The vision – ‘To Weave Jesus into the rich fabric of the city and beyond’ – covers the Cathedral’s strategy up to 2028

Bradford Cathedral has launched its five-year vision this week, covering its strategy for 2023 – 2028. The vision, which was launched at the Cathedral’s Pentecost service, is entitled ‘To Weave Jesus into the rich fabric of the city and beyond’ and looks at the elements that the Cathedral treasures: Interculturality, rootedness, innovativeness, and hospitality.

The vision – which was crafted following eight months of listening and discussion with people across the cathedral and the city – explores three aims:

• to become more sustainable in spite of the adverse winds we often feel
• to become more visible so that we are not passed by
• to become more accessible so that more people can recognise Jesus

The Very Revd Andy Bowerman, Dean of Bradford, said as he spoke about the vision at the Sunday service:
“We offer this new vision to God through the Spirit, praying that the Spirit might breathe life into the words that you will get to read.

“As you take your copy we invite the Spirit to speak to you about how you might consider joining in with the work of God, in the Spirit, in this place, and across the city, because we recognize that the church participates in mission, only by virtue of its participation with the Holy Spirit, and so Pentecost seems absolutely the right moment for us to offer this to God and to you.

“Our real desire is to weave Jesus into the rich fabric of our city and beyond, and weaving seems such an appropriate image for us here in Bradford with our deep history and connection to the wool trade, and we want to continue to offer, in this space, a warm and generous welcome to the world.”