Brian Victor Beck, an Anglican priest in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, served as

Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

Kimberley Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to: Places and historical events Australia * Kimberley (Western Australia) ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimberley * Kimberley Warm Springs, Tasmania * Kimberley, Tasmania a small town * County of Kimberley, a ...

from 2003 to 2010. He is an

Honorary Canon A canon (from the Latin , itself derived from the Greek , , "relating to a rule", "regular") is a member of certain bodies in subject to an ecclesiastical rule. Originally, a canon was a cleric living with others in a clergy house or, later, i ...

of St Cyprian's Cathedral.

Education and appointments

Beck was licensed, prior to ordination, as a Sub-deacon at St Michael and All Angels, an

Anglo-Catholic Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholic heritage and identity of the various Anglican churches. The term was coined in the early 19th century, although movements emphasising the Catholic nature of Anglican ...

parish in

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Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

. He subsequently received formal theological training at St Peter's,

Pietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg (; Zulu: umGungundlovu) 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 Zulu name umGungundlovu ...

and St Bede's, graduating with a Diploma in Theology. Beck was ordained a Deacon in 1985 and Priest in 1986. Beck served at the Church of the Annunciation, in

Paarl Paarl (; Afrikaans: ; derived from ''Parel'', meaning "pearl" in Dutch) is a town with 112,045 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is the third-oldest city and European settlement in the Republic of South Africa (after ...

, where he was instituted as Rector in 1989.

Kimberley

Beck was invited to serve as the Dean of Kimberley in 2002. He was installed as Dean and Rector of the Cathedral Church of St Cyprian the Martyr in Kimberley on 8 February 2003. During his Deanship a number of significant projects enhancing the fabric of the cathedral were carried out, including the construction of a ramp for access for the aged and disabled and a Garden of Remembrance. The latter was dedicated on the occasion of the centenary of the laying of the foundation stone of the Cathedral, 5 March 2007. Beck was serving at the time as

Vicar General A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...

for the

Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman The Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman is a diocese in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, and encompasses the area around Kimberley and Kuruman and overlaps the Northern Cape Province and North West Province of South Africa. It is presided ov ...

following the retirement of Bishop Itumeleng Moseki. The centenary celebration, culminating on 13 May 2008, was marked by a series of services and events, including the hosting of Episcopal

Synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...

and the Consecration and Enthronement of Bishop Oswald Swartz. Having reviewed the earlier involvement of St Cyprian's in formal education, one of the outcomes of the centenary was the rebirth of the St Cyprian's Grammar School. Dean Beck, as one of the founders, chaired its Board of Governors and gave guidance to the school from its opening in 2009. Beck House at the school was named in his honour.

Retirement

Beck's retirement was marked by a Diocesan service on 31 July 2010. He was made

of the Cathedral on 12 September 2010, during a service of Solemn Evensong and

Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, also called Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament or the Rite of Eucharistic Exposition and Benediction, is a devotional ceremony, celebrated especially in the Roman Catholic Church, but also in some other Ch ...

References

21st-century Anglican priests Deans of Kimberley 20th-century births Living people Year of birth missing (living people) {{Anglicanism-stub