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A Statement from the Very Reverend Bob Cooper, Dean of Guildford, and the Chapter of Guildford Cathedral

It is with profound sadness, and with hearts full of gratitude to God for an extraordinary life, that the Dean and Chapter of Guildford Cathedral announce the death of Bishop Andrew. We have lost a shepherd, a servant, and a dear friend — and the loss is felt deeply by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Bishop Andrew was, above all else, a man of the Gospel. His faith was not an abstraction or a profession — it was the living, breathing centre of everything he did and everything he was. To be in his company was to encounter something of the grace he so freely proclaimed. In his preaching, in his pastoral care, and in the quiet moments of prayer that shaped his days, he bore witness to a God who loves without condition and calls us to do the same.

As a Bishop, he carried the weight of his office with remarkable grace. He led not by command but by example —ensuring that the voice of the Church spoke not of itself, but of Christ. In the exercise of his episcopal ministry, he was generous to a fault, giving of his time and wisdom with an open hand and an open heart.

And yet, it is perhaps as a friend that many of us will feel his absence most keenly. In meeting with him, whether in matters of great consequence or in simple, unhurried conversation, one never felt like an item on a list. His interest was genuine, his counsel was wise, and his presence was a gift freely given.

We give thanks to God for Bishop Andrew’s life and ministry, for the laughter he brought, for the faith he kindled, and for the countless ways in which he served others before himself. We grieve his passing as those who mourn — but not as those without hope. In the words of the apostle he so loved to preach, we believe that neither death, nor life, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

“Run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

Hebrews 12:1–2

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