THE new Area Bishop of Woolwich, in the diocese of Southwark, is to be the current Archdeacon in the area, the Ven. Alastair Cutting, it was announced on Thursday morning.
Currently the Archdeacon of Lewisham and Greenwich, Archdeacon Cutting was announced as the new Bishop at the Garry Weston Library, in Southwark Cathedral. He began by paying tribute to the “dynamism, presence, and charisma” of his predecessor, Dr Karowei Dorgu, who died in office last year (News, 11 September 2023; Obituary, 22 September 2023).
Archdeacon Cutting was described by the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, as having a “missionary heart”. His experience in the area meant that he would be able to “hit the ground running”, Bishop Chessun said, but it was “more important that he hits the ground praying”.
Archdeacon Cutting grew up in south India, and trained for ministry at St John’s College, Nottingham. He served his title in Sheffield diocese before moving to London in the early 1990s, to serve as assistant curate at St Andrew’s, Uxbridge.
He was Vicar of St John the Evangelist, Copthorne, and then Rector of St Peter’s, Henfield, in Chichester diocese, before becoming Archdeacon in 2013.
During his time as Archdeacon, he has also served for four years as Priest-in-Charge of Holy Trinity, Sydenham, and, on Thursday, spoke of his commitment to the parish system.
“I think parishes are a vital part of how the church operates, and most of my ministry has been very parish focused,” he said. The diocese of Southwark had been “very lucky” not to have to make the “swingeing cuts on stipendiary clergy” that had occurred in some other dioceses.
As an elected member of the General Synod’s House of Clergy, Archdeacon Cutting was one of the few who registered an abstention in a vote, in February last year, on whether to introduce blessings for same-sex couples (News, 9 February 2023).
He holds to the view that marriage “is between a man and a woman”, he says, but was “happy for the Church to explore other ways of pastorally supporting people in other relationships”.
He abstained in the vote because he felt that more detail on the proposals, and supporting pastoral guidance, was needed, but suggested on Thursday that he was reassured by the “diversity” in Southwark, and how this was reflected in the dioceses’ bishops.
“I think what’s really important in Southwark diocese is that we have a really strong collegiality, and yet are able to hold our differences in tension, and appreciate that, and appreciate one another for that. We love one another, we seek God together, and we pray for one another.”
Petertide ordinations will be taking place three days after his consecration. One of the ordinands in the Woolwich area is Peter Welby, son of the Archbishop of Canterbury. “I will be having the Archbishop marking my homework,” Archdeacon Cutting joked.
His successor as Archdeacon of Lewisham and Greenwich was also announced on Thursday: the Vicar of Emmanuel Church, Forest Gate, in Chelmsford diocese, Canon Chigor Chike, who is a former chair of the Anglican Minority Ethnic Network.