Donald Allister meets Peterborough Diocese in a two day visit, 5 & 6 November 2009
Photos, 5 & 6 November 2009
Press Conference Statement, 5 November 2009
Press Release, 5 November 2009
The next Bishop of Peterborough is to be the Ven. Donald Allister, currently Archdeacon of Chester. He succeeds the Rt Revd Ian Cundy, who died in May. He expects to take up his new post in the early spring of 2010 and comes with the express hope that he can help to build people’s confidence in their faith, and to unite all Christians around their love for Jesus Christ.
Donald Allister (57) has wide experience of the Church of England and has served in its national and diocesan structures as well as in parishes (see brief biography). Brought up as a choirboy in both “central” and Anglo-Catholic parishes (his middle name, Spargo, is the surname of an uncle who was a priest and for whom he served at the altar), his faith took on a new dimension while he was studying medical science then theology at Cambridge.
He then trained for ministry at Trinity College Bristol, and served in evangelical parishes before becoming Archdeacon. “Today, I’m happy to attend and lead worship in churches of all traditions, from Anglo-Catholic to New Wine,” he says. “I love the Church of England in all its variety, and I want to be a bishop for all the churches in Peterborough Diocese.”
He admits that his views have changed over the years and that, like all Christians, he is on a faith-journey. He remains conservative in matters of doctrine and ethics, but finds labels “unhelpful”, partly because they mean different things to different people. Read more |
