St Peter’s Shipley enjoyed a rare occasion on Mothering Sunday when both a Bishop and an Archbishop appeared at the morning service.
The Bishop was Chris Edmondson, who was Vicar of St Peter’s from 1991 to 2002. Bishop Chris, who was Bishop of Bolton until his recent retirement has returned to this diocese and was leading the nor morning service.
The Archbishop was Ezekiel Kondo, Archbishop of the Province of Sudan, who had just arrived in the country for the gathering of bishops and senior leaders from our seven link dioceses at the invitation of Bishop Nick Baines.
The overseas bishops will be officially welcomed together at a celebration service taking place next Sunday, April 2nd in Wakefield Cathedral to which the whole diocese is invited. More details here.
Archbishop Ezekiel has been a familiar figure at St Peter’s for many years. He arrived in the UK from Northern Sudan as a young man on the Langham Bursary Scheme for overseas candidates for ordination. Since his return to Sudan he has been Diocesan Secretary, and then Bishop, before becoming Archbishop of Sudan following its separation from South Sudan. Throughout all these years he has maintained personal friendships at St Peter’s Shipley and has been a significant mission partner.
Revd. John Rainer, current Vicar of St Peter’s said, “Last Sunday nearly 100 members of the congregation were away at our annual weekend in the Lake District. Following his recent retirement and move to the Diocese, Bishop Chris had very kindly offered to lead our morning service in our absence. We then discovered some weeks later that Ezekiel - who is well known to Chris - would be joining us as well, prior to attending a number of important events in the Diocese and beyond.”