The Rt Revd Dr Timothy Livingstone Wambunya may be only the fifth Bishop of Wolverhampton since the first in 1979, but the welcome given to him as he took up office and began his ministry was historic.
Historic because of the venue: St Matthew’s Church Walsall, site of Christian worship for eight hundred years. Historic because Bishop Tim is the 4th bishop of black African heritage and the 16th GMH bishop in the Church of England since Wilfred Wood became Bishop of Croydon in 1985.
Historic too, because the warm and enthusiastic welcome he received in Walsall came from the diverse congregation gathered for the service from the Wolverhampton Episcopal Area but also from Bishop Tim’s congregation from St Pauls Slough, his immediately past appointment. That group of people was also diverse, but predominantly and unusually Asian, demonstrating vividly the truth that Christ is truly for all nations. Perhaps there had never been an episcopal welcome like this.
Historic too, because Bishop Tim’s first reference in his sermon was to St Chad, recalling the legacy of the founder of Lichfield Diocese 1400 years ago which still resonates today. He said: “St Chad, known for his deep humility, pastoral care and dedication to prayer, lived out his faith in simple yet profound ways to nurture spiritual growth among those he served.”
Leading up to his rallying call: “Let us engage our communities with the transforming message of Jesus Christ. We all have a call to mission,” he drew on scripture from Genesis 17 in which God makes his covenant with Abraham and from Matthew 28, in which the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations is given, Bishop Tim called on us to honour St Chad’s legacy through humility, prayer and compassionate service. “We are people bound by a covenant and sent out with a mission,” he said.
Following the sermon, Bishop Tim was legally made Bishop of Wolverhampton as the Registrar of the Diocese of Lichfield read Letters Patent from His Majesty the King and oaths taken to King and Bishop. In a tender moment, Bishop Michael, the Bishop of Lichfield, prayed for Bishop Tim and his wife, Mrs Gertrude Wambunya, as they knelt before him.
Kevin Davis DL from the West Midlands Lieutenancy was the first community leader to welcome Bishop Tim and Mrs Wambunya to the West Midlands, alongside leaders from the Archdeaconries and Deaneries in the Wolverhampton Episcopal Area, who all came with messages of warmth, co-operation, and prayer.
The Rt Revd Timothy Livingstone Wambunya, lately Bishop of Butere, in Kenya and recently Vicar of St Paul’s Church, Slough in the Diocese of Oxford, became 5th Area Bishop of Wolverhampton in the Diocese of Lichfield on 15 October 2024. Following a service in Canterbury Cathedral on 18th October, Bishop Tim received his Pastoral Staff from the Archbishop of Canterbury as a sign of the start of his pastoral ministry.
Photographs from both services can be seen on our Flickr account and a video of the service of commissioning at St Matthew’s Walsall is available: