Farewells
THE chair of the Business Committee, Robert Hammond (Chelmsford), led the farewells at the close of the General Synod sessions on Tuesday afternoon by paying tribute to Dr Jacqui Philips. She had joined the national church institutions in 2014, he said, as Clerk to the Synod and general secretariat. She had worked closing with his predecessor, Canon Sue Booys, to produce and develop the Synod app, “moving us away from paper to being a more sustainable electronic Synod”, and had facilitated the complexities of the first hybrid sessions, and led the Synod support team. “Jacqui has a flare for design and style and had a constant desire to increase the professionalism in our Church.”
This was evidenced by the white stage set being used in York, he said. She had also supported Mr Hammond on his election to the committee, he continued, “selfless in her time for me”. Dr Philips had also worked on the Archbishops’ Council, in governance reform, improvement of effectiveness and culture, and in safeguarding within the central secretariat, which “as recently as 2013” had had only one full-time member of staff for this task. She had identified that this had to change and set up the National Safeguarding Team (NCT).
Mr Hammond described her as a “champion of women” in senior roles and a friend to colleagues and Synod members. “We wish her all the very best for the next step in her career.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury bade farewell to the Bishop of Peterborough, the Rt Revd Donald Allister (News, 8 July), who is to retire on 8 January, and was listening on Zoom. The Bishop would be remembered for his “generous and kind and principled, humble and unassuming, and personable character”, Archbishop Welby said. He had never stood on his own dignity, and his devotion to his family had been extraordinary. “He is man of wisdom expressed in profound faith; he is someone who lived out the opening words of the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’.”
In his ministry, Bishop Allister had been deeply committed to relationships, which the Archbishop said he had experienced during his diocesan visit to Peterborough. “He trusts others to carry responsibility and is clear in his public support,” he said. Bishop Allister was serious about “getting things done and done well”, but laughed easily in his ministry. “He is a people person.”
His leadership had enabled the leadership of others; he was also a talent spotter in lay and ordained ministry, especially among young people, and in training, Archbishop Welby said. “‘The centre of the diocese is the parish church’ was one of his slogans.”
His leadership during the pandemic was also commendable, having written to clergy, LLMs, and churchwardens every week with emotional intelligence. “The diocese felt held and held together,” the Archbishop said. Bishop Allister was, above all, a teacher and preacher, and his accessible sermons had been highly appreciated. “He sounded simple, but the more you thought about it, the deeper it was.” He had also worked with ecumenical groups, in prison chaplaincy, charities, and link dioceses, and was known for his pilgrimages to the Holy Land. He was not afraid of confrontation and had an “amazing” memory of canon law.
Bishop Allister had been willing to buck trends and do things differently, and would be sadly missed, Archbishop Welby concluded.
The Archbishop of York then delivered a farewell for the Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Revd Julian Henderson, who is to retire after the Lambeth Conference, and who was in the chamber. Archbishop Cottrell had first encountered Bishop Henderson when the latter had chaired the Business Committee, 12 years previously, “steering the Synod through all kinds of issues with a cool head, a deft administrative touch, and a heart which was very evidently in the right place, wanting only to serve the Church”. Those same skills had been “the foundation of so much joy, missional endeavour, and creativity” in the diocese of Blackburn, Archbishop Cottrell said.
He went on to recount the ordained ministry of Bishop Henderson in London, Chichester, and 20 years in Guildford diocese “where, notwithstanding the busy demands of parish life and duties of an archdeacon”, he had been chaplain to the mayor, chair of the penal-affairs group and the housing advisory committee, and — “wait for it” — the diocesan adviser for paranormal inquiries.
Since 2013, when he became Bishop of Blackburn, “he has worked tirelessly to reshape the narrative and vision of the diocese in reaching people across Lancashire.” Archbishop Cottrell recalled his own recent visit to Lancashire (News, 10 June), where he had experienced “the great work that is taking place” and been struck by “the unwavering and joyful focus on evangelism and witness”, “a high doctrine of mutual flourishing”, and “a bias for the poor”. This had culminated in an evangelistic event in the “gloriously seedy-beautiful” Blackpool pleasure beach, he said.
“As the diocese looks forward to its centenary in 2026, I want you to know that we know that the time and energy that you have invested will continue to bear fruit,” the Archbishop said. He praised the respect that Bishop Henderson had earned, his listening, fostering of good relationships, empathy, and objectivity, and leadership and pastoral care of the C of E Evangelical Council, which had been “hugely valued”. Praising his final speech in the Lords about levelling up (News, 1 July), he said: “Despite being a self-identified southerner, you have been adopted by the north.” The Archbishop also thanked Bishop Henderson’s wife and two children for their support.
Finally, Archbishop Welby bade farewell to the Bishop of Birmingham, the Rt Revd David Urquhart, who is to retire on 18 October, when he turns 70, after 16 years in post (News, 13 May). He is the longest-serving bishop in the C of E. Bishop Urquhart had spent his gap year in Uganda with CMS, where he had been invited to preach. The interpreter had apparently said to the congregation: “This young man doesn’t know what he’s talking about; so I am going to give the sermon.”
This was true, the Archbishop said, because, as a result of his experience, Bishop Urquhart “owed his conversion” to the East African revival and to the life of Christians there. He had returned to the UK, gone to University, and joined BP, “poor chap”, and served in commercial management in London and Belfast, before training for ordination and serving in Hull and Coventry.
The Bishop had “an extraordinary gift for friendship”, Archbishop Welby said. He became chair of the trustees of CMS between 1994 and 2008, when he found an interest in China. He was appointed Bishop of Birkenhead in 2000, and Bishop of Birmingham in 2006, when he was quoted saying that he wanted to stay there until he retired. His interfaith and ecumenical work in the diocese had been extraordinary.
“He has transformed the diocese in many ways but drawing together its leadership in a city which has historically been the most secular in the UK. He started with a challenging place for the Church and has worked tirelessly and brilliantly there.”
He had also been convener for the Lords Spiritual, had built up good friendships in the Lords, and shown an interest and understanding on the economy, business, and local and regional government. Bishop Urquhart was a Church Commissioner and chair the council of Ridley Hall, Cambridge. He would also continue in his retirement as the main envoy to the international mining companies, working with the Transition Pathway Initiative.
Bishop Urquhart was tireless, went to bed late and got up early, often going running, regardless of the events of the previous night. His godchildren had said that he always took them clubbing on holiday, and that they always returned before him. “The interesting thing is”, Archbishop Welby continued, “that all those children and godchildren and those many others who have been lost sheep come to know and love Jesus Christ. He is an evangelist of extraordinary skill, whose friendship and affections are genuine, whose sacrifice for others is continual.” The Archbishop was grateful for the “giving of his life in every moment in every way”.