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The Dean Speaks

23 February 2023

Marking the first anniversary of the War in Ukraine

It is with great sadness that we mark the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine. This has been a year of deep grief and anxiety for our Ukrainian students, staff and alumni as they face the loss of beloved family and friends, as well as of the loss of treasured homes and communities.

It is good to have seen the King’s community come together in the face of this ongoing tragedy, finding a number of different ways to offer help. This includes King’s Sanctuary Team who have helped to support displaced students and academics, working in partnership to develop the University Sponsorship Model with Citizens UK, Ukrainian Sponsorship Pathway UK (USPUK), Open University, Newcastle University and the University of Leicester. The University Sponsorship Model has enabled higher education institutions to implement the Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme and helped students and academics to find safety in the UK and continue their studies and research. More than 50 individuals impacted by the war in Ukraine have been sponsored by members of the King’s community so far. This includes students who continue to study their degrees at Ukrainian universities online, academic fellows and recipients of King’s Sanctuary Scholarships.

Please know that there is support available for all those affected by the horror of this war, and of the many other international conflicts across the world. We are committed to supporting our students and staff during these difficult times and in the face of the more recent natural disasters and the impact this has on students' studies.

The Chaplains are ready to provide a confidential listening ear to staff and students of any faith or none - they are welcome to drop into any of our Chaplaincy spaces or contact a Chaplain via chaplaincy@kcl.ac.uk. More formal counselling can also be accessed through the King’s Counselling & Mental Health Support Service which offers free and confidential in-person and online support as well as King’s Counselling Online service. Students may also like to connect with their peers through KCLSU. Our independent and confidential Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is available to staff and can be contacted by phone or email.

I also want to acknowledge the expertise of our academics and researchers which plays such a vital role in enhancing the understanding of the war and its many consequences.

A world where wars of aggression continue to devastate the lives of individuals and nations is not the world we want for ourselves or for coming generations. Let us at King’s commit ourselves to working for the justice and peace that is key to living into our commitment to make the world a better place.

 

Sermons

Sermons

Find out about sermons and sermon series at King's

Blog

Blog

Written pieces from the Dean

Sermons

Every Wednesday lunchtime during term, we hold a sung Church of England Eucharist, or Holy Communion, service in the College Chapel on the Strand campus with music sung by the Choir of King's College London. A sermon is given by a member of the Dean's Office and Chaplaincy team, or by a guest preacher. 

  • In the Autumn term of 2021, our sermon series focused on the joys and challenges of 'Living out Faith on Campus'. You can read the Dean's sermon on the topic of Gender & Identity via this link (pdf, 191 KB). 

  • In the Spring term of 2022, the Dean gave the Ash Wednesday sermon which reflects on the conflict in Ukraine - you can read the sermon via this link (pdf, 85 KB)


 

 

Blog

The Dean wrote on the topic of God (he/she/they, him/her/them) for ViaMedia.news in March 2022.

 

 

Lectures

The Dean gave an Associate of King's College (AKC) lecture in January 2021 titled: Religious Leadership: Learning from the Desert Elders.

Conversation with AKC Ambassador and PhD student, Emma Lowe

As part of the AKC Conversations: Voices in the Wilderness series, the Dean met in conversation with AKC Ambassador and PhD student, Emma Lowe.

Ellen examines the role of humility and service in good leadership and discusses the ways in which leadership is both a communal and a creative process.

She also reflects on the process of finding one's vocation and the ways in which the vocation of leadership has been altered by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has provided both a challenge and the opportunity for positive disruption to the status quo.

Conversation with The Very Revd Dr Kelly Brown Douglas

As part of the AKC Conversations: Voices in the Wilderness series, the Dean met in conversation with The Very Revd Dr Kelly Brown Douglas, Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School at Union in New York City.

Dean Douglas is a pioneering voice addressing sexual issues in relation to the black religious community, and an advocate for equal rights for LGBTQ persons.

This conversation covers issues of gender and race equality, the importance of diversity and empowerment in leadership, the Black Lives Matter movement and a vision of hope embodied by the young leaders of tomorrow.

Why King's has a Dean

Why King’s has a Dean

King's is unusual amongst British educational institutions, in that its Dean is an ordained person.

Meet the Dean

Meet the Dean

The Dean is responsible for fostering and promoting spiritual development and welfare at King's.