The appointment of a suffragan bishop for the diocese in Europe has been announced from 10 Downing Street. This appointment is made by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London and the Bishop in Europe acting jointly after consultation with the Standing Committee of the Diocesan Synod. There is further information on the Diocese in Europe website here and here.
The King has approved the consecration of Reverend Canon Andrew Norman as Suffragan Bishop in the Diocese in Europe.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 29 November 2024The King has approved the consecration of Reverend Canon Andrew Norman, Director of Ministry and Mission for the Diocese of Leeds, as Suffragan Bishop in the Diocese in Europe, in succession to the Right Reverend David Hamid, following his retirement.
Background
Andrew was educated at University College, Oxford, Selwyn College, Cambridge and the University of Birmingham and trained for ministry at Ridley Hall, Cambridge and Virginia Theological Seminary. He was ordained priest in 1996 and served his title at St Michael’s Church, Paris in the Diocese in Europe.
After serving in the benefice of Clifton in Bristol, Andrew was appointed in 2002 as Archbishop of Canterbury’s Assistant Secretary for Ecumenical and Anglican Communion Affairs.
In 2005, he was promoted to Archbishop’s Principal Secretary for International, Ecumenical and Anglican Communion Affairs.
From 2008 to 2016 Andrew served as Principal of Ridley Hall Cambridge, during which time he additionally held honorary canonries in Canterbury and Ely Cathedrals.
In 2017 he was appointed to his current role as Director of Ministry and Mission in the newly-formed Diocese of Leeds and was made honorary canon of Wakefield Cathedral.
A dairy farmer’s son, Andrew worked for the world’s largest commercial printer of banknotes, De La Rue, prior to ordination.
For further information, see the Europe Anglican website.
Very good appointment.
Yes, I agree, Anthony. I knew him when he was Principal of Ridley, and always wondered why he wasn’t made Bishop before now. It’s refreshing to see some appointments beyond Boddington clones finding their way into the Episcopacy.
If you see the Church of England as HTB plc no doubt but if you see the the Church of England as the Body of Christ then predictable and very disappointing.
There is an alternative to Welby’s failed narrow evangelical corporate vision and here it is. The Church of England has much to learn from the Church in Wales and the Diocese of Monmouth in particular.
https://youtu.be/CYfRKF9lYn4?si=pO9EyefgokkYPPxo
Is this the Church of Wales where attendance numbers are so low they have stopped publishing the data? What should we learn from a denomination which has about 10-15 years left?
Grace?
Amen.
‘Welby’s failed narrow evangelical corporate vision’
This would be the Justin Welby who has a Roman Catholic spiritual director, yes?
This would also be the Justin Welby whose earliest initiative was to set up a Benedictine community of prayer and service at the heart of Lambeth.? Every label is a libel.
… but one initially advertised as intending to be for ‘young professionals’ …
Unless there is another religious order inhabiting Lambeth Palace alongside the Community of St Anselm you possibly need to lose ‘Benedictine’ from your sentence to make it accurate (unless the CSA is running on its own rule and St Benedict’s as well).
Anselm was a Benedictine monk and Archbishop of Canterbury. So I think the intended links are clear. Justin Welby’s personal faith is strongly formed by Benedictine spirituality.
Oh dear. CSA is best know as as the abbreviation for Child Sexual Abuse – as in IICSA. That’s an unfortunate association when the church’s safeguarding failures are so much in the news and public consciousness. Perhaps the Lambeth community would be better shortened to CoSA or ComSA?
I believe it is Chemin Neuf, an ecumenical Catholic order based in France.
You know, I’m all for a bit of robust debate, but can we try to at least have some idea what we are talking about?
Why?!
His ministerial career has real breadth, unusual in most nominations. His background in Anglican Communion affairs will be very valuable to the College of Bishops, given the state of relationships currently; he has demonstrable experience of training priests and equipping laity; and with his policy experience he will bring much to developing and leading the strategy for this distinctive diocese.
Thank you.
“equipping laity”
Says it all in my opinion.
I don’t need “equipping” I need kindness, empathy and pastoral care not HTB plc.
Well, according to Ephesians 4.11-12, equipping God’s people for works of ministry is part of the work of the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers given to the church by Christ. Sorry you don’t feel you need it.
I find your comment a bit puzzling. I’m not quite sure what “HTB plc” is. “HTB” is presumably Holy Trinity Brompton. I’m much less certain what you mean by a “plc.” Do you mean “programmable logic controller”? That is, according to one internet site, “A small, industrial computer that monitors and controls industrial equipment using custom programs. PLCs can automate complex tasks, improve efficiency, and reduce costs. They can be used to control a machine function, process, or entire production line.” If so, I take it you’re objecting to something like a conservative-evangelical mind control of the laity. At any rate, I… Read more »
Thank you Tim Chesterton and dr.primrose for unpacking what I clearly meant inter alia in commending Andrew Norman.
I think the ‘plc’ bit maybe got lost in translation across the Atlantic. A plc is a public limited company which usually has shares available to the public and is listed on the London Stock Exchange. So I guess the reference in the post is to portray HTB as a kind of business enterprise or suggest it operates like a corporate empire.
Nice exploration of vocation though. Thank you for that.
When I knew Andrew, though definitely Evangelical, he was most certainly not an HTB clone.
As one who knew the diocese well the choice is good. You will be well pleased with Andrew Norman so do pray with real expectation
He’s a great bloke from my encounters with him. Slight lament is another bishop who hasn’t ever been an incumbent, but hey ho, maybe developing a ministry of real breadth sometimes doesn’t leave space for being a vicar.
I wish him well. Having served briefly as chaplain in Fontainebleau and knowing many chaplaincies in France alone, this ‘diocese’ is sprawling (as you know). The biggest in the CofE. Russia to Tenerife.
So the diocesan bishop – a male Evangelical – chooses as his colleague another male Evangelical (in a diocese where most of the chaplaincies have historically been more on the catholic wing of the C of E). All of the archdeacons in the diocese are also men. What does it take to get people who are committed to real rather than fake diversity running the C of E?
The continuing anti-evangelical prejudice on TA is breathtaking.
Well, I don’t know how well you know the diocese. One very important part of the bishops’ work is ecumenical contact: our full communion partners are the Old Catholics and the Lutheran Churches of the Nordic countries and Germany; then the rest of the diocese is nearly all in countries which have a Roman Catholic or Orthodox majority presence, and where the C of E chaplaincies often operate on the basis of those hierarchies’ good will. Something that became very clear over recent decades of Anglican rows regarding youknowwhatyouality is that our (Conservative) Evangelical wing has a very poor sense… Read more »
Given Andrew’s previous role working in ecumenism for Archbishop Rowan I think he will tick the ecumenical box, which is important in the Diocese in Europe, very well. I am not from the evangelical wing of the C of E myself but when working at the Anglican Communion Office I always found Andrew a good, thoughtful intelligent, conscientious colleague who never tried overly to stand on his dignity or throw his weight around (unlike some of the Archbishop’s staff!). Yes, I regret there is no woman on the senior staff of the Diocese and I hope that will be rectified… Read more »
Yes, the new appointee has ecumenical experience, clearly. But if you look at the archdeacons, it’s not just that they are all male – one went through Cuddesdon, but apart from that, would they not all call themselves Evangelicals? (If they are reading this, doubtless they will answer for themselves) Those of us who have known the diocese over a long time – and it is one that has always been regarded as among the more Catholic of the C of E’s dioceses, because of the nature of most of its chaplaincies – may well be concerned to see how… Read more »
Thanks for clarifying his ecumenical talents and range.
This is interesting. I have a couple of questions. Given that both the Protestant regional churches and Catholic Churches on the continent tend to be very liberal on issues of human sexualities, how has the evangelical bishop of Europe managed to interact with them? Also do you think the reason evangelicals in the COE (including bishop Innes) have had little contact with their continental counterparts, is because they don’t see eye to eye on sexuality issues
My impression is that +Robert has lots of interaction with his ecumenical partners.
I think it is undoubtedly the case that Conservative Evangelicals in the C of E are uncomfortable with the fact that the churches they are in communion with in Europe – the Old Catholics and the Nordic and German Lutherans – are all much more liberal on issues of (gender and) sexuality. The current Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe comes from that stable. Talking with Danish and Swedish Lutheran clergy about this, some of them said to me: “Look, we are the real Protestants here! Real Protestants only think there are two sacraments, and marriage isn’t one of them, so… Read more »
Don’t forget the majority of the reformed churches on the continent are also more liberal than English evangelicals. That does not even take into account the other Protestant churches of Scotland and Wales. It seems Anglican evangelicals are very theologically isolated when it comes to European Protestantism. What do you think of Graham Tomlinson? Also isolated from other European Protestants?
“Catholic Churches on the continent tend to be very liberal on issues of human sexualities” — Having lived in France for 5 years and worshipped at the Catholic Church, I do not understand this sweeping claim. It was not our experience.
What decade were you living in France? Also I had in mind more the Catholic Churches in German speaking parts of Europe with my sweeping claim. Austria, Switzerland and Germany come to mind.
Well, they have hardly come out smelling of roses with the Bash Camp Smyth affair!!
“they”
What? Every evangelical? Presumably you really believe you have posted nonsense… or you are committing the error you accuse others of… straightforward prejudice.
A real conversation becomes impossible.
The concern I have expressed here on this thread is not why any Evangelicals should be involved in running the diocese, but why almost *all* those on the senior team in the diocese should be Evangelicals: and also why they should all be men.
I find it hard to understand your vituperative response.
It’s not as if the Bishop of London was involved… did you miss it or dismiss her?
The theme continues.