Canon Tim works to nurture our community, helping to ensure the Minster lives out its core purpose as a cathedral church.

Want to get involved? A great place to start is by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, sent every Friday; by talking to members of our Community Matters Forum, who help guide and represent our community; or talking to Canon Tim, Canon for Congregational Nurture and Discipleship. Details can be found below.

To comply with the governance regime introduced by the 2021 Cathedrals Measure, we closed our old Community Roll in January 2023 and replaced it with a new Worshipping Community Roll.  Everyone who is (1) baptised and aged 16 or over, and (2) has attended Minster services regularly for 6 months is eligible to join the new Roll (and ‘attend’ in this context can include joining the Minster’s services via our live-stream facility).

Names are not automatically transferred onto the new Worshipping Community Roll from our former Roll – a new application form must be completed.  Printed application forms are available from the Vestry and can also be downloaded via the link below.

The Worshipping Community Roll is primarily an electoral register – we hold elections of lay people to represent us on the York Deanery Synod every three years – the next Deanery Synod election will be held in 2026.

The governance reforms introduced by the 2021 Cathedrals Measure also require Chapter to review the role and membership of the representative groups through which we consult members of our Community and involve them in our engagement work and wider ministry.  We have created a new group charged with building up the worshipping community at York called the Community Matters Forum. Elections to the Forum will be held every three years, starting in September 2024. The Forum’s Terms of Reference are available HERE.

For more information about our Worshipping Community Roll please contact Andy Oates, Chapter Clerk, at 8-9 Minster Yard, York, YO1 7HH (email chapterclerk@yorkminster.org or direct line 01904 557210).

The Forum’s primary purpose is to build up the community of York Minster both numerically and as disciples of Jesus Christ, to be more fully the Body of Christ in serving all who worship and visit the Minster, supporting the residentiary clergy in delivering our ministry and mission to the city, diocese and Northern Province.  The Forum’s Terms of Reference are available HERE.

As we begin this new and exciting chapter in the life of the community, we commit ourselves to the ambitious aims of the Forum’s Terms of Reference:

1.  To represent the views of Minster worshippers on matters concerning the Minster and the life of its community to Chapter via the Residentiary Chapter Canon nominated for that purpose by Chapter, who will act as a Co-Chair of the Forum, and as a member of Chapter’s Senior Executive Team and as an Executive Chapter Trustee.

2.  To support the Minster’s residentiary clergy in the mission and ministry of York Minster.

3.  To represent the values, strategic direction and policy decisions of Chapter to Minster worshippers.

4.  To engage Minster worshippers in such activities as its Co-Chairs, the Minster’s residentiary clergy or Chapter from time to time determine, including discipleship courses, social events, quiet days and away days, and engagement with the wider local community, with a particular focus on building up a Minster worshipping community.

5.  To seek to engage with other cathedral communities in the Northern Province, to create a network, build relationships and share positive experiences and initiatives.

6.  To demonstrate a firm commitment to Chapter’s requirements on Safeguarding, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, and Health & Safety to assist Chapter in ensuring a secure and inclusive environment is provided for all through its adherence to all applicable legal frameworks and Chapter-approved policies and ways of working.

7.  To have responsibility for the delivery of the generous giving programme for the Minster’s regular worshippers in collaboration with Chapter’s Finance Department.

8.  To have responsibility for arranging monthly community conversations held as a forum for the sharing and disseminating of information and the opportunity to hear from Minster clergy, Minster staff, Chapter members and occasional outside speakers invited by the Co-Chairs.

9.  To have oversight of all sub-committees and working groups created under these Terms of Reference including the Social Action Group, Pastoral Care Group, Minster Walkers’ Group and Social Committee.