10 Downing Street has today announced the name of the fifth Bishop of Wolverhampton:
“The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Dr Timothy Wambunya, Vicar of St Paul’s, Slough, in the Diocese of Oxford, for nomination to the Suffragan See of Wolverhampton in the Diocese of Lichfield, in succession to Bishop Clive Gregory, following his retirement.
Background
“Tim’s initial career was in Marine Engineering. He trained for ministry at Oakhill Theological College, London. He served his title at St John, Southhall Green, in the Diocese of London and was ordained Priest in 1998. Timothy was appointed Vicar at Emmanuel Holloway Church, Stepney, in 2000 and, in 2007, was appointed Principal at Carlile College (The Church Army Africa College) in Nairobi, Kenya. During these two roles, he studied for a PhD in Paremiology at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies (University of Wales). In 2013, he was consecrated and became Bishop of the Diocese of Butere, Anglican Church of Kenya, before taking up his current role in 2020 as Vicar at St Pauls, Slough, in the Diocese of Oxford. He has additionally served as an Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Oxford.
Welcoming the news, The Rt Revd Dr Michael Ipgrave, Bishop of Lichfield, said:
“I am delighted that Bishop Tim will join us in Lichfield Diocese. He will be resolute in sharing in our diocesan direction of travel: to ‘… follow Christ in the footsteps of St Chad’. He brings a wealth of experience as a practical and detailed person with an engineering background, a scholar who has studied words and wisdom, and a priest and bishop who has cared for and taught parishioners and clergy in the UK and Kenya. I look forward to working with and learning from Bishop Tim as he brings his theological and liturgical breadth and depth to the service and the leadership of the diocese. I am sure the diocese, particularly those in the Wolverhampton Episcopal Area, will welcome him and Gertrude warmly.”
Bishop Tim came to the UK and trained and worked as a marine engineer before entering full-time ministry. Prior to training for ordination, he excelled as an athlete, winning competitions as a 100m and 200m sprinter. He was selected for the Commonwealth Games trials for Kenya. He also demonstrated strong skills as a winger in rugby union. Nowadays, he enjoys taking long walks.
During his seven years as a team vicar in North London, he led the establishment of a study centre to equip Africans for scholarship, preaching, and leadership within the African context. After that, he was invited back to Kenya in 2007 to become the principal of Carlile College, Nairobi, for Church Army Africa and later became a diocesan Bishop.
Responding to his appointment, Bishop Tim said:
“I am thankful for the trust placed in me to serve this vibrant and diverse community. I look forward to working closely with my colleague bishops, the clergy, lay leaders, and parishioners to advance our intercultural mission of faith, hope, and love”.
Bishop Tim will be moving with his wife, Gertrude, and the youngest of their three sons, to Wolverhampton at the start of October. He is expected to be welcomed to the diocese and episcopal area with a service at St Matthew’s, Walsall on 15 October 2024 at 19.00.
As he has already been consecrated as a bishop in Kenya, this service will also mark the inauguration of his episcopal ministry here. High among his early priorities will getting to know the clergy of the area and sharing with Bishop Michael and Bishop Sarah in the appointments of new Archdeacons of Walsall and of Salop.
A passion for mission has characterised Bishop Tim’s whole ministry, but the global explosion of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 and the Church of England report ‘From Lament to Action Report’ ignited his passion for intercultural mission. This mission seeks to reach out to people from all global nations and integrate them into the Church of England as they love and serve God and worship the one, Lord Jesus Christ.
As Vicar of St. Paul’s, Slough, he hosted the first Anglican Network of Intercultural Church conference last year, which was attended by members of our diocesan Racial Justice & Inclusion Task Group. Additionally, he co-hosted the Second Anglican Intercultural Mission conference with the Diocese of Leicester (anic.org.uk). He is already planning the third conference in collaboration with the Diocese of Bradford. As Bishop Tim prepares to leave Oxford Diocese, The Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft, Bishop of Oxford said:
“Bishop Tim has served with distinction as vicar of St Paul’s Slough, one of our key resource hubs, and as an active assistant bishop in the Diocese of Oxford. He has made a very significant contribution to our wider work in racial justice and intercultural mission. He will bring significant experience to his new ministry in Wolverhampton and a great joy in the gospel and love for the Lord Jesus and his people.”
Bishop Michael adds:
I am grateful for the prayers, wisdom and advice of many people who have been involved in helping me to discern the right person to be the fifth Bishop of Wolverhampton in the Church of England. I would particularly like to thank the Advisory Group who have supported me in this quest, and the Archbishop of Canterbury for his encouragement.
Our profile for the See of Wolverhampton set out our hopes: for ‘a pastorally minded bishop who is energised by pastoral ministry’ - for a bishop ‘who has a strong and proven commitment to valuing and strengthening the visible diversity of the church’; and - given the varied responses within the diocese to Prayers of Love and Faith – for ‘a bishop who will contribute to the overall balance of the episcopal college in the diocese’. I am confident that, through Bishop Tim we will be blessed with a ministry which meets all these expectations. Please pray for him, for Gertrude and their family, as he prepares to join us.
Further images from the day on our Flickr site.
Photo above: Emma Thompson, Diocese of Oxford