The next Bishop of Warwick is to be Canon Timothy Lomax. Details are in a Government press release, copied below, and on the Coventry diocesan website.
Suffragan Bishop of Warwick: 11 September 2026
The King has approved the nomination of the Reverend Canon Dr Timothy Michael Lomax, BEd Hons, DipTh, MA, DMin, to the Suffragan See of Warwick, in the Diocese of Coventry.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published: 11 September 2026
This appointment was approved by The King on the advice of the previous Prime Minister.
The King has approved the nomination of the Reverend Canon Dr Timothy Michael Lomax, BEd Hons, DipTh, MA, DMin, Director of Mission and Ministry and Residentiary Canon of St Albans Cathedral, to the Suffragan See of Warwick, in the Diocese of Coventry, in succession to the Right Reverend John Stroyan, BA, MTheol, BA, following his retirement.
Tim was educated at Nottingham University and Asbury Theological Seminary, Kentucky, and trained for ministry at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. He served his title at St Philip Penn Fields, Wolverhampton, in the Diocese of Lichfield and, in 2008, he was ordained priest. From 2010, Tim Lomax served as Vicar at Christ Church, Bayston Hill, Shrewsbury.
From 2016, Tim served as Director of Mission, in the Diocese of St Albans and in 2020, he was appointed to his current role as Director of Mission and Ministry, additionally serving as Residentiary Canon of St. Albans Cathedral.
Tim is married to Kate and they have three grown up children.
This is from the Asbury Theological Seminary web site. I trust he will have developed his theology since being a student there. For the common good of the Asbury Theological Seminary community, the Seminary commits to the following guiding principles: We believe God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as either male or female. Together these two distinct sexes reflect the creative nature and image of God. We affirm celibacy as a valuable and honorable practice related to holy living. We honor and esteem the fidelity of deep holy friendships as being in the image of God. We affirm marriage… Read more »
For the good of Coventry Diocese, I hope that Bishop-to-be Lomax will affirm the Christian faithfulness of any of his clergy whose convictions stand in broad accord with those of his former seminary. They seem to be classic Christian convictions to me.
How lovely. It sounds as if you are pleased Coventry is to have an anti-trans, teetotal homophobe to show how narrow-minded we all are.
Being a biological sex realist, yes, if that is his view on the trans issue. Being an upholder (as promised when ordained) of the C of E teaching that marriage is male-female and the God-given institution for sexual intimacy, then it would be good if (like all of us) a new bishop can affirm his consecration vows with integrity. Teetotalism isn’t required by these guiding principles. It is the community life which is to be dry. Which seems pastorally sensitive and wise if (as is often the case), a Christian community includes members whose struggles with alcoholism have been an… Read more »
It must be difficult living in another Century.
The problem is not living in another century, the problem is ignoring medical and biological evidence. It leads to ridicule. As St Augustine so eloquently said.
Precisely. Ignoring scientific evidence and medical advancement shouldn’t come second to endlessly quoting texts at people. That convinces no one
I’ve noticed a bit of a trend recently among evangelical leaders of a certain ilk to have pursued their doctoral degree through Asbury. Matthew Porter, the Bishop of Bolton is another alumnus of theirs. With the cost of fees at American institutions, even ones at the more reasonably priced end of the spectrum, which includes Asbury, I am beginning to wonder if there is a little spoken of financial initiative in place funding doctoral studies at Asbury for those from that constituency in the UK who are thought to show potential for wider canvas leadership. Asbury itself appears to have… Read more »
Which has the higher academic standards, Asbury or a UK university theology department. I think I know. Is an Asbury doctorate an ‘I am a member of the club’ badge for clerics?
The website states the number of hours ( presumably of teaching) for each course, which do not appear to be that high. I cannot see any mention of mode of assessment. There does not seem to be a requirement to sit exams, hand in essays or submit a thesis or dissertation.
As I know nothing about higher education in the USA, I may have misunderstood this. However, I am left with the feeling that all you need do is turn up (in person or online depending on the course) to get your degree.
Yes in the last few years I know a number of C of E clergy and bishops have been doing DMins via Asbury as part of a few cohorts. There’s a missional/evangelistic/church planting focus to what they’ve been doing. Not all evangelicals, I think, but the majority. The one person I personally know who was on it it had to find a fair proportion of the funds themselves – I don’t know whether there was a subsidy, and if so what ‘pot’ it came from.
Interesting that only 8 of the 50 members of faculty on their website are women. Of course the staff may be excellent teachers and pastors but in 2026 that does look a bit unbalanced.
Seems a bit sex-obsessed to me. 5/9 points are about sex.
i often wonder what these institutions teach about inter-sex people. However small in number (which is open to debate, but their existence is not open to debate).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersex
Doesn’t this demolish point 1 ?
At the equivalent stage that Tim Lomax went and studied at Asbury Seminary I began theological studies at a strongly conservative Bible College in the UK, in response to a profound awakening of faith. It was a significant time and I remain grateful for what it gave me, but by the time I left I knew this was not my theological home. I began CofE ordination training at an evangelical college with a strong charismatic emphasis. There I encountered Thomas Merton and was profoundly impacted by catholic contemplative spirituality. I was seriously considered becoming a monk and have been something… Read more »
These guiding principles do at least place some exacting and ‘costly’ demands on heterosexual people – unlike those anti-gay/anti-trans evangelicals who appear to be relaxed about pre-marital sex, divorce, and remarriage for themselves whilst expecting different standards for others.
Sounds ghastly. You can’t even have a glass of wine with your evening meal. I don’t think Jesus would have appreciated that either.
I guess the steward at Cana would have been hacked off at such a rule.
They disapprove of drinking to excess, a sentiment the steward at Cana would have strongly approved of. It was drinking to excess (at least in excess of what he had provided) that led to his predicament.
… and thus occasioned the first of the Lords Signs… Of course Unscriptural Judaism allows the faithful to get so wazzled on (I think) Purim that they can’t distinguish between the hero and the villain in the story….
For all sorts of reasons, which I won’t (and cannot) cite in a public forum, I think this is not a good appointment. Another example of an evangelical ‘pushed forward’. But it all depends on who you know!!! He came to St Albans as a protege of the previous bishop who had been his suffragan in Shrewsbury. My experience is that he tended to favour those of his churchmanship and couldn’t see that non-evangelical ways of mission existed. I pray that + Sophie will ensure that he has a wider view.
I think Bishop Jelley and Canon Lomax will get along famously.
It looks like the Diocese of Coventry is going the way of the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham, save that at least there is now gender balance in the episcopal leadership of Coventry.
“The King has approved the nomination of the Reverend Canon Dr Timothy Michael Lomax, BEd Hons, DipTh, MA, DMin, to the Suffragan See of Warwick, in the Diocese of Coventry. This appointment was approved by The King on the advice of the previous Prime Minister.” Is this really how we want Church of England bishops to be appointed ? Either the involvment of the King and Prime Minister is purely notional in which case why are the statements there ? Isn’t Christianity supposed to be about telling the truth ? But if the King and Prime Minister have actual power… Read more »
The King and Prime Minister do have power over appointments, constitutionally, it’s just that they choose by convention not to exercise it. Downing Street could intervene, and I hope would if, for example, there is another, for example, Diocese of Winchester disaster. That CNC nomination should have been rejected. It was known to be problematic, but I don’t think the State cares much these days.