Press Release

[Home]  [Index]   [Search]   [E-mail]

CONSECRATION OF NEW BISHOP OF CROYDON

Friday 2 May 2003

The Ven. Nicholas (Nick) Baines is to be consecrated as the new Bishop of Croydon in St Paul's Cathedral next Thursday, 8 May at 11.00 am. He succeeds the Rt Rev. Wilfred Wood who retired last year.

Nick Baines, 45, has been the Archdeacon of Lambeth, in the Diocese of Southwark, since the summer of 2000. He is a member of the General Synod of the Church of England, and is involved in various Committees looking at mission at home and abroad. Nick is married to Linda and they have three children.

As Bishop of Croydon he will remain in the same Diocese and will assist the Bishop of Southwark in the oversight and pastoral care of 102 parishes in the extensive southern part of the Diocese.

Following his consecration the new Bishop will be installed in Southwark Cathedral on Sunday 11 May and welcomed into his new Area at Croydon Parish Church on Sunday 1 June at 7pm.

There will be a photo opportunity with the new Bishop on the steps of St Paul's after the service at approximately 12.30pm

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

Since coming to Southwark Diocese, Nick Baines has continued his long held interest in youth work as Chair of the Diocesan Children & Youth Policy Group. Other interests include the shaping of the church to face the challenges and opportunities of the twenty first century, clergy development, ecumenism and mission to people outside the church.

Nick Baines was appointed a Director of Ecclesiastical Insurance in 2002. For many years he has been a regular contributor to Pause for Thought on Radio 2 and in September a book based on the scripts of these reflections will be published by St Andrew's Press.

Before becoming an archdeacon Nick Baines was the Vicar of Rothley, Leicester, and Rural Dean of Goscote, in the Diocese of Leicester. He has wide parish experience, including city centre, urban UPA, town centre, market town, rural village, and commuter village. As Archdeacon of Lambeth he has had oversight of mainly inner-city and suburban churches, with the extra responsibility of sharing the Bishop's staffing and management of them.

Prior to his ordination in 1987 he was a specialist in modern languages, working briefly in Germany and France and then for four years in the UK as a Linguist Specialist. While in Leicester he used to broadcast regularly on BBC Radio Leicester, Leicester Sound, and BBC Radio 2, and twice received a commendation in the Andrew Cross Awards for religious broadcasting.

Note for Editors

The Croydon Episcopal Area is made up of the Archdeaconries of Croydon and Reigate.

The Archdeaconry of Reigate comprises the three Rural Deaneries of Caterham (9 parishes), Godstone (14 parishes), and Reigate (24 parishes).

The archdeaconry of Croydon comprises the Rural Deaneries of Croydon Addington (9 parishes), Croydon Central (10 parishes), Croydon North (12 parishes), Croydon South (10 parishes) and Sutton (14 parishes).

The Episcopal Area includes Croydon itself, and extends to Sutton and Reigate in the north-west, south to the edge of Gatwick Airport and to Godstone and Lingfield in the south and south-east.

Ends.

For further information contact: 

Diocesan Communications Officer
Tel: 020-7939 9400
Mobile: 07831-694021
Fax: 020-7939 9468