The Rt Revd Nick Baines, retiring Bishop of Leeds, encouraged all to be confident in God, the Church and our context at his diocesan farewell service at Ripon Cathedral on Sunday, November 23.
Church members, civic representatives, leaders from other faiths and more gathered together to thank Bishop Nick and Linda for their years of service to the diocese, and to praise Bishop Nick for his resilience, character and skills shown in the creation of our young diocese.
Attendees included the Most Revd Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York; Johanna Ropner, the Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire; Ed Anderson, the Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire; the Most Revd Ezekiel Kondo, Archbishop of Sudan and Bishop of Khartoum; Bishop Ralf Meister, Bishop of Hanover; the Mayors and civic representatives of Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Boroughbridge, Harrogate, Knaresborough, Richmond, Skipton, Bedale, Wetherby and Calderdale; and more.
During the service Bishop Nick preached a sermon all about confidence, talking about we can be confident in the person of God, who keeps our future open and invites us all to be part of shaping that future.
Bishop Nick said: “Clarity, confidence and competence have been watchwords for our diocese over the last eleven years.
“Confidence comes from having a clarity of what we’re about, and the competence to have a go.
“We can have confidence in the person of God and the content of the Christan faith, and we need to be confident about the Church of England and its unique vocation to serve all people in our geographical area.
“We can also be confident in our context, that we have been called to this place and time because we have the gifts and imagination to fulfil the tasks before us.
“We are not people of despair, but people of hope, and we face our future with a vision for what it should be, and the imagination to make it so.
“God is the wide space for our hope.”
The service began with a welcome from the Very Revd John Dobson, Dean of Ripon, before readings from Sir Andrew Lawson-Tancred, the High Sherrif of North Yorkshire, and Linda Baines, Bishop Nick’s wife.
After sung worship led by members of St George’s Leeds, the prayers were led by the Revd Canon Rachel Firth, chair of the diocesan House of Clergy; Canon Matthew Ambler, chair of the diocesan House of Laity; the Worshipful Mark Hill KC, Chancellor of the Diocese of Leeds; Canon John Wood, former headteacher of St Aidan’s Church of England High School, Harrogate; the Revd Canon Matthew Pollard, Chaplain to the Yorkshire Agricultural Society; and Canon Elaine Swinhoe, former president of the Mothers’ Union in the Diocese of Leeds.
After Bishop Nick delivered his sermon, he blessed all in the diocese, before laying down his crozier at the altar of Ripon Cathedral, assisted by Dean John; the Revd Canon Philip Hobday, Acting Dean of Wakefield; and the Very Revd Andy Bowerman, Dean of Bradford.
Dean John blessed Bishop Nick, asking for continued health and strength as he continues his pilgrimage.
After this several people gave speeches thanking Bishop Nick for his leadership, support, character, resilience, determination and skills he brought to the role of being the first Bishop of Leeds, driving the creation of our diocese and leading both here and in the wider world.
Speeches were given by Johanna Ropner; Revd Canon Rachel Firth; Archbishop Stephen Cottrell; and Bishop Ralf Meister.
Sarah Hinton, from the Charity Shine, based in West Bowling, gave a speech thanking Linda Baines for all she has done in our diocese, including health visiting, helping people in disadvantaged circumstances, and supporting Bishop Nick.
Archbishop Ezekiel Kondo gave a speech thanking Bishop Nick and Linda for their support of the church in Sudan, and for Bishop Nick’s leadership in our global fellowship of faith.
The service ended with a blessing from the Rt Revd Toby Howarth, Bishop of Bradford and Acting Bishop of Leeds, followed by a rousing round of applause for Bishop Nick and Linda and all they have done in their time in our diocese.