The Bishop to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York has been appointed as the next Bishop of Kensington.
Rt Rev Dr Emma Ineson will take up the role in Spring 2023 and will join the College of Bishops in the Diocese of London. She succeeds Rt Rev Dr Graham Tomlin who stepped down earlier this year to lead the Centre for Cultural Witness.
As Bishop of Kensington, Rev Dr Emma will have pastoral oversight for the London Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea, Hounslow, Hammersmith & Fulham, and Richmond-upon-Thames.
Bishop Emma was ordained in 2000 and served her curacy in the Diocese of Sheffield, before moving to Devon where she was a Chaplain to Lee Abbey. She became Principal of Trinity College in Bristol in 2014 and was later appointed Bishop of Penrith in the Diocese of Carlisle. She took up her current role at Lambeth Palace in 2021.
Among other roles, the Bishop-designate is also Central Chaplain to the Worldwide Mother’s Union.
On being appointed as the next Bishop of Kensington Dr Ineson said:
“The Kensington Area, so wonderfully diverse, stretches from Knightsbridge to Heathrow, encapsulating areas of extreme wealth and also of poverty, with nearly a million Londoners calling it home.
“For the good news of Jesus Christ to reach every corner of Kensington, we need to enable people to be confident in living and speaking about their faith, so that everyone has an opportunity to hear and respond.
“We need to be ambitious in supporting our parish churches in their transformational engagement with local communities, and ambitious about taking the risks needed to try the new and creative things that will herald the Kingdom of God here in London.”
Most Rev Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, said: “My delight that Bishop Emma will be moving to a new role, where her considerable skills and expertise will be put to excellent use, is tempered only by my disappointment that we will not have the benefit of her presence at Lambeth Palace.
“In a relatively short period of time, she has played a key role in some truly historic moments for the Church of England and the global Anglican Communion, from chairing the Lambeth Conference Working Group, to her work supporting the College of Bishops on LLF (Living in Love and Faith) and her efforts to make the Church of England a place where vulnerable people are upheld and valued in safeguarding.
“Much of this work has been complicated and sensitive, and there has been no better person than Emma, with her acute grasp of, and love for, people, to steer it through.”
Most Rev Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, said: “I’d like to thank Bishop Emma for all she has done as Bishop to the Archbishops and more widely in her work on this summer’s Lambeth Conference.
“Her theological depth and pastoral heart has been a huge blessing. Emma will bring many gifts and broad experience to her new responsibilities as Bishop of Kensington. She moves on with my gratitude, prayers and blessing.”