Tributes are being paid to the Bishop of Woolwich Rt Rev Dr Karowei Dorgu who has died at the age of 65 after a long struggle with his health.
In a statement, the Archbishop of Canterbury Most Rev Justin Welby said :
"Bishop Karowei was a truly holy man, full of the Spirit and of grace, who simply radiated the joy of Christ. To be in his presence was to know a little of that joy, and so he was adored everywhere. The Church will be much poorer for his loss. However, he leaves us with a great legacy. May we continue to be inspired by his passionate commitment to evangelism and his passion for nurturing and developing new leaders. We know that Christ mourns with us, as we hold his family and all who loved him in our prayers."
Bishop Karowei, who died on Friday at King's College Hospital in London with his family by his side, was ordained Deacon in 1995 and Priest in 1996. Born and brought up in Nigeria, he worked as a medical doctor before ordination. He studied theology (BA Hons) at London Bible College. Prior to his appointment as Bishop of Woolwich in December 2016, he was a Prebendary of St Paul’s Cathedral.
He had a keen interest in training candidates for lay and ordained ministry, offering his expertise as a tutor on a number of training programmes.
The Bishop of Southwark Rt Rev Christopher Chessun said :
"There will be a time for proper tributes to be paid in due course – but for now I wish to convey my deepest sympathy to his wife Mosun, son Timi, twin sister Collette and the whole family. I express my gratitude for Bishop Karowei’s friendship and inspirational ministry - latterly as Bishop of Woolwich - where he brought much joy in his passion for the Gospel and loving encouragement to all whom he encountered. It was a privilege to join the family at his bedside and anoint him in his last hours, and I am grateful that the Archbishop of Canterbury came to pray with the family. We have lost a dear friend, brother and colleague and we will miss him greatly. I commend Bishop Karowei and his family to your prayers. May he rest in peace.”
Southwark Cathedral held a short vigil of prayer on Saturday evening and said that details of Bishop Karowei’s funeral would be shared in due course.
Bishop Karowei is survived by Mosun, their adult son Timi and his twin sister Collette.