Thinking Anglicans

Appointment of Bishop of Peterborough

Press release from 10 Downing Street. Further coverage at Peterborough diocese and at Winchester.

The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Deborah Sellin, Suffragan Bishop of Southampton, for election as Bishop of Peterborough.

Appointment of Bishop of Peterborough: 28 September 2023

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Area Bishop of Woolwich, Dr Karowei Dorgu

In a letter to his diocese, the Bishop of Southwark has announced the death yesterday of the Bishop of Woolwich, the Rt Revd Dr Karowei Dorgu. Update: further details, including a tribute from the Archbishop of Canterbury, now at the Southwark website.

Bishop Christopher writes:

It is with great sadness that I write to inform you of the death of Bishop Karowei Dorgu. Bishop Karowei died peacefully after a long struggle with his health on Friday 8 September in the presence of his family at King’s College Hospital.

There will be time for proper tributes to be paid to him in due course — but for now I wish to convey my deepest sympathy to his wife Mosun, son Timi, twin sister Collette and the whole family. I express my gratitude for Bishop Karowei’s friendship and inspirational ministry — latterly as Bishop of Woolwich — where he brought much joy in his passion for the Gospel and loving encouragement to all whom he encountered. It was a privilege to join the family at his bedside and anoint him in his last hours, and I am grateful that the Archbishop of Canterbury came to pray with the family. We have lost a dear friend, brother and colleague and we will miss him greatly. I commend Bishop Karowei and his family to your prayers. May he rest in peace.

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Appointment of Bishop of Birmingham

Press release from 10 Downing Street. Further coverage at Birmingham diocese and at Ridley. The new bishop will be consecrated on 30 November 2023.

The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Dr Michael Volland for election as Bishop of Birmingham.

Appointment of Bishop of Birmingham: 31 August 2023

The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Dr Michael Volland, Principal of Ridley Hall, Cambridge, for election as Bishop of Birmingham, in succession to The Right Reverend David Urquhart, following his retirement.

Michael was educated at Northumbria University, King’s College London and Durham University and trained for ministry at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. He served his title at Gloucester Cathedral and was ordained Priest in 2007.

In 2009, Michael was appointed Director of Mission at Cranmer Hall, Durham, and additionally served as Chaplain to Durham Army Cadet Force from 2012 and as Team Leader and Mission Priest for the East Durham Mission Project and also Area Dean of Easington from 2014. In 2015, Michael was appointed Director of Context-Based Training and Pastoral Tutor at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, and in 2017 he took up his current role as Principal of Ridley Hall. Since then he has also served as President of the Cambridge Theological Federation and Chair of the Theological Education Institutions Principal’s Steering Group.

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Appointment of Dean of Southwark

It has been announced this morning that the Bishop of Southwark has appointed the Revd Dr Mark Oakley as the next Dean of Southwark. Mark Oakley is currently Dean of Chapel and Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge.

More information below and at Southwark Cathedral.

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Bishops of Selby and Whitby to retire

The Diocese of York has announced that the Bishop of Selby and the Bishop of Whitby will both retire in July 2024.

The Rt Revd John Thomson, Bishop of Selby, and the Rt Revd Paul Ferguson, Bishop of Whitby, will each have served ten years since their consecration together by the then Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, in York Minster in 2014. Events in July 2024 to mark their retirement will be announced nearer the time.

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Appointment of Suffragan Bishop of Dorking

Press release from the Prime Minister’s Office. There is more information on the Guildford diocesan website.

From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 26 July 2023

The King has approved the nomination of The Venerable Richard Paul Davies, Archdeacon of Surrey, to the Suffragan See of Dorking, in the Diocese of Guildford, in succession to The Right Reverend Dr Jo Bailey Wells, following her resignation.

Background

Paul was educated at the University of Wales, Lampeter and the University of Oxford, and trained for ministry at Ripon College Cuddesdon. He served his title at St Davids Cathedral in Wales and was ordained priest in 1998.

In 2001 Paul became a Team Vicar in the Benefice of Dewisland with responsibility for Solva and Brawdy, in the Diocese of St Davids, and in 2006 was appointed as Vicar of Burry Port and Pwll in the same diocese. During these years, he additionally served as Diocesan Director of Ordinands, and an Officiating Chaplain to the Military.

In 2012 Paul was appointed as Archdeacon of Bangor and Anglesey in the Diocese of Bangor. In 2017 he took up his current role as Archdeacon of Surrey in the Diocese of Guildford.

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Bishop of Ely to become Bishop of Lincoln

It has been announced from Downing Street this morning that Stephen Conway, Bishop of Ely, has been nominated to be the next Bishop of Lincoln. In a letter to the diocese of Ely, Bishop Stephen writes that he expects to be installed as Bishop of Lincoln in the autumn, and to remain there for the five years before he retires.

The press release from Downing Street is here.

Coverage on the Ely website, including the bishop’s letter is here. And Lincoln here.

The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Stephen Conway, Bishop of Ely and Acting Bishop of Lincoln, for election as Bishop of Lincoln, in succession to The Right Reverend Christopher Lowson following his retirement.

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Appointment of Bishop of Huddersfield

The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Madhu Smitha Prasadam, Chaplain of St Alban’s, Copenhagen, in the Diocese of Europe to the Suffragan See of Huddersfield, in the Diocese of Leeds.

Press release from the Prime Minister’s Office. There is more on the diocesan website.

Appointment of the Suffragan Bishop of Huddersfield: 8 March 2023

From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 8 March 2023

The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Madhu Smitha Prasadam, Chaplain of St Alban’s, Copenhagen, in the Diocese of Europe to the Suffragan See of Huddersfield, in the Diocese of Leeds, in succession to The Right Reverend Dr Jonathan Gibbs following his appointment as Bishop of Rochester.

Background

Smitha was educated at Leeds University (College of Ripon and York St John) and trained for ministry at Queen’s College Birmingham. She served her title at St Paul, Blackheath in the Diocese of Birmingham, and was ordained Priest in 2004. She was the Vicar of St Paul, Hamstead in the Diocese of Birmingham from 2007 to 2018.

Smitha was appointed to her current role as Chaplain of St Alban’s, Copenhagen in the Diocese of Europe in 2018. She has additionally served as Canon on the Cathedral Chapter since 2021.

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Liturgical resources on the death of HM The Queen

The Church of England has made available a number of resources for churches and schools to remember Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. These include:

  • Guidance for parish churches on the death of HM The Queen
  • Guidance for Prayer and Worship
  • Prayers for Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer
  • Service of Prayer and Reflection
  • Special Commemorative Service
  • Holy Communion during the period of mourning

There are further resources for collective worship and other activities in schools.

Gracious God,
we give thanks
for the life of your servant Queen Elizabeth,
for her faith and her dedication to duty.
Bless our nation as we mourn her death
and may her example continue to inspire us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

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Stephen Knott to be new Archbishops’ Secretary for Appointments

It has been announced from Lambeth Palace that the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have appointed Stephen Knott as the new Archbishops’ Secretary for Appointments, who plays a key role in the nomination of bishops and cathedral deans. He will take up the role at the end of January 2022.

The Lambeth Palace press release is copied below, and there is further information at the Church Times.

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Titus Trust Culture Review

The report of a culture review of The Titus Trust has been published today. The review was commissioned by the Trust and undertaken by Thirtyone:eight.

The full report can be read on the Titus Trust website here, together with an executive summary, and a statement from the Trust.

Thirtyone:eight have also published a webpage and a separate  statement on their website.

A couple of extracts from the Executive Summary, together with the recommendations are copied below.

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Archbishop of Wales elected

The electoral college of the Church in Wales met today in Llandrindod Wells and elected Andy John, Bishop of Bangor, as the 14th Archbishop of Wales by a two-thirds majority.

Andy John has been Bishop of Bangor for 13 years and is currently the longest-serving bishop on the Welsh bench.

More details on the Church in Wales website, and a recording of the announcement of the election is here.

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Bishop of Willesden

The name of the next Area Bishop of Willesden has been announced from 10 Downing Street. There is more information at the Diocese of London website.

The Queen has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Mission and Ministry Enabler, in the Diocese of Leicester, to the Suffragan See of Willesden, in the Diocese of London, in succession to The Right Reverend Peter Broadbent who resigned on 30th September 2021.

Background

Lusa was educated in Theology at the Faculté Universitaire de Théologie Protestante, Brussels and trained for ministry at Cranmer Hall, Durham. He served his title at All Saints, Staplehurst, in the Diocese of Canterbury and was ordained Priest in 2009.

In 2012, Lusa was appointed Vicar at St Aidan, Gravesend, in the Diocese of Rochester and in 2017, he took up his current role as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Mission and Ministry Enabler in the Diocese of Leicester.

He is married to Mirjam who works as Discipleship Officer at Leicester Cathedral. They have three young children.

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First Same-Sex Blessing in Church in Wales

The BBC reports that following recent approval by the Governing Body of the Church in Wales, the civil partnership of a priest in Llangollen and his partner was today blessed in a service led by the Bishop of St Asaph. It is believed to be the first such service in the Church in Wales. The Scottish Episcopal Church became the first Anglican church in the UK to allow same-sex marriages in 2017.

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Acting Bishop of Lincoln

It has been announced from Lambeth Palace that the Bishop of Ely, Stephen Conway, is to be Acting Bishop in the Diocese of Lincoln, following the retirement of Bishop Christopher Lowson in December 2021. Bishop Stephen will spend half of his time in Lincoln and half in Ely, and the arrangement is for an initial period of one year. In a letter to the diocese of Lincoln, the Archbishop writes:

You will be aware that we have started the process for the appointment of your next bishop and thank you to those of you who have shared your hopes and prayers for the Gospel and for the witness of the Church of England across Lincolnshire through the various listening exercises.
Following a meeting with Bishop Christopher Lowson and a subsequent meeting with the Bishop’s Staff team, I have asked Bishop Stephen Conway, Bishop of Ely, to be the Acting Bishop of Lincoln from the 1st January 2022. Stephen will be spending half of his time in Lincoln and the arrangement will be reviewed at the end of the year. This will mean a longer vacancy period than we had originally planned but we hope that a pause in the appointment process will provide some space and time to reflect on the longer term needs of the diocese.

The full text of the announcement is on the Lincoln diocesan website and copied below the fold. The announcement from the Archbishop of Canterbury is here, and a letter from Bishop Stephen Conway to the diocese of Ely is here.

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Resignation of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet

It has been announced from Lambeth Palace that the Bishop of Ebbsfleet, Jonathan Goodall, one of the Provincial Episcopal Visitors, is to step down and will be received into communion with the See of Rome. In the statement, Bishop Jonathan writes:

I have arrived at the decision to step down as Bishop of Ebbsfleet, in order to be received into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, only after a long period of prayer, which has been among the most testing periods of my life. … I trust you all to believe that I have made my decision as a way of saying yes to God’s present call and invitation, and not of saying no to what I have known and experienced in the Church of England, to which I owe such a deep debt.

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About commenters

Several times over the years we (Simon, Peter and Simon, the editors of TA) have posted reminders encouraging “good commenting”. One of the common themes is the number of pseudonymous and anonymous comments. As long ago as 2009 we wrote:

please consider seriously using your own name, rather than a pseudonym. While we do not, at this time, intend to make this a requirement, we do wish to strongly encourage the use of real names.

This request still stands but we have also decided that even where we allow pseudonymous comments the pseudonyms must be distinct. In particular we will not publish comments that come with the tag “Anon” or similar.

Long-term pseudonymous commenters may wish from time to time to sign comments with their real names, even while continuing the use of the familiar pseudonym.

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Bishop of Liverpool announces his retirement

The Bishop of Liverpool, Paul Bayes, has announced that he is to retire in March 2022.

In a letter to clergy, churchwardens and other ministers, the bishop writes:

I’m deeply grateful to God for the years spent ministering alongside my outstanding colleagues and friends here in Liverpool Diocese. I look forward to the next few months as we work to sustain our parishes, schools, fresh expressions and chaplaincies as communities of worship and mission through the pandemic and into God’s new future.

Across the whole Church of England we are on the way together into that same future. I shall continue as best I can to contribute to a faithful, open, joyous, light, inclusive and just Church — a community that is true to the poor carpenter who made it; one that honours those on the edge of things; one that conveys the amazing reality of our loving and living God to England as it actually is.

But for me the time has come to prepare for a new chapter in life and ministry, and to contribute in a different way. Accordingly I have informed the Queen and the Archbishop of York that I intend to resign the See of Liverpooand to retire at the beginning of March next year. God willing, my farewell service in the Cathedral will be on Saturday February 12, 2022.

From next March I hope to spend more time in prayer and reflection and stillness, in resting and writing and reading and thinking. Please pray for Kate and me as we prepare for this change, and for the Diocese as it sustains its ‘long obedience in the same direction’, a community of people living in Christ and seeking the good of the world.

 

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Server disruption

We are currently (27 May 2021) having major server issues. We are trying to get back online, and have meanwhile restored this old version of our site.

[Updated Friday 28 May]

Please do not comment on articles here — comments will not be approved and will be lost.

We’re still running on our old server, but comments will now be accepted in the usual way.

[Updated Friday afternoon 17:27 and 17:40 BST]

We are moving back to the production server, Please refrain from making comments while this message is here. Any new comments will be lost until you see an update to this post.

We have now successfully moved back to our production server. You may notice some minor glitches (e.g. the number of comments on recent articles may be reported incorrectly, but the comments should be there). We will fix these shortly.

We apologise for the inconvenience.

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Disruption to service

Thinking Anglicans is being moved to a new server. Unfortunately this has proved more complicated than expected and the changes have been temporarily backed out. I think that the state of comments has been restored, but I apologise if a comment has been lost in the process.

Updated Thursday evening: The move has now been completed, and if you are seeing this message then you are seeing us on our new server.

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