Thinking Anglicans

Bishop of Edmonton

Press release from the Prime Minister’s office

There is more on the London diocesan website.

Appointment of Suffragan Bishop of Edmonton: 20 December 2023

The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Dr Anderson Harris Mithra Jeremiah for appointment to the Suffragan Bishop of Edmonton, in the Diocese of London.

From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 20 December 2023

The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Dr Anderson Harris Mithra Jeremiah, Associate Priest at St Paul’s Scotforth, in the Diocese of Blackburn, and Associate Dean (Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and People) in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Lancaster University, for appointment to the Suffragan See of Edmonton, in the Diocese of London, in succession to The Right Reverend Robert Wickham, following his appointment as Chief Executive of the Church Urban Fund.

Background

Anderson was educated at the Universities of Madras and Edinburgh, and trained for ministry at United Theological College, Bangalore. He served his title at St Mary’s Church, Ranipet, in the Diocese of Vellore, Church of South India and, in 2004, he was ordained Priest and served as Anglican Chaplain at the Christian Medical College, Vellore. In 2007, Anderson was appointed Assistant Curate at Old St Paul’s Church Edinburgh and, from 2009, he served as Associate Rector at Christ Church Morningside, both in the Scottish Episcopal Church.

In 2012, Anderson was appointed as the first Lecturer in World Christianity at Lancaster University. Alongside his academic role from 2014 he served as the Vicar of St Mary the Virgin, Gisburn and, from 2016, as Associate Priest at St Mary’s Priory Church, Lancaster, both in the Diocese of Blackburn. From 2018, Anderson served as the first Bishop’s Adviser for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Affairs in the Diocese of Blackburn and in 2021 was appointed Canon Theologian of Blackburn Cathedral. He has been a member of the Committee for Minority Ethnic Concerns, the Archbishops’ Anti-Racism Task Force, General Synod, the Faith and Order Commission and the Ministry Council.

Anderson is married to Revd Dr Rebecca Aechtner and they have two daughters.

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Anthony Archer
Anthony Archer
10 months ago

This is an excellent appointment which will be well received.

Realist
Realist
10 months ago

Excellent appointment. I have known Anderson for several years. He has a first-rate mind, a strong sense of justice, pastoral awareness and a very clear appreciation of the current state of the Church of England. I hope and pray that Episcopal appointment will not change any of those things, as he deals with those in power in a different role.

Simon Sarmiento
Admin
10 months ago

The typo on the No 10 website has been corrected.

Tim Chesterton
10 months ago

Greetings to the new bishop from over here in the Diocese of Edmonton in Canada!

Dominic Barrington
Reply to  Tim Chesterton
10 months ago

I remember the era when the Communion had a Bishop of Edmonton who would never consider ordaining a woman as a priest (let alone a bishop)… and a Bishop of Edmonton who was a woman. It was a joy to many, I suspect, that it was the Canadian bishop who was the female, in that, being a diocesan, hers was the senior of the two positions.

Geoff McL.
Geoff McL.
Reply to  Dominic Barrington
10 months ago

And an Anglo-Catholic woman, at that, who was known as one of the few Canadian diocesans willing to license priests with doubts about the ordination of women.

Perry Butler
Perry Butler
Reply to  Dominic Barrington
10 months ago

Actually Dominic dear bishop Brian Masters ( Edmonton England ) wouldn’t ordain a woman deacon!

Tim Chesterton
Reply to  Dominic Barrington
10 months ago

Victoria was the bishop who brought me to this diocese. But it was Rob Wickham and Jane Alexander who initiated a closer relationship. Rob spoke at our annual clergy conference some years ago; he was excellent.

Charles Read
Charles Read
10 months ago

I hope people have noticed this is an episcopal appointment of someone teaching theology in a university department! (And yes, Anderson is an excellent person for the post anyway.)

Jo B
Jo B
Reply to  Charles Read
10 months ago

Is “World Christianity” theology or religious studies? I’d have said the latter, I don’t think Lancaster teaches theology.

Charles Read
Charles Read
Reply to  Jo B
10 months ago

I think that is splitting hairs, to be honest. There are many sub-disciples within theology.

James
James
Reply to  Charles Read
10 months ago

Yes, the sub-disciples are those who couldn’t walk on water.

Jo B
Jo B
10 months ago

Trivia: Lancaster University (the older part, including the chapels) officially falls within the parish of St Paul’s, Scotforth, which I discovered when getting married in the Anglican & Free Church Chapel.

Alice Goodman
Alice Goodman
Reply to  Jo B
10 months ago

The parish which has the Revd Dr Rebecca Aechtner as vicar.

Realist
Realist
Reply to  Alice Goodman
10 months ago

Indeed, and an excellent Vicar she is, too. Rebecca is a supremely intelligent woman and a superb pastor. She has had a very rough time with long covid of late, and I really hope their move proves to be a good one for her, too. She has gifts and skills that the Church needs.

Alice Goodman
Alice Goodman
Reply to  Realist
10 months ago

Amen to all that! She will be a great loss to the Diocese of Blackburn, though I doubt that they will appreciate that. I too have worshipped at St Paul’s, Scotforth, and count the Revd Dr Aechtner and her family as friends.

Realist
Realist
Reply to  Alice Goodman
10 months ago

I haven’t worshipped there – I write from the perspective of a colleague, though not one who has ever served in the same parish team as Rebecca. I think you are absolutely right about her Diocese – I don’t think the powers that be there (current and past) have really appreciated what they had in Rebecca and Anderson, though they have been keen try to ‘use’ them both over the years. I mean this, of course, not in the positive way of being keen to put their gifts and skills to good use. It’s very good to hear that those… Read more »

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