Reserve (RANVR) in Naval Intelligence, rising to the rank of Commander RANVR. He was frequently called away for naval duties until his retirement from the Navy in 1990, although he retained the rank and title of Commander for the rest of his life. He met Helen in Australia while with Merchant Marine and they were married in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia in 1958. Helen’s family owned and ran several very large grazing stations in North Queensland, but straight after the wedding, Jim and Helen moved to South Sydney where Jim worked in banking, interspersed with Periods of naval service. After 12 years, they moved back north to Brisbane, in Southern Queensland.
Cambridge, to study theology, before going on to Ridley Hall, Cambridge, to prepare for ordination. In his younger years he was something of an evangelical, but later described himself as a “radical conservative” whose talents lay in problem-solving and reforming. After ordination in 1967, Wesley served a four-year curacy at Luton parish church. He then returned briefly to Ridley Hall as a tutor, but was felt to be unsuitable and he soon left. He then took up the Henry Stephenson fellowship at the University of Sheffield where he wrote his PhD thesis, which was published as Angels and Principalities. becoming a residentiary canon in 1978 heading training programmes for the diocese. Soon his character traits were emerging and the Bishop of Chelmsford, the Right Rev John Trillo, was heard to murmur: “Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?”, just over 800 years since the question was first posed. But Wesley’s record as an efficient administrator was favoured by the Church and soon he was climbing the clerical ladder. Despite his reputation for abrasiveness, he became known for his understanding, if not his practice, of pastoral ministry, and he wrote no fewer than eight books on the subject. From 1980 to 1997 he was a member of the General Synod, where he was an effective chairman of committees and rigorous inspector of theological colleges. In 1987, he was appointed Dean of Bristol, which was a cathedral with few resources. He soon launched an appeal for its repair, and secured sponsorship from Npower, but he was involved in the sacking of the cathedral organist and in the resignation of the cathedral school’s headmaster. He moved to the cathedral in Chelmsford, Essex, in 1974,
of Westminster Abbey, a much higher profile position. This job allowed him to reflect deeply on the role of the Church in society, which was becoming a matter of great concern. But he had been there for barely six months, when he had to organise the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, with only one week to prepare. He spent a great deal of time consulting Buckingham Palace and the Spencer family in an attempt to strike the right balance in the ceremony. It was not the only major event in his nine years at Westminster. He also oversaw both the Queen Mother’s funeral and Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002, as well as the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in 2005. But his main job at Westminster was the day-to-day running of the abbey. The Dean of Westminster is effectively the chief executive of the Anglican church’s most historic shrine, a Benedictine abbey of immense historical and artistic importance. It fell to him, assisted by the clergy in the Chapter, to balance the competing interests of tourism, sanctity and tradition, while still keeping enough money coming in to maintain numerous historic artefacts, often of national significance, as well paying a staff of 150. Many people found Wesley to be remote, insensitive and high-handed, and he was quite fearless in not avoiding issues. As someone once said of him, “Show Wesley a nettle and he will grasp it”. During his tenure at Westminster, he dismissed the director of music, Martin Neary and his wife Penny, the abbey’s concert secretary in 1998 for gross misconduct after allegations of financial irregularities. The Nearys sued for wrongful dismissal; Wesley won the case but was censured for his handling of the dismissal. His preaching at the abbey was always direct, drew on human situations and often quoted poetry, but Parkinson’s
For many years he was the OA representative for Queensland.
Friend Mike Warner (46-52) contributed significantly to this obituray. The Very Rev Dr Arthur Wesley Carr [1952-60] 26.07.1941 – 15.07.2017
Wesley Carr was the elder son of Arthur and Irene, who were both senior officers in the Salvation Army. Wesley was
born in Beckenham, Kent, where the family lived and he came to Dulwich with a scholarship from Bromley Road School in Beckenham, to be followed later by his younger brother, Gordon. At Dulwich, he was in Marlowe, and it was at the College that he first felt called to the ministry. After leaving Dulwich, he was awarded an Exhibition to study Classics at Jesus College, Oxford. He then went to Jesus College,
In 1997, Wesley was appointed Dean
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