Press release from 10 Downing Street. Further information from the Birmingham and Guildford diocesan websites.
The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Esther Tamisa Prior, Vicar of St John the Baptist Egham and Honorary Canon at Guildford Cathedral, for appointment as Suffragan Bishop of Aston in the Diocese of Birmingham.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 12 December 2024The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Esther Tamisa Prior, Vicar of St John the Baptist Egham and Honorary Canon at Guildford Cathedral, for appointment as Suffragan Bishop of Aston in the Diocese of Birmingham, in succession to The Right Reverend Anne Hollinghurst following her resignation and appointment as Principal of the Queens Foundation.
Background
Esther was educated at the University of Zimbabwe and trained for ministry at Trinity College, Bristol. She was ordained priest in 2004 and served her title at Redland Parish Church in the Diocese of Bristol, and St John’s, Deptford, in the Diocese of Southwark.
In 2008, Esther was appointed Associate Minister at St Matthew’s, Borstal, additionally serving as Chaplain at Blackheath Bluecoat Church of England School until 2009 and as Prison Chaplain for Cookham Wood from 2010. Esther was appointed Team Vicar at St John, Cove, in the Diocese of Guildford, in 2011 and in 2018 took up her current role as Vicar of St John the Baptist, Egham.
Esther is married to Matt, who is also ordained, and they have two teenaged children.
Esther Prior is currently a member of the CNC, so she will presumably become ineligible to take part as a central member, elected by the House of Clergy.
Who is the other member of her pair?
It’s Lis Goddard. That makes four ‘pairs’ down to one member. And no provision in the current system for those who leave or become ineligible to be replaced.
There was one Bishop of Aston who was descended from Charles Dickens (great-great grandson), perhaps an example of what Arthur Conan Doyle called ‘art in the blood’. A further example, doubtless already known to most readers of TA, is this. Ralph Vaughan Williams was the great-nephew of Charles Darwin.
Surprise surprise! An evangelical.
Surprise, surprise, a sister in Christ!
As are well over 70% of ordinands.
She has an interesting variety of background and experience, including education in Zimbabwe. This is encouraging. But why no photo?
There’s a picture on the linked Birmingham page.
A tenuous link is that a Bishop of Mashonaland was consecrated in the Anglican Cathedral in Birmingham on St Peter’s Day 1968. His name was Paul Burrough. The chief consecrator was the Archbishop of Central Africa, and the co-consecrators included the Bishops of Malawi and Matabeleland. The Bishop of Birmingham, who had himself been consecrated in the Far East, also took part as did the Bishop of Lancaster (amongst others).
The 1968 Lambeth Conference began on the 25th July. Humanae Vitae is also dated 25th July 1968.
Anselm Genders (later Bishop of Bermuda) was Archdeacon of Manicaland and a Brummie so that tenuously squares the circle!
You all may wish to have a look at the church website: https://stjohnsegham.com/
I was interested in the services – I thought there was a lack of Bible readings and creeds – what think ye all?
It bears no resemblance to the Church of England, but is typical of today’s smiling non-denominational sect since Mr Welby and his HTB ilk came to power.
In the LLF debate of Nov 23 she called for “formal, structural provision “…. so unless there’s been a change of heart and mind is this another “conservative “ appointment?
Alongside +Wolverhampton … is there an attempt to hold “conservative “ evangelicals within current structures … without resorting to Bishopsgate type provision?
Yes
A couple of years ago I went to a service remembering a very dear friend. Her remains had been cremated at a family service earlier in the day. The Victorian parish church had been changed beyond all recognition from the time I lived nearby, with strings of lights and a glitter ball hanging up- the entire access seemed now to be North /South. One of the friends I was with is Church Warden in a nearby parish where the liturgy used would be highly familiar to Rev David H. (and me). We had arrived fairly early and my friend became… Read more »
“Bears no resemblance to the Church of England”. Would you be so kind as to describe what the Church of England looks like so that I will know it when I see it. My parish church is a 1960’s building with no bells or spire or pipe organ, my next nearest church has bells, two towers and it’s original pipe organ and further away is a church with bells, spire, organ, robed choir. Which is the Church of England?
The two main services last Sunday morning, one of them Holy Communion, seem to each have just a single verse of bible reading (John 8.12 in both cases) which does not seem to relate to any lectionary provision. And we get told that these are bible-believing churches (though to be fair, it doesn’t seem to say that here.) The Eucharistic Prayer is Prayer One of the Additional Eucharistic Prayers, which are specifically “for occasions such as a school Eucharist, not for use on a weekly basis at the main celebration of Holy Communion in the parish church”. But at least… Read more »
“The two main services last Sunday morning, one of them Holy Communion, seem to each have just a single verse of bible reading (John 8.12 in both cases) which does not seem to relate to any lectionary provision. And we get told that these are bible-believing churches (though to be fair, it doesn’t seem to say that here.)” I remember going with a friend to a non-Anglican, “evangelical,” “Bible-believing” church several years ago. At this church, like the one you mention, there was only one verse of Scripture read during the service. Being accustomed hearing to three Bible lessons, plus… Read more »
Never mind the reactions from the catholic end of the CofE, how would that former Bishop of Aston Colin Buchanan react to these liturgies!?
One of my recollections of Colin Buchanan is his quip that the rules of A Service of the Word are basically that it must have a beginning, a middle, and an end — and they must come in that order.
I think it is appalling to see a Eucharist where the celebrant waves her right hand around whilst clutching an iPad (from which she reads) in the other. No dignity, no proper liturgy and no idea how appalling this looks. Obviously, she has been promoted to the hierarchy.
What’s wrong with using an iPad (or other tablet)?
Those early Christians who introduced codices into services — whatever next? What happened to good, traditional dignified scrolls?
You are right. Next time I say mass I’ll wave a scroll in the air.
Or a whoopee cushion?
You write dignified scrolls. I didn’t find any of these services dignified. I was able to see the faith and commitment of the congregation and worship leaders. I did not see anything that was familiar to me, nothing that set this worship apart from the daily routine of life. I suppose that is the point. But no collect, no blessing, no structure. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Still no openly disabled Bishops I notice…
And another evangelical bishop!