10 Downing Street has announced that the next Archbishop of York will be Stephen Cottrell, currently Bishop of Chelmsford.
Archbishop of York: Stephen Geoffrey Cottrell
The Queen has nominated the Right Reverend Stephen Geoffrey Cottrell, MA, the Lord Bishop of Chelmsford, to the See and Archbishopric of York, in succession to the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dr John Tucker Mugabi Sentamu, MA, Lord Archbishop of York, who retires on 7th June 2020.
Stephen was educated at the Polytechnic of Central London and trained for ministry at St Stephen’s House, Oxford. He served his title at Christ Church and St Paul’s, Forest Hill in the Diocese of Southwark and was ordained Priest in 1985. He studied for an MA with St Mellitus College which was awarded through Middlesex University.
In 1988, Stephen was appointed Priest-in-charge, St Wilfrid’s in the Diocese of Chichester with the additional role of Assistant Director of Pastoral Studies and Tutor in Apologetics at Chichester Theological College. In 1993, Stephen was appointed Diocesan Missioner and Bishop’s Chaplain for Evangelism in the Diocese of Wakefield and in 1998 he took up the role of Springboard Missioner and Consultant in Evangelism. In 2001, Stephen was appointed Vice Dean and Canon Pastor of Peterborough Cathedral. Stephen was appointed Bishop of Reading in 2004 and took up his current role as Bishop of Chelmsford in 2010.
Stephen is married to Rebecca who is a potter. They have three sons.
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I love his books and his ministry as an evangelist in the catholic tradition of Anglicanism.
I am delighted. A brilliant appointment!
This is such good news. We remember Stephen as an outstanding Bishop of Reading, he confirmed my wife when we lived in Berkshire. He was a powerful speaker there, often preaching from the steps & without notes & a great pastor – we particularly appreciated his ministry after the Ufton Nervet train disaster.
And it’s good, finally, to see some balance in senior appointments: a priest trained at St Stephens House, someone with personality & charisma not another grey, middle management, evangelical.
Ouch. Just when I hoped we had an appointment we could celebrate without kicking anyone on the way out. But yes, it is very, very good news.
I wouldn’t regard Ben’s comment as ‘kicking anyone’ in particular. Without wishing to criticise evangelicalism or evangelicals, it is fair to say that episcopal appointments in the past ten years or more have been heavily weighted towards that tradition. A church of many colours like the C of E needs that variety reflected in its leadership and Bishop Stephen’s appointment helps to redress the balance somewhat. That inclusivity should obviously include middle management types (not necessarily grey, literally or otherwise) but a few of those would go a long way. Anyway, traditional labels are well overdue for questioning, and it… Read more »
I wouldn’t want to agree with that last characterisation but I think this is an outstanding appointment – a pastor and leader in mission from a catholic but evangelism-focussed perspective, adding a welcome diversity of church style and background to the senior bishops.
It is great to be able to be positive on this site. I am thrilled to see Bishop Stephen appointed to York. A light to lighten the gentiles, with compassion, and love. Praise the Lord.
Fr John Emlyn
This is extremely welcome news – Bishop Stephen, as many will know, has been a clear advocate for inclusion in his diocese and has spoken out (when many others have been silent) about the need for the Church to respect and honour the LGBT+community. I had the privilege of working with +Stephen when he was part of Springboard, and have him to thank for transforming my understanding on non-evangelical churches. He took part in my Restoring Hope Project where he challenged the Church to become more relevant and engaged in the society around them. I must admit I’m thrilled for… Read more »
I don’t know Stephen at all but judging by the comments above he sounds like a very good choice.
There is, however, an obvious concern. If the next Archbishop of Canterbury is also a man it will raise suspicion that there remains a glass ceiling.
In the Anglican Church of Canada we elected our first female bishop in 1993. Our first female metropolitans took about another twenty years, and we just last summer elected our first female primate. Of course the election system is a different animal. I’m not sure how long it took TEC from the election of the first female bishop to the election of Bishop Jefferts Schori as PB.
The (US-based) Episcopal Church first ordained women as priests in 1974/76. Barbara Harris was the first women to become a bishop in 1989. KJS became presiding bishop in 2006. So 15 years to the first bishop and another 17 years to the first PB. In England, women were first ordained as priests in 1994, and as bishops in 2015, a gap of 21 years. I’ve a feeling that quite a high proportion of bishops since then have been women. No archbishops yet, but the See that is considered the third most senior in England, London, has been held by a… Read more »
There isn’t likely to be a vacancy at Canterbury for some time. Welby isn’t due to retire until 2026. Cotterill is only 2 years younger than Welby so won’t be a contender to replace him.
So it is likely that there will be 2 archbishop appointments within 2 years; I would be astonished if at least one was not a woman.
To argue a glass ceiling exists in an organisation it must be first be demonstrably the case clear that women with transparently clear experience and gifting are being regularly overlooked in favour of men of equal (and lesser) gifts. I am really not sure we are at that point yet. Indeed the fact that concerns are more often expressed here at the proportion women among new bishops women suggests otherwise.
David, do you believe that there was no woman within the Church of England who could have been Archbishop of York? Remember, in making the selection the panel needs to assess women against what was possible for them at the relevant time otherwise historic discrimination is being grandfathered in. So you are wrong to talk about experience – that is discriminatory. Experience is only a proxy for ability and it is ability which really matters.
My experience in 41 years of full time ministry is that my ability increased with my experience. There is no short cut.
That is true. But female clergy may have many years’ experience of ministry in a variety of posts without having had the opportunity to acquire years of experience as a junior and then a senior bishop. The years of different parish and sector ministries are valuable and ought to be counted as such.
An archbishop ought to have experience of being a bishop first, but it need not be a long experience. Justin Welby was Bishop of Durham only briefly. Rowan Williams didn’t even have much experience of the Church of England, though he had been Archbishop of Wales.
That’s a complicated question, Lister, isn’t it? How many men can be appointed archbishop before it is a problem? I don’t believe that there is a tipping point per se, how can there be as on any occasion a man might be the best candidate? That is quite possibly true here. But every appointment of yet another a man to a position never held by a woman raises the question as to whether the Church of England really has banished discrimination. That is especially true as there has been NO published guidance from the Church of England addressing what alternative… Read more »
We need a woman leader of the Labour Party first!
A great choice indeed! And here was I thinking that he had written off his chances of preferment by his brave and outspoken criticism of the management culture in a sermon at St Paul’s Cathedral a few years ago, in front of the very people responsible for it! Thanks be to God that wiser counsels have prevailed.
Among the names I heard being bandied about on Sunday (see my comments on previous thread) I had hoped against hope that it would be Stephen. Clearly, the York CNC reps deserve our thanks for facing down attempts to appoint a grey, managerial evangelical (and it sounds like that could have been a very real possibility). This is not a time to play gender politics. Our country is in a desperate state, we needed (and I think we’ve got) the best candidate. I just hope he now brings some prophetic courage to the role, instead of the constant sucking-up to… Read more »
‘This is not a time to play gender politics’ – or negative church party politics either?
“Others wanted someone to run the Church of England to allow Welby to spend the second half of his archiepiscopate touring the Anglican communion.”
Heaven forfend. He’s causing enough trouble in his own Province.
And I would add: If Stephen Cottrell can keep Justin Welby preoccupied with Church of England business, then more power to York. Indeed, I hope that York will light all sorts of fires that Canterbury will want to put out. Then other provinces in the Communion will be able to go safely about managing their own affairs without interference from the Archbusybody of Canterbury.
An excellent appointment – a great preacher; while serving in the diocese of Chelmsford I never heard him preach a dud sermon – always fresh and Gospel centred. The Northern Province will be fortunate to reclaim him.
TA readers may wish to note that rejoicing is not universal: https://christianconcern.com/ccpressreleases/new-archbishop-of-york-endorses-primary-school-gender-transition/
I am disinclined to take seriously anything that Christian Concern says. They are mean-spirited.
If Christian Concern is against this appointment it is proof Bishop Stephen’s call is from God.
Being criticised by Andrea Williams should be regarded as a badge of honour. Similarly GAFCON.
It is worth pointing out – as even conservative evangelical websites later acknowledged – that John Parker had not met with the Bishop of Chelmsford and had simply lied about the encounter.
The Church of England has issued this statement https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/news/statement-archbishop-york-designate-right-reverend-stephen-cottrell Statement on the Archbishop of York designate, the Right Reverend Stephen Cottrell A spokesperson from the Church of England said: “With reference to the recent statement from a pressure group, the accusations made against the Right Reverend Stephen Cottrell are entirely without foundation. It is untrue that Bishop Stephen suggested to a governor of a Church of England School that his views on sexuality were not welcome and he could leave. Bishop Stephen made that clear at the time and subsequently in an Ad Clerum. It is also untrue that Bishop… Read more »
Excellent. Fire number 1. (See my comment above.)
Oh dear, back again to harping on about sexuality and ‘the clear teaching of scripture.’ Would that some people could get into perspective the need for the fearless proclamation of the Gospel of salvation that + Stephen proclaims. I was speaking tonight with a priest friend of mine who has lots of contacts with the GAFCON community. He too wishes that they would deal with first issues of the Gospel rather than endlessly dwelling on sexuality. Our unity in the Gospel of the redeeming love of God in Christ is what matters – everything else is secondary. Whilst people are… Read more »
Had I been allowed to transition in primary school, I could have achieved so much more in life. That Stephen is criticised for supporting such a humane approach is appalling.
It also helps me to understand why there is such strong support here for Stephen.
I am heartened that people here whose views I respect think this is an excellent appointment.
That said, the Archbishop of Canterbury is still discriminating against LGBTQ people, including by banning certain bishops’ spouses from the next Lambeth Conference.
It will take more than this appointment to prevent the CofE’s massive own goal, now very much under way.
Like Jeremy, I don’t want to cause any precipitation on anyone’s bonfire, and I am very grateful that this appointment has been possible in the current climate; but I couldn’t help notice Welby’s reference to +Stephen being committed to ‘the renewal and reform’ of the Church of England. I just hope this doesn’t mean he will be a mouthpiece for Welby’s theologically reductionist agenda and has been required to commit himself to being ‘on message’ – especially when that message is very often about the ‘God Squad’ not connecting with so many beyond the Church. In that sense I was… Read more »
Having met with Bishop Stephen when he visited New Zealand recently to address Seminars at our ‘Anglo-Catholic Hui’ I – and the other participants – were strongly impressed by his eirenic and forceful presentations on where the Church needs to go to address the situation of the Church’s lack of missionary activity towards the marginalised and those on the edge of society. This sounded to us like a call to Gospel-based renewal to reflect the attitudes of Jesus towards such people in and beyond the boundaries of the Church. Amongst the initiatives were a call to prayer that results in… Read more »
Jeremy, I feel you speak as if nothing is happening on this front. I agree there is serious discrimination still in the system but this is the ABC who initiated the imminent LLF project calling for ‘a radical new Christian inclusion in the Church … founded in scripture, in reason, in tradition, in theology . . . based on good, healthy, flourishing relationships, and in a proper 21st century understanding of being human and of being sexual’.
”this is the ABC who initiated the imminent LLF project calling for ‘a radical new Christian inclusion in the Church … founded in scripture, in reason, in tradition, in theology . . . based on good, healthy, flourishing relationships, and in a proper 21st century understanding of being human and of being sexual’.” And this is the ABC who has demonstrated that he translates that, in practice, to excluding anyone with a same sex spouse. Because in doing it for Lambeth 2020 he is saying that exclusion is justifiable. He is saying to worldwide Anglicans that it is acceptable to… Read more »
LLF’s fruits are as yet unknown Given the bishops’ recent work in this area, I’m not wildly optimistic.
LLF may be the ABC’s genuine attempt to move the CofE forward, while at the same time discriminating in his role as Lambeth convener. But if that be so, does it seem consistent or principled?
This ABC did not *have* to make spouses a formal part of the Lambeth program. That was a deliberate choice.
My sense is that given his own druthers, he will move as far as he thinks he absolutely must, and not an inch further.
I hope and trust that Stephen Cottrell will look after the diocese, be an ambassador for the province, and make the role delightful for himself and his people. Now, please can we have a Midlands province?
I’m surprised at the level of excitement here. The poor man will have his work cut out given the decline of the CofE revealed each year by the Statistics for Mission. Many of the dioceses in the northern province are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and are cutting posts left, right and centre. York isn’t going to be a prettier version of the Home Counties but a battle for the church’s survival. It isn’t just Labour’s red wall that has collapsed in the north but also the CofE’s position in the public sphere here.
I suspect that the York CNC knew what you describe better than most, and chose the new Archbishop accordingly.
When I was on the diocesan property committee the archdeacons would invariably declare that they had made an excellent appointment at St Ethelberts or wherever. However, within the space of one or two meetings the assessment had often already changed to “he or she is completely unreasonable”. There is nothing new under the sun. Did the York CNC discern a dramatic revival in Chelmsford? Almost all bishops find that there are less people going to church in their diocese when they retire than there were when they were enthroned. Do they ever reflect that as the chief pastor they have… Read more »
Dean asks: “Do they ever reflect …” Likewise, do diocesan advisers and secretaries and treasurers and senior clerics ever reflect? It felt to me like they did, but that their mirrors were distorted such that their response was to think up strategies that dumped more and more on fewer and fewer parish priests. Clergy “support” felt like harassment, and a recent proposal by an area bishop in this diocese is a case in point, for a scheme for clergy wellbeing has to my eyes disturbing resonances with Stasi-surveillance. I could give other examples. Dean is right: the message of Jesus… Read more »
A pastoral theologian, who has a life-long appreciation of and love for traditional liturgy, who is also passionate about mission and evangelism. I for one am overjoyed. Pastoral, liturgical and missional seems a pretty good combination to me.
Having now read the dismissive remarks from the so-called ‘Christian Concern’ about the appointment of Bishop Stephen Cottrell to the York Primacy; one can only regard this appointment as one of the most inspired in the C. of E. since the appointment of Archbishop Michael Ramsey to head the See of Canterbury. As one raised in the Church of England, and now a retired but active priest in the Anglican Church of Aotearoa/New Zealand, and having experience recently the ministry of Bishop Stephen; I think he is just the sort of bishop one needs in the Anglican Communion. Let’s hope… Read more »
I join the general rejoicing about the appointment of Stephen Cottrell – but I am also intrigued as to why this appointment is announced now – 6 months before John Sentamu leaves and especially just a week before Christmas. I am wondering why they didn’t wait till at least the New Year to make the announcement. My ‘political’ self is wondering whether it was felt important to get the news out before some difficult news – I have some thoughts was to what that might be but won’t say – came out.
Maybe the General Election has delayed the announcement as Mr Corbyn might not have recommended him to the Queen. Not suggesting he wouldn’t, just that it would be bad form for Mr Johnson to announce it during the campaign.
This is a very intriguing and suggestive post.
New Year’s Eve is a good time to announce difficult news.
The consensus seems to be, Marion, that Lambeth were keen to signal the beginning of the end of the Sentamu era sooner rather than later (and that could be linked to what you sense may be difficult news). Also, there would be too much scope for a leak if it was left hanging in the air – and not everyone would have been as discreet as Bill Broadhead.
Have just come across the list of the appointments of diocesan bishops for the last 6 years or so. The time between the last meeting of the relevant CNC and the announcement is normally 6 weeks to 2 months. On this occasion it was 2 weeks. I think it suggests something.
I don’t think there is anything sinister in the timing of this announcement. When Archbishop Sentamu announced on 1 October 2018 his intention to retire in June 2020 he said this: “I have decided to announce my retirement now in order to provide the Church of England with the widest possible time-frame to pray, discern with wisdom and insight and put in place a timetable for my successor, and to consider fully the work they will be called to do in service to the national Church, the Northern Province, and the diocese of York.” The process to find ++Sentamu’s successor… Read more »
Announcing Cottrell’s appointment now makes perfect sense. He has 6 months to prepare and can hit the ground running when Sentamu leaves.
I hope this is extended to all future bishop and indeed clergy appointments – vacancies are a recipe for indecision and decline.
In most sensible orgnisations there would be a handover in a senior appointment, unless there was a problem – rather than a disappearance and becoming a non-person. This should apply in all appointments rather than leaving a new incumbent to guess what is going on and at the mercy of churchwardens and PCCs with their own agenda.
‘Hit the ground running…’ Interesting choice of phrase, given that one of Bishop Stephen’s many excellent little books is called ‘Hit the Ground Kneeling’! https://www.amazon.ca/Hit-Ground-Kneeling-Leadership-Differently/dp/0715142097
This is joyous news not just for the church but for the place of the church in the world. +Stephen has a real gift in speaking wisdom into our cultures and contexts. Whilst too often the church “fiddles whilst Rome is burning”, Stephen has little truck with petty squabbles and self-interest groups, but sees the bigger picture.
Stephen’s words in 2017: Chelmsford Diocesan Synod Presidential Address. Following the House of Bishop’s report on Marriage and Same Sex Relationships after the Shared Conversations (GS 2055) and its subsequent rejection by the General Synod, I thought it might be helpful if I shared where I am on these issues and what it might mean for us in this diocese. …I therefore make no apology for wanting us to be a church that finds ways of living together with our disagreements. …Human sexuality, what it means and how it is expressed in loving, stable and life-giving relationships, is one such… Read more »
Stephen’s 2017 address(contd): Many Christians in this diocese were disappointed that the House of Bishops statement did not go further in opening up the possibility of the Church formally blessing same sex unions. I understand this… So having had the House of Bishop’s statement rejected, where are we now? Do we simply re-state our current position, and is there any hope for LGBTI+ Christians (and others) that one day their relationships may be affirmed within the Church? After the Synod debate, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York wrote a letter to the Church in which having made clear that while… Read more »
”In fact it is worse than this, our ambivalence and opposition to faithful and permanent same sex relationships can legitimise homophobia in others. None of us are content with this situation.”
Which is precisely the effect Lambeth 2020 will have.
I think bishops, including Stephen, have got into the habit of giving addresses which sound splendid but aren’t particularly good at translating words into actions which might be contentious.
People seem to have missed the almost simultaneous news that Dr Gavin Ashenden is to be received into the Catholic Church. If he had been treated more seriously and more fairly in the past, he could have been the one to take Archbishop Sentamu’s place. What an opportunity has been missed!
Plenty of us haven’t been taken seriously or treated fairly, without feeling we had to defect to a different denomination. Hopefully Gavin Ashenden’s move is a sign of an ongoing spiritual journey rather than pique. I take him seriously enough to believe it is. He’s a thoughtful man.
Well I suppose our loss is the Church of Rome’s gain.
I agree entirely. In fact it is Rome’s very great gain. He is a man of huge intellect. In fact one of Rome’s biggest catches since Newman.
Let’s not forget that Ashenden was consecrated as bishop in 2013 by the Christian Episcopal Church. This was done secretly and not officially announced until 2017 shortly after he resigned as a Chaplain to the Queen. That bit of deception clouded my opinion of him.
At least he’s a RC layman now.
I’m quite glad Ashenden has been received into the Roman Catholic Church. This hopefully will stop him from interfering in Anglican Communion Affairs. Have you ever seen his disrespectful contribution to the So-called ‘Anglican Unscripted’ site on U-Tube? – a nasty entity if I ever saw one!
Until now (Richard’s and Father Ron’s posts) I was unaware of any of this background, and thought his intervention as potential peace-maker on behalf of the Channel Islands in their ‘dispute’ with the Diocese of Winchester was helpful and well-intended at the time. But it is now probably apparent why he received such short shrift both at Winchester and Canterbury.
I wish Gavin well, as I wish anyone else well, but I don’t endorse his views on gender and sexuality one little bit.
He was a much loved inclusive university chaplain and educator for many years until something happened. We were colleagues on General Synod together. I don’t know where the Rt Revd came from. Back to the ranks of the laity now, unless he has done a deal. Perhaps he can edit The Tablet and save it from closure. I wish him well.
On some of the the ‘Anglicans Unscripted’ podcasts I have seen, Ashenden has come across as perceptive and having a good grasp of the issues around abuse. I have been impressed by him.
Surely, Ron, Anglican Unscripted is the best site for keeping up with Anglican news. Every issue, there is some scandal, some exposure or some bad news. It’s a great website. I recommend it highly. Now that Gavin has regularised his position, I am sure that it will be even more fun.
I have been trying to find a copy of the Statement of Needs prepared by the York diocese. It does not appear to be its website unlike for example the Hereford one which is already available.
I would have thought that these should be publicly available documents.
Similarly no similar documents appear to be publicly available for suffragans.
Is this surprising, if there be “difficult news” in the offing?
As it happens today’s Church Times contains adverts relating to several suffragan sees currently vacant. I will add links here later.
Three dioceses have adverts:
Chichester two vacancies – Horsham and Lewes
https://www.chichester.anglican.org/documents/bishop-horsham-and-lewes-role-specification/
https://www.chichester.anglican.org/documents/bishop-horsham-and-lewes-statement-needs/
Southwell & Nottingham – Sherwood
https://southwell.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/JD-Information-Pack.docx
Lichfield – Stafford https://www.lichfield.anglican.org/vacancies/see-stafford/
Chester and now Chelmsford. Any more coming up?
according to P Owen’s site, Newcastle is 70 in 2021. Brum, Carliol, Petriburg, Lpool, Lindum after that (not that order). As the great Margo Leadbetter of “The Good Life” once said, yuletide felicitations to you all.
I’m a 61 year old expat Brit who moved to Canada at 17. I try to keep up with current Brit jargon, but I don’t have a clue what most of those names mean, Stanley, any more than you would if I told you I lived in YEG! Maybe we could all try to remember that not everyone who frequents this site is C of E?
Noted. But Google is a wondrous thing – YEG sorted in a trice.
Hardly current Brit jargon: Episcopal signatures except Brum (a favourite nickname for Birmingham long before you left for Canada) and Lpool is pretty obvious. The others are Carlisle, Peterborough and Lincoln. My local is “Winton.” – note the full stop, as it’s an abbreviation of “Wintoniensis” = ‘of Winchester’ – and in use since circa 650 AD!
Best wishes to all in YEG!