Press release from the Prime Minister’s office. There is more information on the Norwich and Chester diocesan websites. The new bishop will be conscrated on 29 September 2023.
Appointment of Suffragan Bishop of Thetford: 14 June 2023
The King has approved the nomination of The Venerable Ian Bishop for appointment to the Suffragan Bishop of Thetford.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 14 June 2023
The King has approved the nomination of The Venerable Ian Bishop, Archdeacon of Macclesfield, for appointment to the Suffragan See of Thetford, in the Diocese of Norwich, in succession to The Right Reverend Dr Alan Winton, following his retirement.
Background
Ian was educated at Portsmouth Polytechnic and trained for ministry at Oak Hill Theological College. He served his title at Christ Church, Purley, in the Diocese of Southwark, and was ordained Priest in 1992. In 1995, Ian was appointed Rector of the Tas Valley Team Ministry, in the Diocese of Norwich.
In 2001, Ian was appointed Rector of St Michael and All Angels, Middlewich, and St John the Evangelist, Byley, in the Diocese of Chester, and additionally served as Rural Dean for Middlewich from 2004. Since 2011, Ian has served as Archdeacon of Macclesfield.
TA readers may be interested to see Ian Bishop’s most recent election address (in Chester diocese) which can be found here:
https://d3hgrlq6yacptf.cloudfront.net/5f20800211eb6/content/pages/documents/ian-bishop73330698750.pdf
There was once a Suffragan Bishop of Malmesbury (Bristol) whose surname was Bishop. He was Clifford Leofric Purdy Bishop, known as Jim, and he held the post from 1962 to 1973. He was born in the diocese of Norwich and for a period had a parish there (Blakeney).He retired to Norfolk where he continued to minister (though I can find no record of his having been an assistant bishop). I can imagine that the new Bishop of Thetford will be referred to as Bishop Ian. I should think that Jim Bishop in retirement would have been Bishop Bishop.
The English & Welsh judiciary had the equivalent in Lord Chief Justice Judge (Igor Judge – Lord Judge – addressed informally as Judge Judge) who was LCJ 2008-2013.
The Anglo-Catholic church of St Alban’s, Holborn, once had a vicar named Peter Priest, who of course was Father Priest.
We had a Parson Parson in this parish
Has there been a Dean Dean yet?
At St Bart’s NYC, the Rector is Bishop Dean Wolf.
I am not aware of one. There was a Frederic Deane (1868-1952) who was Provost of St Mary’s Cathedral Glasgow and later Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney.
I always thought that man would be a Bishop one day.
Seeing his comments on ‘Living in Faith and Love’ in his election address, and noting that he trained at Oak Hill, he seems to have made quite a journey.
Yet another evangelical bishop!!
Yes, praise God! (that was written tongue in cheek btw…)
We have not had an evangelical bishop in these parts for a while so this is a novelty for us. Ian’s appointment will broaden the senior staff team. We are delighted to be getting him.
Looking at the bios of your bishops and the stables whence they came, Norwich diocese seems greatly blessed!
Can any good come out of Oak Hill?
Laus Deo they did produce Bishop Peter Hancock, a wonderful man of breadth and depth but who had to cope with brickbats from some of his co-alumni!
Like many TEIs, Oak Hill had had quite a history.
Ian has been a much respected Archdeacon in Chester Diocese (and before that a very effective Parish Priest at Middlewich). He is pastoral, wise and encouraging – and as his Synod election address shows, not afraid to change and grow in his understanding.
He’ll be missed.
And he echoed those comments about LLF at the archdeacon’s visitation on Monday before heading off swiftly that evening on an urgent trip to Norfolk! Yes he will indeed be missed
Looks a great fit for the Norwich episcopal leadership team. I served on the Oak Hill Council from 1995-2000. They thought they were getting one of their own, and were shocked to discover someone who challenged their scruples! In those days, women priesthood was the issue. In the early days of reception, let the reader understand!!