Press release from the Prime Minister’s Office. The London diocesan website has more information here.
Appointment of Suffragan Bishop of Kensington: 15 December 2022
The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Dr Emma Gwynneth Ineson to the Suffragan See of Kensington.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 15 December 2022
The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Dr Emma Gwynneth Ineson, BA MPhil, Bishop to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, to the Suffragan See of Kensington, in the Diocese of London, in succession to The Right Reverend Dr Graham Tomlin following his resignation.
Emma was educated at the University of Birmingham and trained for ministry at Trinity College, Bristol. She served her title at Christ Church, Dore in the Diocese of Sheffield and was ordained priest in 2001. Emma took up the role as Chaplain at Lee Abbey, Devon in 2003 before being appointed as Tutor of Practical and Pastoral Theology at Trinity College, Bristol in 2006, and Director of Pastoral Studies in 2010. She was appointed Principal in 2014. During this time she also served as Associate Minister of St Matthew’s, Kingsdown, and of St Mary Magdalene, Stoke Bishop, in the Diocese of Bristol.
In 2019, Emma was appointed Bishop of Penrith in the Diocese of Carlisle, and in 2021 she took up her current role as Bishop to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York.
Emma was a member of the 2022 Lambeth Conference Design Group, chairs the Church of England Minority Ethnic Vocations Advisory Group, is a member of the Commission for Theological Education in the Anglican Communion, is a member of Tearfund Theology Committee, and is Central Chaplain to the Worldwide Mother’s Union.
So do we get another Bishop to the Archbishops, or didn’t that role work out?
Why do we suppose that the Archbishops need/require a Bishop to themselves ?
I’ve never understood it, Bruce.
It was my impression that the position of Bishop to the Archbishops was an administrative (and temporary) job to coordinate Lambeth 2022.
To have been appointed to three different episcopal jobs in three years must be a record.
Indeed. Parish clergy who changed posts so often would find it hard to be appointed to anything else.
It’s utterly extraordinary, but my money, if I was a betting person, would be more on one of two things… Emma is an extraordinarily gifted person, who did an awful lot of ‘fixing’ when she became Principal at Trinity, Bristol, following a charismatic but idiosyncratic leadership period. She seems to have done a similar job in a very short time at Lambeth, particularly with the Conference. I hear from reliable sources that the former Bp of Kensington, himself a gifted man in many ways, was less successful at retaining and maintaining morale among women and those of more catholic traditions… Read more »
Some good points made by Realist.There is a cringe making video of Graham Tomlin introducing the Reverend Paula Vennells as the key note speaker at a London Clergy conference…readers may recall her part in the greatest miscarriage of justice in many years as Chief Executive of the Post Office and it is rumoured she was a candidate to be Bishop of London. Emma certainly looks a better bet!
Charles, how interesting. Is that video available on YouTube or elsewhere?
Ha Judith! Amazingly (not) it’s been removed from London Diocese videos of 2017 conference London Calling!
But it remained online until relatively recently. Inexplicably, it remained online for a while after Paula Vennells had stepped back from public ministry.
Destined for “higher” things so needs more suffragan experience than provided by a few months in the diocese of Carlisle. As a native Cumbrian born in the Border City I’d rather be there than Kensington. No handy Waitroses, though, the outlet at M74 Gretna service station hardly counting and anyway that’s Scotland.
Try Tebay services on the M6 !
Oh yes indeed. And Cranston’s food emporium in Penrith – the founder Stanley of that ilk was my maternal grandfather. Unfortunately that doesn’t mean I get benefits. The trouble with Tebay services, both sides, is that it’s nearly always teeming with humanity.
I wish Emma well in her new pastoral position, I really do. However, Emma’s defence of inserting Lambeth 1998 I:10 into the Lambeth Conference Human Dignity ‘Call’ very late in the day did not sit comfortably with me. I respect that Emma may be theologically opposed to gay sex, but I did not find her defence of 1998 I:10 being in the ‘Call’ convincing. Personally I regard it as unconvincing when someone suggests gay sex is wrong, but defends I:10 because it also says some nice things on behalf of gay people. No. When 1998 I:10 vilifies gay sexuality, don’t… Read more »
i wish her well in the new role. I reckon she along with the new Bishop of Newcastle will be in the running for the next ABY when Archbishop Cottrell retires. as both will have been bishops in rural and urban contexts.
This reminds me of Roy Arnold’s Diocese of Gribchester where there were so many Advisors that the Bishop appointed an Advisor for the Advisors! When hard pressed multiple Beneficed clergy are coping with eight, ten or even more parishes because of finance the Church can always find the finance for yet another managerial or administrative post. It reminds me of Ecclesiopoly pass Go and collect another mitre but beware of the Chance card you might end up with three or four more parishes because the Community Chest is empty for parishes but strangely well funded for Bishops and Administrators.
She has hardly any parochial experience. Eminent theologian bishops have often found that a difficulty, but their expertise has made their elevation worth the disadvantage of not actually knowing how to run a parish. She is not an eminent theologian, and the tenor of theological education for the last sixteen years has not been particularly supportive of ordinary parish ministry, with the excitement being all around FxC, and parochial work coming a very boring “trad church” second. I think this has been a mistake.
I hope she can give Kensington parishes and clergy the support they deserve.
I take what you say here about the tenor of theological education, Jeremy, and find it an accurate representation of the priorities of many sponsoring Bishops sending students to theological education institutions. But in my experience, as a former senior staff member of one theological education institution (not Trinity Bristol) and with ongoing connections with two others, in different non-teaching roles, it isn’t the case for all the colleges and courses. The institution I taught for grounded all its mission, leadership and pastoralia modules in parish ministry where the predominant models were so-called ‘trad’ or ‘inherited’ church. Most of us… Read more »
I am relieved to hear this, though I fear what further damage the present bench can do.
Emma may appear to have limited parochial ministry but in addition to her curacy, she was licensed to the two parishes where her husband was incumbent in Bristol and was actively involved in the ministry of these churches over a period of nearly 15 years. She has a much better understanding of what being an incumbent feels like than many other bishops I could name!
For me the interesting question is whether Emma applies for these positions on her own initiative or has she been ‘encouraged’ to do so?
Do bishops ‘apply’ for bishoprics in the Church of England? I’m asking because I genuinely want to know. Here in Canada, no one applies for a bishopric; you have to be nominated and then elected at a diocesan synod.
Same question: do bishops apply?
I couldn’t put it better than Charlie Bell did in his tweet:
‘In the light of the catastrope that was the Lambeth Calls, this is a genuinely astonishing appointment.’
And I guess that the whole truths of that obscene catalogue will forever be concealed. No place for honesty or accountablity in the organisation of that shoddy event
Not so very long ago to have been head of a Theological College was quite often a stepping stone to a diocese. Robert Runcie and Alec Graham to give but two examples. I don’t expect Emma to linger for very long at Kensington before going on to higher things. By the way shouldn’t that be Mothers’ Union?
The Archbishops will demonstrate whether they are listening to the people they serve by their decision to appoint to or abolish the role of Bishop to the Archbishops.
Reminder: http://www.unadulteratedlove.net/blog/2021/4/22/bishop-to-the-archbishops-opposed-to-equality-of-lgbtiq-people
Thank you Dan
It is important that this is not forgotten
Perhaps she did some mind-changing listening during LLF, like the Bishop of Oxford? It would be helpful if she told us where she stands now.
Given all the horrible things human beings are capable of doing to each other, why do evangelicals get so upset and take to the barricades about the activities of consenting adults capable of giving their consent?
Dear Father Dean: Please be fair here. The largely Anglo-Catholic provinces of the West Indies are every bit as opposed to LGBTQ+ rights as the evangelical ones elsewhere. And here in Canada, the solidly Anglo-Catholic Prayer Book Society of Canada (PBSC) was one of the three partners (the other two were charismatic and evangelical) in the ‘Essentials’ coalition that was formed to oppose any change to the church’s teaching in this area.
Things may well have changed in the past 10 or 20 years, but when I was a youth at the PBSC’s summer camps the society was still very much a grand coalition of Anglo-Catholics and Evangelicals.
Tim, I think that I’m right in saying that the letter Bishop Ineson had signed was a letter from evangelical senior clerics. I’m happy to be corrected if that wasn’t the case. With provinces going their own way on sexuality I think that the position of the CofE was germane here.
This bishop’s support for Lambeth 1:10 at the recent Lambeth Conference has already marked her out as LGBTQI-averse. Having already declared herself in that important pastoral area, one might question her long-term suitability as a member of the House of Bishops in a Church which has repudiated homophobia and sexism. God help the C. of E, if ever she gets into the House of Lords.
In the words of the King and I, it’s a puzzlement to me how anyone can read the Bible in such a way as to permit the ordination of women (which requires a purposeful rather than literal reading) but still claim that the Bible prohibits same sex marriage (which requires rejecting a purposeful reading in favour of a highly literal one).
I’m curious to know why you think she could do more damage in the House of Lords than as a suffragan or diocesan bishop?
Good nomination. The first diocese (albeit a large one) to have three women in its episcopal leadership team, and the only one with more than one, although Derby had two for a short while. Let’s not heap too much on her in terms of further advancement. There’s quite a lot of early 50s talent emerging, and as we all know the CofE has no machinery for strategic succession planning!
Not everything is for the best in the best of all possible worlds.The then Bishop of Repton,Jan Mcfarlane, resigned within months of a new Diocesan being appointed and then wrote an excoriating letter to the Church Times criticising the selection and appointment of Bishops…. this received no comment from the C of E largely one assumes because it was not from one of the usual suspects. Bishop Jan now has a fruitful ministry as a residentiary canon of Lichfield. Derby Diocese meanwhile has had 3 diocesan secretaries in 3 years.
The Diocese of Chelmsford also has two women as Bishops, The diocesan and The Bishop of Barking
Regarding LGBT people, a sharp minded parishioner of mine just drew my attention to a passage early on in Bishop Ineson’s latest book (‘Failure’, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent book), which reads as follows: . “I recall that, when I was appointed to one post, someone whom I had barely met did a trawl of my background on the Internet and alighted on something I’d done (adding my signature to a letter) several years ago that I would not do now, for a variety of reasons that I would be very happy to explain to you were we to sit… Read more »
Thank you for this quotation. It reveals a bishop who can admit to failure and mistakes and is willing and open to changing her mind and convictions as her understanding grows. Am I alone in thinking these are character qualities to be welcomed in those who lead us?
But does that explain/excuse the Lambeth Conference manipulation and misrepresentation of the previous truth and the fiasco of the calls?
Graham. My comment offered no view on the incident at Lambeth. But since you ask – and as someone who was there. The Calls were not a fiasco. They were really impressive, wide-ranging and enabled some profound discussion. But yes, one original paragraph in one of them was a dreadful inclusion. It left me in tears of frustration and anger. We do not know who or how it happened. We simply do not know if ‘manipulation and misrepresentation’ was behind it, though the suspicion is understandable. But we moved on at the conference. And I think we should too.
Thank you Richard for your sharing of your experience. I should have been more specific of what I meant as fiasco. My understanding that the original voting options being (I summarise) Yes or Qualified Yes, only after challenge was it decided to add No as an option and then finally ‘let’s not vote on them at all’. Hardly a well executed plan. But I wasn’t in the room and so am forming an opinion based on blogs and reporting.
David, I absolutely agree that it’s good if people show sufficient open-mindedness to change, to grow, to admit failures and mistakes. Goodness knows, I bitterly regret enough things in my own life. All that said, I think we come once more to the issue of openness and transparency. If Emma admits regret for signing that letter, then to rebuild people’s confidence, it would be immensely helpful if she was open enough – to counter the concerns caused – to clearly state her position now on sexuality. Of course, that kind of openness extends beyond just one individual, but the fact… Read more »
All fair comment Susannah!
I hated writing that, David. I hold you in very high esteem, and I hate when my behaviour is challenging (especially knowing my own failures, for which I have – like Emma – had to ask for forgiveness). I just hope that once the bishops have presented their proposal to Synod on the sexuality debate, they can be individually candid about where they stand, and we can have an end to the opaque hiding behind the ‘focus of unity’ argument. I know James Byron and I have both found that if we are frank with people who oppose gay sex… Read more »
I am not in the position to provide the quotes but folk here will be interested to know that Bishop Emma addresses the twin concerns of her signing the Ian Paul letter and of the Lambeth 1.10 at the Lambeth conference in her new book ‘Failure’ – the Archbishop’s Lent book – on pages 13 and 36
Dipping into Just John (Habgood) by David Wilbourne before wrapping it up as a Christmas present for someone, I note that on page 85 he writes “with John’s appointment (to Durham) there would be 17 former college principals on the Bench”.
In 1973 there were four Old Etonian diocesan bishops Cuthbert Bardsley (Coventry) Simon Phipps (Lincoln) Ronald Bowlby (Newcastle) and John Habgood (Durham). Today, apart from Justin Welby I wonder have any other current Diocesans been former pupils of Slough Grammar School?
Not bishops but perhaps more significant, Nicky Gumbel of HTB (and his predecessor Sandy Millar) as well as William Taylor of St Helen’s Bishopgate, all from Eton I believe.