Bishop of Chester: 12 May 2020
Queen approves nomination of Reverend Mark Simon Austin Tanner as Bishop of Chester.
Published 12 May 2020
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
The Queen has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Mark Simon Austin Tanner MA BA MTh, Suffragan Bishop of Berwick, for election as Bishop of Chester in succession to The Right Reverend Doctor Peter Forster, following his resignation on 30th September 2019.
More details
Chester diocesan website
Newcastle diocesan website
Where’s Anthony when we need him?
Don’t worry T Pott. I am sure the usual suspects will soon be along to bemoan the appointment of an evangelical.
Oh no. Not another evangelical.
Bishop Mark is a good thing. He has a wonderful way of communicating the Gospel to all ages. It is definitely Chester’s gain
Graeme Buttery
I suspect that, as a central member of the CNC responsible for this appointment, Anthony would have been reluctant (or thought it inappropriate) to make a public comment. However, from all I have read about Mark, I consider this to be indeed ‘good news’ for the people of Chester diocese. TA readers may have seen his wise words on running more effective PCC meetings in the Church Times of 24 April 2020 (page 21) or read his ‘The PCC Member’s Essential Guide’ (2015). One piece of unfinished business, however: General Synod has yet to give a formal ‘farewell’ to Peter… Read more »
Am I the only one who wishes there were emoticons on these posts so I can like, love or shed a tear…we can dispense with the angry emoticon though (which it seems Zoom also has done) as I don’t think it’s very constructive.
T Pott – your post would definitely have got a “love” from me and FrDavid H a laughing one!
Very disappointing announcement. No idea at all of which football team he supports or which musical instrument he plays.
A shame for Archdeacon Robinson who would have been a quality candidate to replace +Mark but has already accepted the poisoned chalice at Derby
Or its a fabulous opportunity for a good priest in a city which needs a quality leader.
News just in. Instead of a coronavirus briefing this evening, Boris Johnson will instead be announcing that a junior minister has been promoted to a cabinet post.
Why is Derby a poisoned chalice??
If Anthony Archer were still writing comments on TA perhaps he could have confirmed my suspicion that Diocesan Bishops are now being appointed at a much younger age than was the case a few decades ago? Norwich, Hereford and Chester are all under 60 years of age.
Peter Forster was 46 when he was appointed to Chester. Incidentally, I see he has been removed from the online Crockford, which seems a little odd. It’s handy to keep an old hardback copy on the shelf.
Janet: He was the subject of a CDM which the Archbishop of York resiled himself from deciding, and transferred to Canterbury. So far as I am aware, and unless I have missed something, nothing further was heard of that. Do you know any more?
And what is the situation re the Bishop of Lincoln?
I haven’t heard anything about either Bp. Peter or the Bishop of Lincoln for several months, and don’t know how those cases are proceeding – if at all.
Is it usual practice for someone to be deleted from Crockford as soon as they’re suspended or CDMd? That doesn’t seem right to me. Of course, Peter Forster may have withdrawn his entry to make it harder for people to track him down.
He said he was retiring to Scotland. In so far as one can do so properly, and only from the facts disclosed in the media (which I always treat with caution), I tended to sympathise with him. A lot of hindsight was being used in his case and he arguably took the flak for the actions of a previous bishop. In fact, the initial press reporting was so inaccurate as to give the impression that the actions were his and not those of the previous bishop, but he had the grace to apologise instead of advancing any self-justification. The CDM… Read more »
Bp Peter admitted to having failed to pass on to his own safeguarding officials or the police a letter from a priest admitting he’d abused a child. He also made excuses for another priest who was convicted of downloading 8000 child pornography images of a severe kind; and worked to get the man’s disbarment from ministry reduced from life to 20 years.
I always got on well with Bp. Peter but there is no excuse for his shielding of these men.
As to Christopher Lowson, in due course we may find out what was behind his suspension.
Well, in both cases we must wait to be told, that is, if we are to be told. You say we ‘may’ find out what was behind suspension of the Bishop of Lincoln. That doesn’t suggest any certainty, and I am not clear whether results of CDMs, with reasons, are made public. Are there any grounds why they should not?
I think the new printed Crockfords is much ‘thinner’ than the previous one, as a result of clergy being able to withdraw, or just not responding positively to the need to confirm their situation under Data Protection stuff. So the omission of PF may just be part of a trend. He currently has an entry in Who’s Who with no contact details at all
As a Catholic Anglican who grew up in the Diocese of Chester where my dad was the robustly Catholic vicar of St George’s, Altrincham, can I simply say that I am delighted with Mark’s appointment? i worked with Mark in the then Diocese of Ripon & Leeds and have highest regard for his gifts, scope and ability.