Long-serving Bishop of Kingston announces retirement
'It has been a great privilege to serve the Diocese of Southwark for the last twenty years.'
The Bishop of Kingston, The Rt Revd Dr Richard Cheetham, announced today that he will be concluding his term of office on October 17, 2022, the twentieth anniversary of his consecration. He is one of the longest-serving stipendiary bishops in the Church of England.
“It has been a great privilege to serve the Diocese of Southwark for the last twenty years”, said Bishop Richard.
“The Kingston Episcopal area, covering five London boroughs from Kingston to Waterloo, is a wonderfully interesting and diverse part of London, full of many fine examples of mission and ministry.
"It is served by very committed and able clergy and laity and their faithful and imaginative responses and adaptations to the many often rapid changes in communities during the last twenty years have been inspirational.
"I have also been privileged to engage with its many excellent institutions and organisations in the wider world on matters of common concern such as the environment, education and inter faith relations.”
When he retires, Bishop Richard will continue his work as a co-director of Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science and also as a member of the newly established Anglican Communion Science Commission.
He added: “Amongst other activities, I hope to have more time for research, for writing and speaking on the relationship between science and religion, to spend more time with family and friends and, health permitting, to improve my tennis beyond its current rudimentary level.”
The Bishop of Southwark, The Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, said: “Bishop Richard has been a faithful and valued member of the episcopal team serving the Diocese and bringing his many distinctive gifts to the task of leading the Kingston Episcopal area for twenty years.
"We have all benefitted from his theological insight and the broad range of his interests. I am very glad that he will continue to work on national and international projects on science and religion and help to shape the Church’s thinking in this important apologetic task. I commend Richard and Felicity to your prayers and wish them well for all that lies ahead.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Justin Welby, said: “Congratulations on your extraordinary and varied episcopal ministry as Bishop of Kingston over these past nearly twenty years.
"You have been a blessing to the people and churches of your area and the diocese of Southwark more widely, and your contributions in the areas of interfaith, environmental and science issues have been immense.”
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