The next Bishop of Brixworth will be The Venerable Dr Alex Hughes, currently Archdeacon of Cambridge in the Diocese of Ely, Downing Street has announced today.
Today (Friday 8 May) we welcome Alex to the Diocese starting at Bishop Stopford School in Kettering where students will interview Alex and discuss his hopes and aspirations for his new role. Following this, Alex will meet with clergy from Wellingborough and Kettering deaneries before visiting the Nine Bridges Benefice in Peterborough to hear about community engagement in a rural benefice on the edge of the city. The day will conclude with evensong at Peterborough Cathedral.
Alex brings a wide breadth of experience from across the Church of England, having served in parish ministry, diocesan leadership and episcopal support roles. He was ordained in the Diocese of Oxford in 2000 and served his curacy at Headington Quarry before becoming Chaplain to the Bishop of Portsmouth. From 2008 to 2014 he was parish priest of St Luke’s and St Peter’s in inner-city Portsmouth and since 2014 has served as Archdeacon of Cambridge.
Speaking about his appointment, Alex said: ‘I am really drawn to this particular moment in the life of the Diocese of Peterborough. It is a time of change and possibility and I am excited to be part of shaping what comes next. I am convinced that this vital work is deeply spiritual: it is about clearing paths and building channels for the Spirit to move.’
As Bishop of Brixworth, Alex will hold responsibility for different ministry areas, including education, something that Alex describes as being ‘in my DNA’. Both his parents were teachers, and he has held significant governance roles within church schools, including chairing governing bodies at both primary and secondary level and holding the role of Chair of the Diocesan Board of Education in Ely Diocese for 12 years.
Alongside his work in education, Alex has experience of both urban and rural ministry. As Archdeacon of Cambridge he has oversight of a large and diverse area, including the city and its rural surroundings. ‘My favourite day of the week is Sunday’ he says, ‘I love being out among the parishes, whether it’s a big service with hundreds of people or just a tiny little village church with 3 or 4 faithful worshippers and a cat.’
Having been born into a Christian household Alex does not have a ‘moment’ of conversion but remembers feeling a very strong confirmation of his Christian identity during a camp in Peterborough in the summer before he started secondary school;
‘I didn’t have a dramatic conversion experience,” he said, “but at that moment I knew clearly that I was a Christian, and that was the identity I was taking with me into the next stage of my life. It feels quietly significant to be returning to Peterborough many years later in this way.’
Throughout his life and ministry Alex has enjoyed the full range of church traditions, including visiting 3 different churches across the week whilst at university, which alongside his varied roles he describes as giving him ‘an unusually wide appreciation of the Church of England’.
Welcoming Alex to his new role, Bishop Debbie said; ‘I am delighted to welcome Alex to the Diocese and look forward to working closely with him. His deep sense of God’s call was clear throughout the process, and I am grateful to everyone who prayed for us. It will be a joy to get to know him better and to discern together God’s will for our life and mission.’
Alex is married to Sarah, a psychotherapist, and they have two sons, Thomas and Joseph. A keen musician, Alex finds joy in listening to live music in all its forms, from rock and roll to classical orchestral pieces. An enthusiastic runner, his other favourite mode of transport is his beloved motorbike.
Alex will be consecrated in July and will take up his role in the Diocese in the autumn.