The Prime Minister’s Office issued the press release below this morning. There is more information on the St Albans diocesan website.
Appointment of Bishop of St Albans: 19 March 2026
The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Dr. Andrew Paul Rumsey, for election as Bishop of St. Albans
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 19 March 2026
The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Dr. Andrew Paul Rumsey, Suffragan Bishop of Ramsbury in the Diocese of Salisbury, for election as Bishop of St. Albans, in succession to The Right Reverend Alan Smith, following his retirement.
Background
Andrew was born and raised in the Diocese of St Albans, where his father served as a parish priest. He was educated at the University of Reading and Kings College, London, and trained for ordination at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. He served his title at Trinity St. Michael, Harrow, in the Diocese of London, and was ordained priest in 1998.
Andrew served as Vicar of Christ Church, Gipsy Hill, in the Diocese of Southwark, from 2001 and was appointed Rector of Oxted & Tandridge (later Team Rector of Oxted) in 2011.
In 2019, Andrew took up his current role as Bishop of Ramsbury, in the Diocese of Salisbury. He is also lead bishop for church buildings.
Andrew is a singer-songwriter and the author of Parish: An Anglican theology of place (Books, 21 July 2017) and English Grounds: A pastoral journal (Books, 11 March 2022).
Bishop Andrew is an excellent pastor. I, and I suspect many others, will really miss him but prayers and good wishes will go with him.
As someone living in the diocese (and a former Chair of the House of Laity, this seems a great appointment. Prayers + Andrew for your ministry
This is a brilliant and refreshing appointment.
Excellent appointment. He has a doctorate (gained while in ministry) so will bring additional theological insight to the H of B. He was also a Ship of Fools columnist and I think wrote for Third Way. He sees the importance of place and of the parish system.
Congratulations to Andrew Rumsey on this deserved appointment. He will be missed in Salisbury Diocese but I suspect I was not the only person to feel that we would be lucky to hold on to him for much longer.
Andrew Rumsey’s father, Philip, was incumbent of High Wych, Eastwick and Gilston in Hertfordshire – now being enveloped by the sprawl of Harlow – so he had some of his formative experiences in St Albans diocese, albeit in the extreme east of the diocese. He appears to have been very diligent in touring Wiltshire, and was very much liked in Oxted (a parish which had been seared by the Guy Bennett abuse scandal). I wrote in last year suggesting that he might be the most credible successor to Welby, despite a lack of diocesan experience; had he been given a… Read more »
Shock, horror! He has over 20 years experience in Parish ministry! Is this a record? Has the CNC imploded?
More seriously, is there any hope that Leeds will get a pastor who will actually encourage and support his clergy rather than….
Wonderful appointment! Made my day.