St Joseph’s Day, 2025

As the Trustees of Forward in Faith, we warmly congratulate the Venerable Malcolm Chamberlain on being appointed as the Bishop of Wakefield. We wish him a long and fruitful ministry in that role. We know that Society clergy in the See of Wakefield will work productively with the new area bishop in the Church’s mission to all the people of that See.

Given that the Bishop-Designate’s immediate predecessor, Bishop Tony Robinson, served as a Society bishop and ministered to Society parishes across the Diocese of Leeds, the appointment leaves a gap in the episcopal ministry provided to Society parishes in the northern province. We stress that this issue is not a matter for the Diocese of Leeds to resolve.

It is important to note in this context that the number of parishes currently under the Bishop of Beverley amounts to approximately 140, covering 11 dioceses and comprising approximately 110 ‘serving’ clergy (retired clergy holding permission to officiate are in addition to that number). This is more than many other Church of England bishops and, at such a high level, is simply too many for pastoral and sacramental oversight to be provided adequately.

We look forward to the Archbishop of York establishing arrangements for an additional serving Society bishop to minister to Society parishes in the northern province so as to rectify the current imbalance.

Such a move would be in keeping with the 2014 settlement, as codified by the text of the House of Bishops’ Declaration, and also with the conclusions reached in the Dioceses Commission’s February 2019 review of the Provincial Episcopal Visitors’ (PEV) Sees – a report which was signed off by representatives of the range of Anglican traditions.

May St Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, pray for us.