Rogers Morgan Govender
Encyclopedia
The Very Reverend
Rogers Morgan Govender is the current Dean of Manchester
.
in Natal
, and was ordained in 1985. He was Rector
of St Matthew's Hayfields in Pietermaritzburg
and then of St Thomas's Musgrave Road before emigrating in 2002 to the UK after 15 years of service in the Diocese of Natal. On arrival in England, he was Priest-in-charge of Christ Church, West Didsbury in South Manchester along with a role as Area Dean of Withington. Rogers is a sixth generation South African man, and at the time of his appointment was England's first Black Cathedral Dean, and the third most senior Black or Asian churchman in the Church of England
. Rogers Govender was priest in charge at St. Mary's Church, Greyville, Durban from 1988 until 1993 when he was transferreed to Hayfields, Pietermaritzburg. His aim was to accommodate people of all races in the innder city.
over the game "Resistance: Fall of Man
". The game features a shootout in Manchester Cathedral, and the Church of England claims Sony did not acquire the appropriate permissions to use the Cathedral's image. Rogers spoke out against the game publicly, calling it "highly irresponsible" due to the history of gun crime in the city.
Rogers also filled in for Tom Hanks in a Spoofed Da Vinci Code
Movie Poster in 2006, to promote a "Da Vinci Code Mass" at the Cathedral, intended to address the issues raised by the controversial book, and the movie based upon it. The mass was inspired by a poll revealing that the book and movie may have grossly undermined public trust in the Catholic Church.
Very Reverend
The Very Reverend is a style given to certain religious figures.*In the Roman Catholic Church, by custom, priests who hold positions of particular note: e.g...
Rogers Morgan Govender is the current Dean of Manchester
Dean of Manchester
The Dean of Manchester is based in Manchester, England and is the head of the Chapter of Manchester Cathedral. The current Dean is The Very Reverend Rogers Govender.-List of Deans of Manchester:* William Herbert 1840–1847...
.
Life and career
He was originally from DurbanDurban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
in Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
, and was ordained in 1985. He was Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of St Matthew's Hayfields in Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
and then of St Thomas's Musgrave Road before emigrating in 2002 to the UK after 15 years of service in the Diocese of Natal. On arrival in England, he was Priest-in-charge of Christ Church, West Didsbury in South Manchester along with a role as Area Dean of Withington. Rogers is a sixth generation South African man, and at the time of his appointment was England's first Black Cathedral Dean, and the third most senior Black or Asian churchman in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. Rogers Govender was priest in charge at St. Mary's Church, Greyville, Durban from 1988 until 1993 when he was transferreed to Hayfields, Pietermaritzburg. His aim was to accommodate people of all races in the innder city.
Family
His wife Celia is the administrator of the central Manchester City Learning Centre, and they have two children, Jonathan and Claire. The Centre has a role in education, visiting schools and hosting events connecting contemporary culture with the Christian Faith.News items
In 2007, Rogers became embroiled in a legal conflict with SonySony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
over the game "Resistance: Fall of Man
Resistance: Fall of Man
Resistance: Fall of Man is a first-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 3. It was developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. The game is set in an alternate history 1951, and follows Sgt...
". The game features a shootout in Manchester Cathedral, and the Church of England claims Sony did not acquire the appropriate permissions to use the Cathedral's image. Rogers spoke out against the game publicly, calling it "highly irresponsible" due to the history of gun crime in the city.
Rogers also filled in for Tom Hanks in a Spoofed Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. It follows symbologist Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu as they investigate a murder in Paris's Louvre Museum and discover a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus having been married to...
Movie Poster in 2006, to promote a "Da Vinci Code Mass" at the Cathedral, intended to address the issues raised by the controversial book, and the movie based upon it. The mass was inspired by a poll revealing that the book and movie may have grossly undermined public trust in the Catholic Church.
See also
- Manchester CathedralManchester CathedralManchester Cathedral is a medieval church on Victoria Street in central Manchester and is the seat of the Bishop of Manchester. The cathedral's official name is The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George in Manchester...
- DurbanDurbanDurban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
- Church of EnglandChurch of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
- 2007 Controversy with SonyControversy over the usage of Manchester Cathedral in Resistance: Fall of ManThe 2006 video game Resistance: Fall of Man, developed by Insomniac Games, published by Sony Computer Entertainment and released for the PlayStation 3 video game console, features combat scenes that take place within a virtual representation of Manchester Cathedral in England set in an alternate...