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The Dean Speaks

 

We're proud to be a multi-fath community at King's. On this page, you can find the most recent statement that the Dean has shared with the King's community, and links to a range of previous statements over the academic year as well as links to a selection of the Dean's speaking and writing contributions.

 

Happy Vaisakhi!

9 April 2026


 

"I'd like to wish all of our Sikh students and staff a very happy Vaisakhi. This annual celebration of the Sikh rite of initiation, the Khalsa, is a joyful festival for Sikhs around the world. It's a time to affirm Sikhi identity and give thanks for Guru Gobind Singh, who formalised the rite in 1699. 

This year, it offers an opportunity for all of us to remember the people in our lives who have helped us to become our best selves. Are there mentors or family members or friends who you feel particularly grateful to for helping guide or support you? Never underestimate how much it means to tell them so.

May all our Sikh staff and students find joy in their Sikh identity, and may we all find time to give thanks for those we love. To all who celebrate, Vadhaiyan Vaisakhi Diyan – have a very happy Vaisakhi!"

Contact Us

020 7848 2333

Office of the Dean, K2.44, King's Building, Strand Campus, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS

Speaking and Writing

Every Wednesday at lunchtime during term, we hold a service in the College Chapel on the Strand campus. These services are accompanied with music sung by the Choir of King's College London, and a sermon is given by a member of the Dean's Office and Chaplaincy team, or by a guest preacher.

You can read a selection of the Dean's sermons (given at King's and elsewhere), a blog article written by the Dean on the topic of 'God (he/she/they, him/her/them)', and reflections on mysticism at St Paul's Cathedral below.

Open Bible on Pedestal

Lectures and Conversations

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.