21 March 2026
The Presidential Address to the Chelmsford Diocesan Synod, 21 March 2026, by the Rt Rev'd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford.
Good morning Synod. Thank you for being here.
You’ll know by now, I think, that when it comes to Presidential Addresses, I tend to speak from the heart. Today is no exception. Today I speak from a pained and heavy heart as I invite you to turn your attention to events in Iran and the Middle East. We are rightly often absorbed by those things that impact our own lives most, our families, our diocese where we have responsibilities, our neighbours and the communities we serve.
There is so much suffering and injustice in this country, sometimes evident, often hidden in plain sight, and it’s right that we should prioritise our call to attend to the here and now, speaking the good news of Jesus Christ and acting on his command to serve those who are in need of any kind. All of that must continue.
But from time to time it is also incumbent on us to lift our eyes above the horizon of our own lives and priorities and to notice the world that God is looking upon. In Luke 19 Jesus draws near to the city of Jerusalem and weeps over it. If you only recognised the things that make for peace, he said. As it was then, so it is now, but not just in Jerusalem and the Holy Land but across the region we know as the Middle East. Still today there is little if any recognition of the things that make for peace. Still today Jesus looks and weeps.
Three weeks ago, on Saturday 28th February, America and Israel launched attacks on Iran and something was unleashed whose outcome it is impossible to predict, but whose consequences are being felt throughout the region as well as here in Europe. As far as I understand it, Iran did not pose an imminent threat and the war was neither legal under international law, nor morally justified. I know there are other views and I respect those who have different perspectives. All war is a sin and a sign of the brokenness of our human relations, but for me there are at least three guiding principles for what might be termed a just war that have been broken.
First, war must always be a last resort. President Trump’s claim that the attacks were pre-emptive of some imminent threat is not convincing. Negotiations between the Americans, Iranians and others were still in train - they certainly hadn’t been exhausted - and there seemed to be some evidence that they were working. Secondly, any war must be declared by a proper authority. In this case, neither the US congress, nor the United Nations were consulted, nor for that matter were neighbouring countries and traditional allies.
And thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, the aims of any war must be clear from the start. As it is, we have heard a whole variety of reasons for this war which seemingly change from day to day. Is the aim to bring about regime change in Iran, or just a change of leadership; is it to eliminate the threat of nuclear capability or to destroy Iran’s ballistic missiles. Without clear aims it’s impossible to properly assess whether the cause of this war is just, whether there is a reasonable chance of success or whether the end is proportionate to the means. If the aim of war is peace, then what is the peace for which this war is being fought?
Let me be clear - I want to see regime change in Iran as much as anyone. Like many of my country folk, when the war started, I recognised within myself tiny sparks of hope that this could be the beginning of the change we so long for. Yet deep down I knew and still know how unlikely that is. We have seen it before. Brave souls coming onto the streets in peaceful protest raising hopes that change is nigh, only to have those hopes dashed by the cruelty and barbarity of a regime which, having lost control of the economy, having lost any moral authority over the people, is fighting an existential battle and has no qualms about the extent of violence needed to keep people subjugated.
Once again the west has underestimated the Islamic Republic of Iran. If Trump and Netenyahu had any thoughts that this would be short, sharp and successful, then it just confirms how little they understand the regime. This war is not just illegal and immoral; it is a blunder. It is a war of choice rather than necessity and one that Britain is right to stay clear from.
My heart aches for innocent civilians now caught up in a blood bath not of their own making. I confess it makes me angry to hear American and Israeli government officials claim that they are paving the way for Iranian people to take back their country; calling on them to rise up and overthrow the tyrants who rule over them. What easy words to offer from the comfort of our western arm chairs. How little we understand the power dynamics operating in Iran.
Whatever your views about the rights and wrongs of the war, make no mistake, innocent people are suffering and dying. America claims that only military bases are being targeted, yet one of the earliest attacks destroyed a school in the town of Minab, killing over 100 children and injuring many more. Reports suggest 3 million people are on the move in Iran. Is the world ready for yet another refugee crisis?
For two weeks I heard nothing from Iran other than what we were hearing on the news, and none of my messages were getting through. Then I spoke with a trusted source who has managed to maintain contact with someone in Iran – to protect those involved, I won’t say who and I won’t say how. But they paint a bleak picture of what has been going on. The bombing is unpredictable and civilian areas are being hit. There are no shelters for people to escape to for safety.
Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Guards roam the streets, randomly shooting and killing people, threatening and banning people from using their phones, dragging people into detention to be interrogated. Some do remain hopeful for change but for now there is horror and there is chaos. I have heard reports that one of our church buildings in Iran has been hit by a bomb and another damaged by reverberations. The Church in which I was baptised and where my early faith was nurtured has had its windows blown out.
And all of this is just in Iran which itself has lashed out against targets in neighbouring countries making a bad situation worse, heaping horror upon horror, across the region.
I cannot fail to mention that while the eyes of the world are turned towards Iran, the injustices against the Palestinian people continue to play out. More and more illegal settlements are being developed in the West Bank and there have been reports of violence and people killed. Daily the Palestinian people are stripped of their dignity, living with fear and uncertainty while the international community offers words of disapproval but takes no determinative action. As the de facto annexation of the West Bank accelerates quite openly, the international community’s condemnations ring hollow.
I was present at a meeting a week or so ago in which the Lebanese Ambassador to Britain warned that Lebanon was the new Gaza. Israeli attacks against Hezbollah are leading to many civilian deaths and nearly 1 million people are displaced from their homes. And this, at a time when western governments have significantly reduced their overseas development budgets.
So the whole region is engulfed in conflict and it is my belief that no amount of bombs and killings will lead to a solution. The international community must look to de-escalate this conflict and to bring parties back to the negotiating table.
In Iran, even if this regime falls (and it’s a big if), but even if the regime falls, at present there is no credible opposition around which people can coalesce. My fear would be a Syrian style civil war. In Palestine and Israel, until there is a solution that brings justice for everyone – Jews, Muslims and Christians – the struggle will continue. The Gaza Peace Plan will likely fail without a political vision for Palestine.
And if all I’ve said still feels distant and remote, we should be aware that global events and international politics play out here in this country and in our own communities. There will likely be a further rise in antisemitic incidents and anti-Muslim hostility. I have already seen evidence of an increased strain in interfaith relationships. And even within faith communities, there are tensions between those who have different views and perspectives.
So, all of that brings us to the question, what part can we play? What is our role. Well, I want to offer two interconnected responses.
The first arises from the writings of Geroge Bell who was Bishop of Chichester around the time of the second World War. Over the last two or three years I’ve often found myself returning to his essay, The Church’s Function in Wartime. It’s nearly 100 years old, written in the early months of the War, but it speaks with relevance for us today.
‘It is the function of the Church at all costs to remain the Church.’ That is Bishop Bell’s argument in the essay: there is something essential and unchanging about the function of the Church, and the contexts of wartime and conflict shouldn’t sway its purpose. Bell states that the Church ‘is bound to proclaim the realities which outlast change.’ There is, after all, ‘no special wartime gospel. It is the gospel for human needs in all times and countries.’ The Church ‘is charged with a gospel of God’s redeeming love. It aims at creating a community founded on love.’ Christians stands for ‘the Cross, the gospel of redemption,’ as Bishop Bell puts it. That’s the distinct function and message of the Church, and it cannot change. It cannot be flexed to accommodate context.
There’s much more I could say about George Bell but time does not allow. Suffice to remind us that our role as Christians is to be those who speak of love and hope and justice. To be those who, whatever the context, continue to hold those principles before people and, crucially, demonstrate them in our churches and how we live our lives.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Lent is often referred to as the season of ‘bright sadness’ – a paradoxical season of sombre reflection on sin and mortality, tempered by joyful anticipation of Christ’s resurrection. So, it seems particularly pertinent to be reflecting on this paradox at this time as we watch world events play and we seek to continue being the Church.
And so to my second response to the question a about what part we might play - and with this I’ll draw my address to a close. As well as holding tight to the principles of love and hope and justice it is our role to pray and to pray fervently. In this diocese, we are in the midst of a 100 days of prayer as we seek to discern God’s call for sustaining ministry in the next phase of our life together. I wonder how many of you have responded to the invitation to join the 100 days of prayer? I hope that many of you have. I hope that our churches are taking up this call as a demonstration of our belief in the power of prayer, of our desire to hear God’s voice, and as a sign of our commitment to one another. There are resources on the website to help you with this and I urge you to participate, if you are not already doing so.
But I digress. Let me return to prayer and the current conflict. Several people have asked me how to pray. I wish there was an easy answer. I find myself coming before God with a cry of anguish which cannot find words, with a longing that cannot find expression. So the only wisdom I can offer is to keep on coming before God, praying for peace, justice and reconciliation; for wisdom, compassion and moderation in the hearts of the rulers; for strength, hope and healing in the lives of those who suffer.
Prayer works. Whether spoken or silent, coherent or confused, prayer is a mystery that beckons us to go deeper. It changes hearts and minds and it propels us towards action. We do not know the ways of God nor understand God’s timings. But we do believe that in the fulness of time all creation will be gathered into the heart of God. There will be a new heaven and a new earth; every tear will be wiped away; death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more. Until then, let us continue to be the Church and let us hold before God the suffering of the world.
If you’re able, please join me in standing as together we hold two minutes silence to pray for the people of Iran, Palestine, Israel and the whole region of the Middle East.
2 minutes silence
Ever loving God,
who hears us in our anguish and distress,
and longs for us to be free.
We pray for the people of Iran and the wider Middle East,
at this time of fear and uncertainty.
Be near to those who are anxious;
bring comfort to all who are suffering.
Guide those with the power to make decisions,
and lead them in the ways of wisdom, compassion and moderation:
that people of good will would seek harmony and reconciliation.
Join us with our Christian brothers and sisters in all places,
in praying for peace with justice,
through him who is the prince of peace,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
+Guli Chelmsford
Diocesan Synod Presidential Address
21 March 2026