The Prime Minister’s Office has announced today two new suffragan bishops for the Diocese of Chichester. Ruth Bushyager is to be Bishop of Horsham and William Hazlewood is to Bishop of Lewes. The two press releases are copied below and there is more detail on the Chichester diocesan website
Suffragan See of Horsham: 29 April 2020
Queen approves nomination of the Reverend Ruth Kathleen Frances Bushyager to the Suffragan See of Horsham.
Published 29 April 2020
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
The Queen has approved the nomination of the Reverend Ruth Kathleen Frances Bushyager, BA, MSci, Vicar of St Paul’s Dorking and Area Dean for Dorking in the Diocese of Guildford to the Suffragan See of Horsham, in the Diocese of Chichester, in succession to the Right Reverend Mark Sowerby who resigned on 1st September 2019.
Suffragan See of Lewes: 29 April 2020
Queen approves nomination of the Reverend Prebendary William Peter Guy Hazlewood to the Suffragan See of Lewes.
Published 29 April 2020
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
The Queen has approved the nomination of the Reverend Prebendary William Peter Guy Hazlewood, Vicar of the United Benefice of Dartmouth and Dittisham and Honorary Canon at Exeter Cathedral, in the Diocese of Exeter, to the Suffragan See of Lewes, in the Diocese of Chichester, in succession to the Right Reverend Richard Jackson following his translation to the See of Hereford.
I can’t help but think these announcements are in poor taste. Because of the virus, churches are shut but the appointment of bishops continues unabated. The Church claims it stands in solidarity with those staying home. In this it isn’t. How is announcing a new bishop essential?
No one caught the virus by announcing new bishops. Is it essential to look for criticism in everything they do?
Because a great many processes in a diocese are on hold if a see is vacant. They won’t be moving into the house until they’re allowed, or having consecration or induction services either. But work will all still be done by email, phone or Zoom, and there will be a to-do pile a foot high, each piece of work being a link in a chain that allows some other person to progress from where they are. Vacant parishes can now start to be filled, key people appointed to committees, reports signed off, etc. Clergy or others whose lives have been… Read more »
I think many employers are continuing recruitment processes that were already begun before the lockdown began, because that’s the only way to be fair to all the candidates. Although church isn’t technically an employer in this context, the same principles apply.
What possible harm in announcing and planning for the future? And how is this not “in solidarity with those staying at home”? Their consecrations in public services obviously will not take place until that can be safely done. Sorry, I simply don’t understand what you are saying.
And I noticed on my diocesan website, that a priest had been licensec and instituted into his new parish via Zoom last week. So ministry is continuing
Many parish clergy are working harder than ever, under different kinds of significant domestic strain and facing testing circumstances. A key part of the bishop’s job is looking after them. It will be much better for colleagues in Chichester if they have three full-time bishops looking after them rather than one. I should have thought that alone was sufficient reason to crack on with the appointments.
I couldn’t agree with you more Philip Hobday
I’m surprised this point hasn’t gained more support. The first observation one could make is that many organisations (universities, charities, businesses) are suspending appointments, cutting back, even going out of business. The second is that this crisis is bound to have medium and long term consequences for the Church of England and its dioceses and parishes. There will be economic pressures if there is a prolonged recession, both on investment returns and on giving. And nobody really knows what will happen to the pattern of church attendance and activity—or for that matter the pattern of work and social interactions more… Read more »
It is typically 2-3 months between the episcopal appointments and their public announcement. So the interview process could well have been completed by late February. The world looked very different then.
Thee appointment of a woman to Horsham is great news. It will hopefully continue the trend, initiated by +Chichester, towards the detoxification of the diocese and the end of its reputation as a no go diocese for women.
Two good appointments, and ringing the changes between, in recent times, the catholic Horsham and evangelical Lewes! Although both of course will also have diocesan-wide responsibilities.
Ok to ring the changes, but are there no middle of the road parishes in the diocese?!
A good point Peter. 2 trad catholic bishops 2 trad catholic archdeacons and an evangelical woman bishop. Headship evangelicals might have problems but as you say the unhyphenated Church of England folk in the diocese may feel it’s rather polarised. And like attracts. It will be interesting to sèe the parochial appointments in the coming years.
Two superb appointments to the Diocese of Chichester. Like many clergy in the diocese I have been rejoicing all day. Two very able, imaginative, pastoral and mission-minded bishop designates.
I rather rudely giggled when I read your words “rejoicing all day”; who are all these bishops going to manage with the ever decreasing number of active clergy? As Froghole has highlighted in another thread, the CofE is facing a financial catastrophe with the perfect storm of the deadly virus and the concomitant collapse in asset values. We do not need more Chiefs, we need if anything more Indians.
Hotels and the tourist industry all along the Sussex coast face ruin. In the north of the county/diocese British Airways announced today they may permanently terminate operations from Gatwick Airport. Churches are shut. Maybe it might have made sense in February to employ additional bishops, or it might not.. To do so now, to announce any promotions now, is not the same thing at all.
Of course Bishop Martin and William don’t believe that women can be priests much less bishops, so I suspect that might make for a strange dynamic in their working relationship. Ruth I gather has in the past given a platform for those advocating gay conversion therapies so that’s a smack in the face for the LGBTQI people in the diocese.
I’m a little surprised no-one has commented on the appointment and announcement of these new bishops at the same time. Without in any way detracting from the undoubted abilities that both these excellent appointees will bring to their new roles, I do wonder whether the appointment of the one was a quid pro quo for the appointment of the other. The ‘News’ statement from The Society was interesting in this context.
ED: link here
https://www.sswsh.com/fullposts.php?id=289
Quite possibly. In this way, any who object to the appointment of Ruth Bushyager can be told that they’ve also got an Anglo-Catholic for Lewes. I imagine he will be one of the last.
Has it been announced if Bishop Warner plans to be involved in the laying on hands during the consecration of William? Obviously he won’t be doing so for Ruth.
Perhaps the problem for Bishop Martin as to whose head he lays his hands on is neatly solved by social distancing! Virtual consecration via live streaming.
Oh no! Please don’t start that again.
Father,The words tongue and cheek were in my mind as I wrote my comment
Are you suggesting that their consecration may not take place until many months perhaps even as long as a year after they take up their office? How can they function as bishops if they haven’t been ontologically changed? I imagine this is going to be a rather perplexing matter for many in the Chichester diocese. Can they be paid as bishops if they haven’t been lawfully consecrated as such? Perhaps a canon lawyer could help us here.
But (in response to Ian), joking apart, isn’t it shameful that such a situation can exist in the ‘national church’. In trying to be ‘everything for everyone’ the C of E arguably demonstrates weakness. Not the strength of unity in diversity – more disunity in diversity. What do you think?
Nobody can be ‘everything to everyone’. To think that way is blind, misleading nonsense. There will always be differentials because of who we are. That said, the Church’s primary aim is to preach the message of salvation, unabridged and unedited, and to be faithful to that calling. Anything else is just watered down meaningless ramblings.
I’m puzzled by your comment, and think you may have misunderstood mine or read it out of context. Did you miss Fr Dean Henley’s post (to which I was replying) making exactly the same point as yours in your post below? I used the term ‘everything to everyone’ as a description of the latitude, one could say extreme latitude, of the C of E in enabling the “Dark Ages” scenario even to be possible.
Sorry. It’s late at night and I got my wires crossed. I see your “Dark Ages” comment refers to the Bishop of Lewes possibly not ordaining women, whereas, following on from Father Dean Henley’s comment, I was talking about the Bishop of Chichester not consecrating women bishops.
As the new Bishop-Designate of Lewes is also a Guardian of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, presumably that means he won’t ordain women? If so then Chichester Diocese is still stuck, albeit partly, in the Dark Ages. I sincerely hope not.
I was a bit puzzled by the enthusiastic ‘welcome’ offered to the new bishop-designate of Horsham by ‘The Society’ (of St Wilfrid and St Hilda). My understanding was that they do not and have never approved of the ordination of women as priests – let alone as bishops. I would also be interested to know how Evangelicals in Chichester Diocese are going to cope with ‘the headship’ being exercised by a woman – the many Anglo-Catholic traditionalists may be the least of her worries.
Many people from inside AND outside the C of E, including other Christians, often feel bemused (and confused) by the things they are witnessing. A traditionalist bishop who will not ordain women, nor concelebrate with them, yet who welcomes a female bishop to his Diocese. A Church that both believes in the ‘Real Presence’ and does not. A Church that believes that gay people in loving relationships are committing terrible sin and need ‘curing’, and a Church (Scotland) that is happy to marry gay couples. A Church where some condemn transgender people as ‘disordered thinkers'(who also need ‘curing’), yet one… Read more »