Press release from the Prime Minister’s Office. There is more on the Liverpool diocesan website.
Appointment of Bishop of Liverpool: 18 October 2022
Her Late Majesty The Queen approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Dr John Perumbalath, Area Bishop of Bradwell, for election as Bishop of Liverpool.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 18 October 2022
Her Late Majesty The Queen approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Dr John Perumbalath, Area Bishop of Bradwell, for election as Bishop of Liverpool, in succession to The Right Reverend Paul Bayes following his retirement.
Background
John hails from the ancient Syrian Christian community in Kerala, India, and trained for ministry at Union Biblical Seminary, Pune. He worked as a youth worker for university students and as a theological educator before his ordination in the Diocese of Calcutta, Church of North India.
He was Curate at St John’s Church, Calcutta, from 1994 and was appointed Vicar at St James’ Church in 1995. John then served as Vicar of St Thomas’ Church in 2000, as well as Chaplain at St Thomas’ Secondary School.
In 2002, John moved to the UK and was appointed Associate Rector at St George’s Church, Beckenham, in the Diocese of Rochester. He then served as Team Vicar of Northfleet and Rosherville in addition to Diocesan Advisor for Thames Gateway Regeneration. In 2008, he was appointed Vicar at All Saints Perry Street and served also as Diocesan Urban Officer.
John was appointed Archdeacon of Barking in 2013, in the Diocese of Chelmsford, and took up his current role as Area Bishop of Bradwell in 2018. He chairs the Churches Refugee Network for Britain and Ireland and is the Church of England’s lead bishop for Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.
Many congratulations to John! He’s a fantastic Bishop, communicator and a warm pastor!
A Wonderful appointment; sometimes the Anglican communion gets it right !
The Anglican Communion didn’t appoint Perumbalath; the Church of England did.
Seriously good news!
In the history of the Diocese of Liverpool going back to the founding Bishop, Bishop Ryle there was a long succession of Evangelical Bishops, but with Bishop Paul Bayes the previous Bishop, being of Central Churchmanship, the Evangelical mould was broken and it seems to be the first time in the history of that diocese someone of Anglo Catholic Churchmanship, albeit moderate Catholic churchmanship has been appointed Bishop of Liverpool and I think given the whole nature of diversity of churchmanship in the Church of England, this is a good and healthy thing, rather than one kind of churchmanship predominating… Read more »
I don’t know anything about John but I suspect many people can name at least one recent Bishop of Liverpool but I doubt the same is true of some other sees. It seems that Liverpool is often blessed by a strong bishop. Hopefully John continues that tradition.
I wouldn’t have described Stuart Blanch even less David Shepherd or James Jones as conservative evangelicals. It was the stable from which they came but all esp JJ had broadened out considerably.I would have described Paul Bayes as a liberal Catholic ,perhaps more liberal. The new bishop has a more definite Catholic pedigree, SCP, SSS….but is obviously in no sense partisan.I imagine the diocese is probably still mostly Lancashire low and evangelical. Not a lot of Anglo Catholicism esp of the tradcath sort. From everything I have heard this is an excellent appointment.
I don’t think an SCP member can be called “moderate Catholic”… Not being conservative does not mean an Anglo-Catholic is any less Catholic!
A very good appointment. God bless John.