THE next Bishop of Worcester is to be the Rt Revd Hugh Nelson, Downing Street announced on Tuesday. He succeeds Dr John Inge, who retired last 12 months (News, 3 May 2024).
Bishop Nelson has been Bishop of St Germans, in Truro diocese, since 2020 and was Acting Bishop of Truro through the vacancy-in-see after the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen’s translation to Winchester (News, 6 July 2023). Bishop Nelson also serves as Diocesan Warden of Reader. He will remain Bishop to the Armed Forces when he’s translated to Worcester.
In a press release, Bishop Nelson described the calling as “an infinite privilege”, and said that he was “so looking forward” to “attending to know different communities across the Diocese and checking out what God is as much as in its villages, towns and cities”.
He continued: “In a changing world, our first call is to be faithful; to be confident that God has given us the whole lot we have to be the Church that he is looking us to be. From that foundation we’re invited to be continually interested by what’s God doing, and to reply boldly, in each traditional and recent ways. And it would be a key a part of my role to guide us in doing all of that together here in Worcester, with the unity that Jesus prayed for.”
He trained for ministry at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, and was ordained priest in 2010. He served his title at three benefices in Canterbury diocese, before becoming Vicar of St Mary the Virgin, Goudhurst, with Kilndown, in the identical diocese, in 2012. Before ordination, he spent 13 years leading the community of L’Arche in West Norwood, south London. The Christian charity supports members with learning disabilities.
Bishop Nelson is married to Lizzie, who’s the UK Director of the peacebuilding charity Search for Common Ground. They have 4 children.
Outside ministry, he enjoys spending time along with his family, gardening, and playing cricket. He is “delighted” that he will probably be living opposite New Road Cricket ground, the house of Worcestershire County Cricket Club.
Bishop Nelson will probably be enthroned early next 12 months.
