Vol 3/3
April
1998

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Tom Butler is new Bishop

Bishop Tom Butler, has been the Bishop of Leicester since l99l, but he is not new to London. At the press conference on Tuesday 17 March he talked of 'coming home'. He was Bishop of Willesden from 1985 to 1991 and was previously Archdeacon of Northolt.

A scientist by background - with a Masters and Doctrate in electronics, he trained for ordination with the Mirfield Fathers at the College of the Resurrection in Yorkshire. Ordained in 1964 he spent three years as a curate in Ely and Canterbury Dioceses and then twelve years as a lecturer in electronics and chaplain at Zambia and Kent universities. During this period he was on the staff of Lusaka and Canterbury Cathedrals respectively.

Speaking about his move back to London, Bishop Tom said "The Diocese of Southwark has had a long tradition of being a forward looking Diocese relating the traditional faith of the Church to the realities of contemporary life. I believe that the Diocese has an important part to play as London appoints a Mayor and moves into the new Millennium. I look forward to being involved in its life at this significant time.' (A fuller text of his address is on the next page)

He is married to Barbara, who is Executive Secretary of Christians Aware, a charity involved in education and development, and they have two grown up children. Bishop Tom has been active at national level and until 1995 chaired the group which published the controversial Staying in the City Report. He now chairs the General Synod Board of Mission, The Churches Human Rights Forum and the Governors of Ripon College,Cuddesdon.

He is also General Synod representative on the Inner Cities Religious Council - an initiative set up by the Department of the Environment. Twelve months ago he entered the House of Lords. He is a regular contributor to Radio 4's Thought for the Day and other national and local TV and radio programmes. He has also co-authored two books with his wife Just Mission and Just Spirituality in a World of Faiths. He likes to keep fit and in 1992 he and Barbara completed the London Marathon, raising money for the Church Urban Fund and Christians Aware.

Bishop Tom will be enthroned in Southwark Cathedral in the early autumn.

The full printed edition of the 'Bridge' newspaper is available at all Southwark Parish Churches
Further copies can be obtained from wendy.s.robins@southwark.anglican.org
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