Open to God: Bishop's 40-year vision inspires across traditions
On Saturday, 23rd May, the diocesan family gathered at Carmarthen Showground for a day of celebration. Archdeacon Mones Farah reports
From the moment he was enthroned at St Davids Cathedral in January 2024, it was clear that something long-held and deeply personal was stirring within Bishop Dorrien’s vision for the diocese. What had quietly rested in his heart for almost four decades finally began to take shape, a bold call to mission, unity and renewal across the Diocese of St Davids.
Almost immediately after his enthronement, the Bishop announced his desire to host an Open To God Celebration at the centre of the Year of Mission, which was to be launched in Advent 2025. The Open To God event was to become a rallying point for prayer, evangelism, discipleship and fellowship across every tradition within the diocese.
To bring the vision into reality, the Bishop gathered a small team of clergy from different traditions and ministry backgrounds. Their task was to shape both the Year of Mission and the Open To God celebration into something capable of inspiring the whole diocesan family.
Planning began in February 2025. By June, the vision was introduced at the Continuing Ministerial Development Day for clergy, where church leaders were challenged to reimagine their churches and LMAs as outward-looking, mission-focused communities. The response was immediate and encouraging.
Excitement filled the room as clergy engaged enthusiastically with discussions, speaking warmly of their desire to involve their churches and ministry areas. Central to the conversations was the diocesan vision captured in the acronym CODEFP, Celebration, Outreach, Discipleship, Evangelism, Fellowship and Prayer. Themes that became the heartbeat of the Year of Mission.
That same spirit carried into the Diocesan Conference in October 2025, where representatives were invited to engage intentionally with at least two areas of the CODEFP vision. Once again, energy and expectation filled the gathering, with many leaving inspired and eager to embrace the opportunities ahead.
Behind the scenes, the planning team remained determined that the Open To God day should be more than simply a conference. It had to be a genuine celebration, filled with joy, creativity and spiritual renewal for every generation and church tradition across the diocese.
In the ten days leading up to Pentecost weekend, the diocese reshaped its usual Thy Kingdom Come focus into an Open To God season of prayer. Nine churches, three from each archdeaconry, hosted gatherings dedicated to praying for the celebrations.
Prayers centred on safety, inspiring speakers and exhibitors, smooth technical delivery, meaningful worship and good weather. The hope was for a warm, dry day with a gentle breeze, and remarkably, that prayer was answered.
As Pentecost weekend arrived, the vision came alive.
Food vendors, bouncy castles, puppet shows, children’s activities, exhibitors, choirs, bands and speakers transformed the day into a vibrant festival atmosphere enjoyed by crowds from across the diocese, building toward the great diocesan Eucharist.
The Eucharist became the spiritual climax of the celebration. Led by the Bishop alongside many clergy from across the diocese, the service was marked by reverence and unity. Specially commissioned communion vessels added further significance, symbolising a diocesan family gathered around one table in faith and hope.
By the close of the day, one message could be heard repeatedly: people wanted more.
The overwhelming sense of unity, encouragement and shared mission left many openly calling for another diocesan gathering in 2027, evidence that the Bishop’s forty-year vision had not only found expression, but ignited something lasting within the heart of the Diocese of St Davids.
