THE recent Area Bishop of Woolwich within the diocese of Southwark is to be the present Archdeacon in the realm, the Ven. Alastair Cutting, it was announced on Thursday morning.
Currently the Archdeacon of Lewisham and Greenwich, Archdeacon Cutting was announced as the brand new Bishop on 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 12 months (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 realm meant that he would give you the option to “hit the bottom running”, Bishop Chessun said, but it surely was “more necessary that he hits the bottom praying”.
Archdeacon Cutting grew up in south India, and trained for ministry at St John’s College, Nottingham. He served his title within the diocese of Sheffield before moving to London within the early Nineteen Nineties, where he was Curate at St Andrew’s, Uxbridge.
He was Vicar of St John the Evangelist, Copthorne, after which Rector of St Peter’s, Henfield, within the diocese of Chichester, before becoming Archdeacon in 2013.
During his time as Archdeacon, he has also served for 4 years as Priest-in-Charge of Holy Trinity, Sydenham, and, on Thursday, spoke of his commitment to the parish system.
“I believe parishes are an important a 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” to not need to make the “swingeing cuts on stipendiary clergy” that had occurred in another dioceses.
As an elected member of the General Synod’s House of Clergy, Archdeacon Cutting was one in every of the few who registered an abstention in a vote, in February last 12 months, on whether to introduce blessings for same-sex couples (News, 9 February 2023).
He holds to the view that marriage “is between a person and a girl”, he says, but was “joyful for the Church to explore other ways of pastorally supporting people in other relationships”.
He abstained within 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 the way this was reflected within the dioceses’ bishops.
“I believe what’s really necessary in Southwark diocese is that we’ve a extremely strong collegiality, and yet are in a position to hold our differences in tension, and appreciate that, and appreciate each other for that. We love each other, we seek God together, and we pray for each other.”
Petertide ordinations can be happening three days after his consecration. One of the ordinands within the Woolwich area is Peter Welby, son of the Archbishop of Canterbury. “I can be having the Archbishop marking my homework,” Archdeacon Cutting joked.
His successor as Archdeacon of Lewisham and Greenwich was also announced on Wednesday: the Vicar of Emmanual Church, Forest Gate, Canon Chigor Chike, who’s a former chair of the Anglican Minority Ethnic Network.
