The new Bishop of Leicester is to be the Rt Revd Martyn Snow, currently Bishop of Tewkesbury. The announcement was made on the website of 10 Downing Street this morning.
The Dean of Leicester, David Monteith, is delighted. “Bishop Martyn’s experience of mission and ministry in rural and urban contexts makes him ideally placed to serve this diocese with wisdom, imagination and love. It will be a joy in 2016 to see him installed into his new cathedra in Leicester Cathedral.”
Jonathan Kerry is the Diocese of Leicester Chief Executive and Diocesan Secretary. “We are delighted to welcome Bishop Martyn and look forward to his leadership of the diocese and the diocesan team.”
The Bishop of Gloucester, the Right Revd Rachel Treweek said “It has been announced this morning that Bishop Martyn is to be the next Bishop of Leicester. This is a wonderful appointment for Bishop Martyn, Leicester and the Church of England and yet I know that the news will be met by sadness here in this Diocese, and not least by me. I have actually known of this possibility since the day I arrived but as always there has had to be strict confidentiality around the appointment process.”
“I have deeply appreciated Bishop Martyn’s friendship, support and collegiality over the past 8 months since the day of my announcement. I also know how much this diocese has appreciated his leadership particularly over the past year when he took on oversight of the diocese earlier than he had expected. Whilst I am sad that Bishop Martyn will be leaving us so early on in my ministry here, I am convinced that today’s announcement marks a very natural and appropriate step for him. Bishop Martyn’s gifts and experience will be richly used in Leicester”.
Martyn is 47, married to Lynn and they have three children.
Bishop Martyn will spend his first day in the diocese visiting a variety of projects and places with which the church of England is involved.
Starting at Loughborough University, where chaplains work closely with staff and students, he will travel then to meet mums and babies at the ‘Starting Rite’ project in Barrow on Soar. Rothley C of E Primary School is one of the newest school buildings, and the school has a distinctly Christian ethos. The Church of Christ the King, Beaumont Leys, holds many community meetings and activities, including a Foodbank supplied by FareShare Leicester. The bishop will meet volunteers and users plus elderly people from the locality.
Later in the day the bishop will meet some of the diocesan staff at St Martins House, and attend evening prayer in the oldest church in the city, St Nicholas.
The Bishop will be installed in Spring 2016.