The Very Reverend Dr Anthony Cane, Dean of Portsmouth
The Very Reverend Dr Anthony Cane became Dean of Portsmouth in March 2019. He is the most senior clergy person at the cathedral and the second most senior clergy person in Portsmouth’s Anglican diocese after the Bishop.
Anthony was previously Canon Chancellor at Chichester Cathedral, where he led its work in the areas of education, the arts, visitor engagement, and external partnerships. During a varied career, he has also worked with the homeless and drug addicts before becoming a Church of England priest.
His role is leading the clergy and lay team at Portsmouth Cathedral, working alongside civic and political leaders in the city, and enhancing its role in the local community.
Although his parents are from Kent, Anthony was born and raised in Cape Town until he was 20, and studied at university there for his first degree. He left college an atheist, and his journey to faith started when he met the woman who would become his wife, Clare, and accompanied her to church.
He worked in three different jobs in London, on the frontline of engagement with vulnerable people – working with homeless people in Vauxhall, a centre for former drug addicts in Earl’s Court, and a church community project on the Kings Road.
After ordination training at Westcott House, Cambridge, he served a curacy in Birmingham, then spent six years as senior chaplain at the multi-campus University of Brighton. He combined parish and diocesan jobs in the Diocese of Exeter, and was then adult education officer in Chichester diocese, developing courses for parishes, training Readers, and designing and running a new programme for curates.
As Chancellor of Chichester Cathedral, he delivered an acclaimed annual series of public lectures, introduced five series of films with spiritual themes in a local cinema, and was a founding member of three charities. He has served as a governor of the University of Chichester, chaired the Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust from its inception, and initiated a ‘Night Cathedral’ event for students.
“Working with homeless people and former drug addicts was a formative experience, not least because my faith was developing at the time,” he said. “Both because of this, and the fact that I was an atheist until my early twenties, I have a strong sense for those on the fringes of church. ”
“I enjoy cathedral worship and pastoral care, and I have experience of helping people into deeper discipleship. But I think it’s important to be outward-facing too.”
“I’m always very happy to work in partnership with other organisations, and sometimes the best ideas come organically through working with others. Cathedrals are well placed to be creative and put on events you might not imagine them hosting. I intend to be out and about in Portsmouth, looking for opportunities to build partnerships.”
Anthony is married to Clare, a teacher, and they have three grown-up children.