News Story
BISHOP OF HORSHAM TO BE ADMINISTRATOR AT WALSINGHAM
Bishop Lindsay Urwin, currently Bishop of Horsham, is to leave the diocese in February when he becomes the Bishop Administrator of the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham (http://www.walsinghamanglican.org.uk/welcome/).
News of the appointment, welcomed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Chichester, is being relayed to pilgrims to the Norfolk shrine today (Friday), the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Bishop Lindsay will succeed Father Philip North who is to be a parish priest in London.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, said today: "I am delighted about the appointment of Bishop Lindsay to the Shrine at Walsingham. He has exceptional gifts as a pastor, a teacher and a human being, and all who come to the Shrine - not least the young - will be very well cared for. I send my prayers and good wishes for him in this next stage in his ministry."
Canon Martin Warner, Master of the Guardians, also said today: "The Guardians are delighted that Bishop Lindsay has agreed to accept the post. He is a wise, experienced pastor whose enthusiasm as a Christian communicator is profound and infectious. Under his leadership we are confident that Walsingham will continue to play a vital role in our Church and nation."
The Bishop of Chichester, the Rt Revd John Hind, said: "This seems a providential moment for Bishop Lindsay to be appointed as Administrator... For "England's Nazareth" to have such a mission minded bishop at its helm will be a source of great confidence to many."
Lindsay Urwin, one of six children, was born in Melbourne in 1956. He arrived in England in 1976 and began training for the Church of England ministry at Ripon College, Cuddesdon in 1977. After being ordained priest in 1981, he served in south London as Curate of Walworth before being appointed as Vicar of North Dulwich in 1983.
He quickly gained a reputation for evangelism and communication - being able to express the great mysteries of faith with simplicity and enthusiasm.
The then Bishop of Chichester, Eric Kemp, recognised these gifts and took him south to be Diocesan Missioner in Chichester from 1988 until he was appointed Area Bishop of Horsham in the same Diocese at the age of only 37.
Bishop Lindsay has also developed international and national links around the theme of evangelism, spirituality and hospitality.
He began his first post-Easter conference at Caister in 1996 attracting over 200 people. One of the most recent Caister conferences attracted more than 700 participants.
Archbishops' Missioner and Leader of the Fresh Expressions team, Dr Steven Croft, also gave a warm welcome to the news this week: "Bishop Lindsay is one of the most inspiring and creative missionary thinkers in the Church of England committed both to the traditional church and to fresh expressions of the church. His appointment is good news for Walsingham and for the whole church."
Bishop Lindsay is a member of the Oratory of the Good Shepherd - a world wide detached order for those who try to live the religious life in the apostolic ministry in the world. Membership involves one hour's silent prayer a day and total consecration of life.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham has been a place of pilgrimage since 1061.
Following a vision in which she was taken to Nazareth, a woman called Richeldis built a replica of the house where Mary received the angel's visit. Walsingham attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world every year.
Bishop Lindsay was in an upbeat move about taking on the task of Administrator at Walsingham from February:
"I am delighted. Of course I am. It will be very different from being a bishop in the context of a diocese but it is going to be a fresh challenge for me and I am looking forward to it," he said.
He added: "I will miss my work in the Diocese of Chichester and I am very grateful indeed for the challenges and opportunities I have had there. But I am sure that this is right and Walsingham is a big challenge."
Bishop Lindsay remains opposed to the ordination of women to the ministerial priesthood but he has always been an exponent of dialogue and discussion.
"You know, despite my views, my sister is actually an ordained priest and we have had hours and hours of conversations about this: I end up by saying what we have to do as individuals and as a church is to learn to love with disagreement."
Indeed, it was another of the Urwin siblings, his younger brother, Justin, who is responsible for Lindsay's great love of Walsingham:
"Yes, it was extraordinary really. Just after he arrived in England, and very much at least an agnostic, he went "on a pilgrimage" to Walsingham whilst I was there and I made it my intention (though I didn't tell him at the time) that he would be converted during that week. In the end, as a result of that visit, he was converted, baptised and confirmed.
"I have to say, that his confirmation actually meant more to me than my own consecration as bishop. It was wonderful and Walsingham has meant so much to me since. I owe a lot to our Lady of Walsingham."
In a statement released following the announcement, Bishop John said:
"From the first moment I heard of the vacancy at Walsingham I had a sense of foreboding! Bishop Lindsay immediately occurred to me as the right person for the post, before anyone else or he himself had suggested it to me. I can only rejoice for the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, for the Church of England and for Bishop Lindsay. His departure will however leave a huge gap in the Diocese of Chichester, in which he has served for 20 years. There will be many opportunities for more detailed reflection on his contribution as Diocesan Missioner and Bishop of Horsham, but for the moment I simply want to say what a bitter-sweet moment this is for me. Lindsay has been a wonderful friend and colleague to Bishop Wallace and myself and we shall miss him greatly.
"As former Visitor to the Shrine OLW, I must add that this seems a providential moment for Lindsay to be appointed as Bishop-Administrator. The future of the catholic contribution in the Church of England looks more uncertain now than it has for many years. For "England's Nazareth" to have such a mission minded bishop at its helm will be a source of great confidence to many.
"To the diocese, I must add that the Church of England has careful procedures for the appointment of any successor to Bishop Lindsay, and I want to assure everyone, and especially the clergy and parishes of the Horsham episcopal area and the members and co-workers of the Diocesan Overseas Committee and other aspects of work with which he has been most closely associated that the consultation process begins today!"
In a letter to the Clergy, licensed lay workers and congregations of the Horsham Episcopal Area, Bishop Lindsay wrote:
This letter is to tell you that I have offered my resignation to Bishop John and will cease to be the Bishop of Horsham at the end of February next year. The announcement will be made on August 15th.
Recently, the Guardians of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in Norfolk invited me to become the Administrator of the Shrine and I have accepted their invitation. I will also be an honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of Norwich.
I expect it will come as something of a surprise to many of you that I should make this move. In some ways it is a surprise to me but I believe it to be the right decision. Those who know me well and whose advice I value and have sought have encouraged me to pursue this.
For those of you who might not know, the Shrine is particularly dedicated to the proclamation of the doctrine of the Incarnation and attracts around 350,000 tourists and pilgrims each year. There is a strong ministry to young people and a growing commitment to it as a place for learning and teaching about mission and evangelism. It is also an oasis of prayer and healing, a place where Christians can retreat and learn about what obedience to Christ means as they focus on the obedience of Mary the mother of the Lord. Walsingham has been a hugely important part of my life since I first arrived in this country and it will be an honour and joy for me to serve there. My own younger brother was converted on a walking pilgrimage to the Shrine many years ago, literally asking there 'What must I do to be baptised?' I can honestly say his subsequent baptism and confirmation brought more joy to me that my own ordination as a bishop.
I have always loved the diversity of the Church of England and this diocese, but most of you will know that I stand firmly in the catholic tradition of the Church, a tradition under pressure at present not least as a result of recent synodical decisions. While the Shrine very much maintains, and will continue to maintain an open to all policy it is a particular place of hope and encouragement for people in that tradition The Guardians and I hope that by concentrating my energies as Administrator, pastor and teacher there I might be able to make a small contribution to the strengthening of those brothers and sisters who very much need it. Not that I am retreating to Norfolk! The Guardians want me to offer a ministry of preaching and teaching much more widely, and my links with Sussex will be maintained not least as I continue as Provost of the Southern region of the Woodard Corporation of Schools.
Nothing I could write or say would be able to express my gratitude to this diocese for all it has given to me for nigh on twenty years now, first as diocesan missioner and for the past almost fifteen years as your Area bishop. To minister with and among you all has been an enormous privilege. It's right now for someone else to have that joy.
I have often said to clergy that comings and goings are simply part of our life together and that, however much they bring temporary sadness as this most certainly will to me, our goings are never to a very far away place, knit together as we are in the Body of Christ.
I would be grateful if you could share the contents of this letter with your congregations.
Be assured of my continued love and prayers
+Lindsay
