The Rt Revd John Packer, the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, has announced that he will retire on 31 January 2014. His final duties as bishop of the diocese will be on 31 December 2013.
Since his diocese will cease to exist at Easter 2014 with the creation of the new Diocese of Leeds, Bishop Packer will not be replaced.
Hopefully leading the way to Nick Baines becoming Bishop of the new Diocese?
Hopefully the new bishop’s cathedra will be in Ripon Cathedral – by far the finest church building within the new mega-diocese and Wilfred ‘s church, no less!
This is why he can be so positive about the coming new super diocese, as he’ll be gone it won’t trouble him.
It will however trouble all those who are left. I can see nothing but an unwieldy and fractious time ahead. The reorganisation will produce de facto at least four dioceses out of the present three.