News in Brief

Bishop back in hospit
THE BISHOP of Portsmouth, Dr Kenneth Stevenson, was admitted thospital this week after being rediagnosed with leukaemia. Dr Stevenson hareturned to work just before Easter after several months of treatment. ThBishop is expected to undergo two courses of chemotherapy, and a diocesaspokesman said that his diary had been cleared for the summer.Church Army opts for young leaderTHE new chief executive of the Church Army is to be Mark Russell, 31-year-old member of the Archbishops' Council. Mr Russell was due to starordination training in September, but has decided that his new post will btraining in itself< href="/80256fa1003e05c1/httppublicpages/a9f7e23229cec6de8025719500397ad5?opendocumentInterviewCelebrating women in ScotlandTHE Church of Scotland last weekend celebrated the 40th anniversary owomen ministers. Women were first ordained in the Church of Scotland on 19 Jun1966. The anniversary service was held at Culross Abbey, Fife, where the RevBabs Hepburn, one of the original seven ordinands, worships. The Moderator, thRt Revd Alan McDonald, preached.New director of leprosy chari
THE LEPROSY MISSION has appointed Geoff Warne as its new generadirector, it was announced on Tuesday. Mr Warne currently works as chiefinancial officer and deputy chief executive of the Royal New ZealanFoundation for the Blind. He will be relocating to London in the autumn. Woman takes over at MAFRUTH WHITAKER has been appointed the new UK chief executive of the MissioAviation Fellowship (MAF), it was announced last week. Miss Whitaker, a traineaeronautical engineer, joins MAF from Airbus. She was brought up in a familthat supported the work of MA