18 October 2022
Downing Street has announced that the Rt Revd Dr John Perumbalath is to be the ninth Bishop of Liverpool. He will succeed Bishop Paul Bayes who retired earlier this year.
Speaking about his appointment, Bishop John, who has served as Bishop of Bradwell in the Diocese of Chelmsford since 2018 said:
I am delighted and humbled to have received this call to be the next Bishop of Liverpool. I have come to love Liverpool through my numerous visits when my daughter was in university here for six years. I look forward to becoming part of the vibrant and diverse communities served by the diocese of Liverpool.
“We have many challenges ahead of us both in the church and society. A pandemic has shattered human confidence and a cost-of-living crisis is staring at our face. Anxiety, fear, and anger take many forms in such a context.
“As a follower of Christ coming to lead a diocese that aspires to be a bigger church to make a bigger difference, I want to proclaim and live out a message of hope, peace, and justice. I pray that I will lead a church that is faithful in offering our communities the hope that we have in God, serving the communities by working together well and in partnership with others.
“The good news in Jesus Christ breaks all barriers and boundaries and is always welcoming and inclusive. I am excited about leading God’s people out to proclaim this good news in words and deeds in a new context and to love and care for those I serve.
“I am sad about leaving East London and Essex, and all the lovely people I have come to know and love. This is where I was formed as an Archdeacon and then a bishop. I will leave with gratitude and thankfulness for all the grace and love that we experienced together.”
The Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani has congratulated Bishop John on his appointment and thanked him for his service in Chelmsford Diocese:
Bishop John has made a hugely significant contribution to the life of our Diocese as Bishop of Bradwell and before that as Archdeacon of Barking. I have very much enjoyed getting to know him and serving alongside him since I became Bishop of Chelmsford.
“His leadership in the life of the wider church has also been highly valued during his time in our diocese, particularly as a member of the College of Bishops and more recently the House of Bishops, as Chair of the Churches Refugee Network for Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, and during the period in which he served as Chair of the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns.
“His appointment is good news for the Diocese of Liverpool and the Church of England, and I offer John my warm congratulations. But of course, we will miss him in Chelmsford Diocese and particularly on the Bishop’s Leadership Team and in the parishes and the worshipping communities of the Bradwell Episcopal Area. We will be praying for him and for his wife as he prepares for this next step in his ministry.”
The Archbishop of York, the Most Reverend Stephen Cottrell said:
It is a huge joy to be welcoming John Perumbalath as the next Bishop of Liverpool. John is a person of huge vision and integrity, a biblical scholar, a champion for justice, a loving pastor and a humble and good-humoured disciple of Jesus Christ.
“Strengthened by his care and leadership, the Liverpool diocese will continue to be a bigger church striving to make a bigger difference. Building on the courageous example of previous Bishops of Liverpool, John will be a new and compelling voice for the Christian faith in the Liverpool diocese, across the north and in the life of our nation."
Bishop John is expected to be installed in Liverpool Cathedral at a special service early next year. Full details will follow.
Farewell Service
There will be an opportunity to say farwell to Bishop John and to give thanks for his ministry in our Diocese at Chelmsford Cathedral on Sunday 26 February at 3.30pm. All are welcome.
Bishop Guli congratulates Bishop John on his appointment
Bishop Guli has recorded a video, congratulating Bishop John on his appointment as Bishop of Liverpool.
