A new bishop has been appointed in the Church of England.
The Venerable Rhiannon King, who is currently the Archdeacon of Ipswich, is now the bishop-designate of Southampton following an announcement from Downing Street on Friday.
She will take over from acting bishop Geoff Anna, who has been in the post since Bishop Debbie Sellin moved to become the Bishop of Peterborough last year.
Archdeacon King said she was "delighted" at being appointed to the new role.
"I am excited to have the opportunity to support the clergy and people here in mission and ministry," she said.
"I don’t think there are many greater privileges than serving God and his Church and I can’t wait to learn from as well as contribute to what God is already doing here.”
The senior clergywoman's ordained ministry has spanned the dioceses of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, Birmingham and Ely, serving her curacy in the market town of Huntingdon, then as Rector of a multi-parish benefice just outside Cambridge, then as Director of Mission for the Diocese of Birmingham, before becoming Archdeacon of Ipswich.
She is also a trustee of ‘Leading your Church into Growth’.
In a short video filmed for the diocese, she said: “I love adventures and I look forward to creating some new adventures with God and with you. I have seen God at work so much and know that God can do far more than we can ask or imagine so I am putting my hand in God’s, trusting Jesus for everything and hope to spend most of my time encouraging others to do the same.”
She added: “Over the years I have especially loved working with local parish churches, helping them to grow generally and, in particular, to ‘grow younger’ as they reach out to their communities.
"I also enjoy helping individuals and churches to start new worshipping communities of all shapes and sizes and in the last decade have grown a special passion for estates, inner-urban ministry and work with asylum seekers and refugees.”
The Bishop of Winchester, Philip Mounstephen, said: “I am delighted that Rhiannon has been nominated as the next Bishop of Southampton. She brings an abundance of helpful experience in parish ministry and in diocesan leadership, not least in a highly successful programme for the revitalisation of the church in Ipswich.
"More than that, however, she brings with her a self-evident passion for people, for God’s Church and its mission – and for our God himself. I look forward very much to welcoming her to our Diocese and working with her for the coming of God’s Kingdom.”
