Ian Bishop, the Archdeacon of Macclesfield, is to be the next Bishop of Thetford in the Diocese of Norwich, Downing Street has announced.
Norfolk is a place that holds many happy memories for Archdeacon Ian as he has previously served in the Diocese of Norwich as a parish priest. He will return with his wife Sue to a place they know well.
The Bishop-designate, as he is known until he is ordained Bishop of Thetford in the autumn, will spend the day visiting different locations in the Diocese of Norwich. You can follow the day’s events on social media.
- Ian Bishop on Twitter @venbishop
- Diocese of Norwich on Facebook
- Diocese of Norwich website
Expressing his thanks to those he has worked with and got to know during his time in the Diocese of Chester, Ian says: “I have valued everybody’s support, I have never had anything other than wonderful support from the people of this diocese and I just want to say, ‘thank you’.”
The Bishop of Chester, Mark Tanner says he is “delighted” at Ian’s appointment: “Ian has been an outstanding Archdeacon: wise, patient, prayerful, and endlessly encouraging. I am delighted at his appointment to Thetford, although sorry to see him moving away from Chester.”
Speaking to Bishop Mark in the video below, Ian says it is the people he will miss most of all: “There’s lots of good stories I’ll take away with me. But the thing that will be hardest to leave is actually the people, who are colleagues, but who have become friends.
“There is huge potential here and, in a way, I am quite sorry not to be here to see that potential being realised. There are good times ahead for Chester Diocese.”
Diocesan Secretary, George Colville, welcomed the news: “This is great news for the Church and I hope and pray God will continue to bless Ian’s ministry as he takes on this new role. We will miss him a lot when the time comes.”
There will be an opportunity to say thank you and farewell to Archdeacon Ian and his wife Sue on Sunday 23 July in Wilmslow. Anyone wishing to attend is asked to book their attendance here.
Ian will be ordained as a bishop in Westminster Abbey on 29 September 2023 and there will be a service of welcome for him and Sue at Norwich Cathedral on Saturday 30 September at 5.30pm.
