21 September 2026
The Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Rev'd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, has announced that the next Area Dean of Southend will be the Rev'd Dave Willis.
Dave is Vicar in the Benefice of Thorpe Bay, where he has served since September 2022. He is also an elected clergy member of the Chelmsford Diocesan Synod, representing the Southend Deanery.
Commenting on Dave’s appointment, Bishop Guli said:
"I am pleased that Dave has agreed to serve as the next Area Dean of Southend. Area Deans play an important role in the life of our Diocese, supporting clergy and parishes and helping us work together in God's mission. I am grateful to Dave for taking on this additional responsibility alongside his parish ministry.
“I also want to thank Dave’s predecessor, The Revd Canon Louise Williams for her dedicated service as Area Dean and wish her every blessing as she prepares to take up her new role as Residentiary Canon for Learning and Nurture at Chelmsford Cathedral.
“Please join me in praying for both Dave and Louise as they prepare for these new chapters in their ministry.”
The Southend Deanery is in the Bradwell Episcopal Area and the Bishop of Bradwell, the Rt Rev'd Adam Atkinson said:
“I warmly welcome Dave’s appointment as Area Dean of Southend and am delighted that he has agreed to take on this important ministry. Dave is a gifted priest with a deep commitment to the unity of the Church and our work in blessing of the city of Southend. His appointment will be a great gift to the churches, worshipping communities and people in Southend Deanery. I look forward to working with Dave in the Bradwell Area Team.
“I also want to thank Louise Williams for her contribution as Southend Area Dean and as Rector in South Shoebury. We pray God’s grace for her and through her as she begins this new ministry at Chelmsford Cathedral.”
Commenting on his appointment, the Rev'd Dave Willis added:
“I am delighted to have been invited by Bishop Guli to take on the role of Area Dean of Southend, and I feel very privileged to have been asked to serve the Deanery in this way. Southend Deanery has a wonderful mix of churches, serving their parishes in a wide variety of ways. They are prayerful, outward-looking and deeply committed to their local communities. I am pleased to have this opportunity to get to know these churches better over the coming months and years.
“I look forward to supporting my ordained and lay colleagues across the Deanery, fostering a deep sense of fellowship, and working in partnership with the Archdeacon of Southend and the Bishop of Bradwell. I would greatly value your prayers as I begin this new role, and I am excited to discover what God may be calling us to in Southend as we continue to proclaim the Gospel, serve those around us and see our churches flourish.”