The Rev. Canon Jan Naylor Cope

The Rev. Canon Jan Naylor Cope was appointed provost of Washington National Cathedral in 2015. As provost, she oversees the cathedral’s development department and works closely with the dean and the cathedral’s leadership on its strategic vision, ministry and mission.  

Canon Cope was called as vicar of Washington National Cathedral in 2010 and the Cathedral Congregation grew by more than 500 members during her tenure. Formerly associate rector at St. David’s Church in Washington D.C., she also served as a key lay leader at St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square. Prior to ordained ministry, she served as deputy director of presidential personnel in the White House and as president of the J. Naylor Cope Company.

Canon Cope graduated from Wesley Theological Seminary, and she holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Virginia Theological Seminary. She represented the Diocese of Washington as an elected clerical deputy to the Episcopal Church General Convention on three occasions, and she currently serves as First Vice President of the Compass Rose Society, an international outreach organization supporting the ministry of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion. Canon Cope is also a former board member of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington Theological Consortium, and the Mayor’s Interfaith Council.

She is an adjunct professor of preaching at Wesley Theological Seminary and a contributing meditation writer for The Bible Challenge and The Pilgrim Way of Lent: Meditations from Washington National Cathedral, Forward Movement publications. In addition, Canon Cope is the editor of Reconciliation, Healing, and Hope: Sermons from Washington National Cathedral, Morehouse Publishing.