Emily Gee appointed Director for Cathedral and Church Buildings for the Church of England

20/12/2022

Lady looking at the camera wearing a jacket, blue top and necklace

Emily Gee has been appointed Director for Cathedral and Church Buildings for the Church of England.

Emily is currently the Regional Director for London and South East for Historic England, a post she has held since January 2019. Her responsibilities include Historic England’s statutory listing and planning advice, stakeholder engagement, and grants and regeneration projects in this region, and work on contested heritage.

Emily has been with Historic England (and formerly English Heritage) since 2001, in roles such as Head of Listing and London Planning Director. She also lectures for New York University in London, teaching undergraduate students about London’s historic environment.

As Director for Cathedral and Church Buildings, Emily will be responsible for providing strategic national leadership for the Church of England’s Cathedral and Church Buildings. She will lead the national church team supporting parishes, cathedrals, and dioceses with their buildings, enabling them to be used to best missional effect whilst ensuring their protection, enhancement, conservation, and appropriate adaptation.

The Cathedral & Church Buildings team will also support the introduction of new national church funding streams, including the ‘Buildings for Mission’ programme in 2023-25, aimed at helping parishes and dioceses manage their church buildings, as well as funding in support of the Net Zero Carbon programme.

Commenting on her appointment, Emily said: “I'm really happy to be joining the Church of England as Director for Cathedral and Church Buildings and look forward to building relationships across the Church as well as continuing strong links with the heritage sector and Historic England, where I have worked for 22 years.

“The Church's Net Zero 2030 commitment is bold and important, and I am excited to help deliver this goal and make our extraordinary inherited resource sustainable for the future. St Pancras Old Church in London is the place where the importance of faith, history, and community came together for me, and I strongly recognise the role of church buildings and cathedrals in bringing us closer to God.

“I am thrilled to be working with others to make the joys and wonders of our buildings welcoming, inclusive, and accessible to everyone.”

Gareth Mostyn, Chief Executive of the Church Commissioners, said: “I am delighted to welcome Emily to the National Church Institutions. Her experience, deep understanding and appreciation of the wonderful buildings we have in the Church of England – as well as the challenges that managing them can sometimes present – will mean that she is well placed to lead the team and work in partnership with colleagues across the Church.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Cathedral and Church Buildings team for their professionalism and hard work whilst we recruited the right candidate for this important role.”

Andrew Rumsey, Bishop of Ramsbury and one of the Lead Bishops for Buildings, said: “Emily Gee’s appointment is splendid news for our churches and cathedrals. Her expertise in the heritage sphere and passion to see these extraordinary places flourish will be a great gift, and I much look forward to working with her in this important post.”

Emily starts her new role in Spring 2023.