[Ely Announce] Consecration of new Bishop of Huntingdon -- 3 July 2008

[Simon Kershaw]

The Ven Dr David Thomson is to be consecrated as the new Bishop of
Huntingdon at Southwark Cathedral on Thursday, 3 July at 11.00 am. He
succeeds the Rt Rev Dr John Inge who became Bishop of Worcester in March
this year.

Dr Thomson moves to the Diocese of Ely from Carlisle where he has been
Archdeacon and Cathedral Canon since 2002. He is married to Jean and
they have four children.

As Bishop of Huntingdon, Dr Thomson will be Suffragan Bishop in the
Diocese - full-time assistant to the Bishop of Ely, the Rt Revd Dr
Anthony Russell, who has the oversight and pastoral care of some 350
parishes in the Diocese. 

Following his consecration, Bishop Thomson will move to his new home in
Ely in August and take up his new duties at the beginning of September.
He will be installed in Ely Cathedral on Friday, 17 October at 11.15 am.


There will be a photo opportunity with the new Bishop outside Southwark
Cathedral after the service at approximately 12.30 pm.

Biographical notes

Born into a vicarage family in Sunderland, Dr Thomson grew up in
Sheffield when the major employer was the steelworks. He then read
English at Oxford where he completed his doctorate which examined how
Latin was taught in the late Middle Ages. After graduating he taught at
a college of education before coming to Cambridge to read Theology and
train for the Christian ministry at Selwyn College and Westcott House. 
He was appointed Curate in the mining town of Maltby, Yorkshire, before
joining the Banbury Team Ministry in Oxfordshire, where he was
responsible for a huge area with new housing developments. A highlight
was the planting of two new church communities, one a shared project
bringing together Anglicans, Roman Catholics and Brethren. He then went
on to serve as Rector in the gem market-town of Cockermouth in Cumbria.
In 2002, he became Archdeacon of Carlisle and Cathedral Canon. 

He has published a series of devotional books, the latest, Ways to Pray,
was published last year. His hobbies include gardening, exploring the
countryside and its antiquities, walking and doing the crossword.

Note for Editors

The Diocese of Ely is one of 44 dioceses of the Church of England. It
has a population of 641,000 and comprises a group of some 350 parishes
under the pastoral and administrative care of the diocesan bishop, the
Bishop of Ely. 

The diocese covers the county of Cambridgeshire (except for three
parishes in the south which are in the diocese of Chelmsford); together
with the western quarter of Norfolk, a few parishes in Peterborough and
in Essex and one in Bedfordshire. 


For details and more information: 

Canon Owen Spencer-Thomas, MBE
Bishops' Press Officer
52 Windsor Road
Cambridge
CB4 3JN 

Phone: 01223 358448
Mobile: 07801 492151 

email: owenst at btinternet.com
30th June 2008
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