Downing Street has announced that His Majesty the King has approved the appointment of the Venerable Rick Simpson, currently Archdeacon of Auckland, as the next Bishop of Durham.
Reacting to his appointment, Archdeacon Rick said:
“I am humbled and delighted to have been called to be the Bishop of this diocese, which I love. My deepest hope is to be able to walk alongside and encourage our local Christian communities as they seek to both show God’s love in action and help people to come to life-changing faith in Christ – and through this see our churches grow. It is also an honour to be tasked with representing the needs and voices of people in this region in the national church and the House of Lords.”
Bishop Stephen Wright gave a warm welcome on behalf of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle;
“On behalf of our Diocesan Family I welcome the news of the appointment of Venerable Rick Simpson as the new Bishop of Durham. I assure him of my prayers at this time of change and I look forward to working with Venerable Rick Simpson and all Christian Leaders together with all Faith Leaders in the North-East. We pray we will respond to the Lord’s call to be one and to serve the poor”.