In July 2021, we bid a fond farewell to Bishop James and his wife Bridget, as they retired after ten years of service and ministry with us.
Parishes from across the Diocese shared their thanks and best wishes in a series of video messages. Following Bishop James’ retirement, the process to identify the next Bishop of Rochester began.
A diocesan-wide consultation took place, which included engagement across a variety of settings, and with diocesan and church role holders, parishes and schools.
As part of the process, we took to the streets of towns across the area of the Diocese, to ask the general public their views, and a dedicated set of activities for children and young people was also created to ensure their views were heard.
In September, we published our Statement of Needs, which incorporated the views that we had gathered. In March 2022, we were delighted to announce that our next Bishop will be the Rt Rev Jonathan Gibbs – currently the Bishop of Huddersfield.
Our hope is that, ‘As, like the nation, we slowly emerge from a pandemic that has hurt so many, we trust that our new Bishop will lead us with energy, vision, and a gentleness of relationship, as we navigate this changing landscape.‘ (Statement of Needs, 2021)