Bishop John was enthroned as the 113th Bishop of Worcester on 1 March 2008, coming here from the
Diocese of Ely where he was Bishop of Huntingdon. As Bishop of Worcester, he has been the Chief Pastor for parishes across Worcestershire and Dudley as well as serving in the House of Lords since 2012 and as Lord High Almoner to HM The Queen and then HM The King from 2013.
Bishop John will withdraw from ministry in mid-September with a farewell service in the Cathedral at 4pm on Sunday 29 September, to which all are welcome. His retirement will then formally come into effect on 9 October.
He said: “Being Bishop of Worcester has been an enormous privilege. By the time I leave I shall have been here nearly 17 years, the longest I have lived anywhere in my life. I have lived through the best of times and the worst of times in my personal life during those years and am more grateful than I can say for all the love and support I have received. I am not anxious to retire – I am deeply attached to Worcestershire and Dudley and love being Bishop here! However, I shall be 70 in February and feel, under God, that now is the right time to leave.”
Following Bishop John’s announcement, the process will begin to find the next Bishop of Worcester. This will be led by a small group of people from across the Diocese as well as from the national church and will involve wide consultation with those in our parishes. During the vacancy, the Bishop of Dudley, Martin Gorick will become Acting Diocesan Bishop. Further information on the process for selecting the next Bishop of Worcester will be available shortly.
Bishop John will be retiring to Wiltshire with his wife H-J Colston-Inge.
Rt Revd Dr John Inge
The Bishop of Worcester