The appointments of two suffragan bishops have been announced today. More details are on the Leeds and Carlisle diocesan websites.
Appointment of Bishop of Kirkstall: 27 May 2022
The Queen has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Arun Arora, Vicar of St Nicholas Church, Durham, and Honorary Canon of Durham Cathedral, to the Suffragan See of Kirkstall, in the Diocese of Leeds.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 27 May 2022
The Queen has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Arun Arora, Vicar of St Nicholas Church, Durham, and Honorary Canon of Durham Cathedral, to the Suffragan See of Kirkstall, in the Diocese of Leeds, in succession to The Right Reverend Paul Slater following his retirement.
Background
Arun studied Law and Politics at Birmingham University and worked as a solicitor after graduation. He was appointed Bishop’s Press Officer and Diocesan Communications Officer in the Diocese of Birmingham in 2000, and began training for ordained ministry at Cranmer Hall, Durham in 2004. He served his title at St Mark’s, Harrogate, in the former Diocese of Ripon and Leeds, alongside serving as the Director of Communications for the Office of the Archbishop of York. He was ordained Priest in 2008.
In 2010, Arun was appointed Team Leader of Pioneer Ministries, Wolverhampton, in the Diocese of Lichfield. In 2012, he became the Director of Communications for the National Church Institutions. Arun took up his current role as Vicar of St Nicholas Church, Durham, in 2017, and was additionally appointed Honorary Canon of Durham Cathedral in 2021.
Appointment of Bishop of Penrith: 27 May 2022
The Queen has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Robert Saner-Haigh, to the Suffragan See of Penrith, in the Diocese of Carlisle.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 27 May 2022
The Queen has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Robert Saner-Haigh, Residentiary Canon of Newcastle Cathedral and Director of Mission and Ministry for the Diocese of Newcastle, to the Suffragan See of Penrith, in the Diocese of Carlisle, in succession to The Right Reverend Dr Emma Ineson following her resignation.
Background
Rob was educated at Birmingham University and trained for ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He served his title at St Lawrence, Appleby, in the Diocese of Carlisle, and was ordained Priest in 2006.
Rob was appointed Bishop’s Chaplain and Assistant Priest at St Michael’s, Dalston, with Cumdivock, Raughton Head and Wreay in 2007. Alongside these roles, he also served as Director of Ordinands and Diocesan Initial Ministerial Education Officer. In 2010, Rob was appointed Priest-in-Charge of Holy Trinity, Kendal.
Rob took up his current roles as Residentiary Canon of Newcastle Cathedral and Director of Mission and Ministry for the Diocese of Newcastle in 2020.
It would be a nice touch for the new Bishop of Kirkstall to be given a liturgical welcome in the ruins of Kirkstall Abbey.
I agree. Even though they are no longer recognised as consecrated ground, many abbey ruins remain deeply spiritual places.
Is it necessary to come from a distinctly evangelical wing to become a bishop these days, or is just that it seems like that?
Any study of recent appointments would show a spread of churchmanships. To think of a few, the new +Bath & Wells used to be on the staff at Westcott, Stephen Lake at Salisbury is certainly not an evangelical, Rosemarie Mallett at Croydon definitely not. I don’t think Jane Steen, Julie Conalty, Lynne Cullens would identify as ‘party evangelicals’ either. To my eyes evangelical appointments in fact seem to be in the minority.
I did not emphasise ‘recent’…. but looking over the past decade, …well my case rests.
The new Bath and Wells, whom you cite against the point I am making, was trained at St Johns College Nottingham and Cranmer Hall!
Westcott is very inclusive!
The likes of Robert Runcie and Richard Chartres are not easy to find on the episcopal bench.
I struggle hard.
The bishop elect of Bath and Wells did not train at St John’s Nottingham – only at Cranmer Hall.
Stephen Cottrell?
A lot of evangelicals were appointed from about 2010-2017 but since then it has mainly been liberal catholics (e.g. York, London, Chelmsford, Bath and Wells, Salisbury, Bristol, Norwich).
Perhaps it is gravitas that seems to be in short supply!!??
Liberal catholic is very broad label.
Some listed seem more liberal than catholic although i would rejoice in the term liberal catholic!
Please note, for some us it is a struggle not a party game!
I’m sure many of us will be sighing with relief that the odd evangelical has snuck through in current times…
Welby?.etc etc ..and a good few others!
I cannot comment on odd evangelicals…it would seem impolite. But they are your words.
I think odd evangelicals have what one could call a bit of a power base!!
Such tiresome irrelevant comments on where people train and what their so-called position is. The danger is that these comments are fuelling tribalism which we must resist at every turn. When we actually know the person, how they have grown and developed – then Yes! Feel free to comment, but if we don’t – then what does it contribute? For the record, these two look like competent and capable appointments and rooted in bags of diverse experience.
Not so good to feel so well slapped down.
Perhaps struggling is a waste of time.
No it isn’t. Being ‘put down’ is part of the territory. We need questioners and we need strugglers. Something very Gospel about both. And, by the way, your original point was spot on!
I’m pleased when I’m slapped down. It means I’ve hit a nerve, and said what others dare not. Good for you. KBO.
Peace upon all struggling Anglicans and homeless Anglicans. If these are perceived as evangelical appointments, and seem to confirm a trend, the chances are they are evangelicals. For me the terms is increasingly and equally stretched, appropriated and emptied of meaning, At this critical point in the destiny of the CofE I’m looking for leaders who believe in a little more than the BBC Radio 4 agenda, who like the people we serve and know something about the Church of England. If evangelicals can do that, appoint away. The evangelicals I think we can do without are those in the… Read more »
Perhaps it is becoming a little less relevant to talk about which college people trained at – especially given the majority now train non residentially. Nevertheless Wycliffe, St Stephens House or Oak Hill usually still carry a meaning.
‘Struggling Anglican’ makes an insightful comment that gravitas is what is so much in need. Where are the carefully measured deep thinking leaders of the Church of England such as John Habgood or Rowan Williams. They are out of fashion now, sadly.
As a parishioner in the Diocese of Leeds, I welcome Canon Arora’s appointment, even though I don’t necessarilly inhabit the same Evangelical terrain. Some episcopal energy in and around the M1 will be especially welcome. Another imaginative appointment by Nick Baines. When he was the Comms Supremo at Church House, Westminster, we had none of the recent nonsense (e.g. prayers that suggested the outcome of the 2019 general election would be an expression of God’s will…) and, on the very few occasions I had to contact him there, Canon Arora always responded personally in a way that was prompt, courteous,… Read more »
It seems to me that evangelicals – be they open or conservative – are clearly in the ascendancy in the Church of England, and are likely to be so for some time. They are the main growing and giving churches – at least I think they are.
And so it seems that bishops will inevitably come from their ranks.