A warm welcome for Stephen

STEPHEN Cottrell was consecrated as the new Bishop of Reading in a packed service in St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Bishop Stephen was surrounded by friends, family and well-wishers from his previous post at Peterborough Cathedral for the emotional service. Pictured left with his wife, Rebecca and their three sons (from left to right) Samuel, 8, Joseph, 14 and Ben, 10, he said afterwards he ‘wanted people to know that the Church is there for everyone, including gay and lesbians’.

His consecration brings a new Bishop to Reading after a gap of 14 months, and brings to an end the difficult period following the earlier proposed appointment of gay canon Jeffrey John. He had been forced to step down in the wake of protest from the wider appointed as the new Dean of St Albans – a post vacated by Christopher Lewis, who moved to Christ Church, Oxford, last autumn. Bishop Stephen has been welcomed by both liberal and evangelical Christians in the Diocese.

Joy at his consecration could not be dampened by the heavy rain outside, and hundreds queued for seats. He was consecrated in a service that, despite its solemnity, was a joyful family occasion as Bishop Stephen was surrounded by his extended family. His wife wiped away tears as the new Bishop, handed his plain staff, was presented to the people to tumultuous applause.

The sermon was given by Canon Martin Warner of St Paul’s. Drawing attention to the heavy scaffolding that masked the Cathedral inside and out, he told the congregationthat bishops were like scaffolds, bringing with them an expectation of change. The ‘scaffold ministry’ of bishops acted as a ‘bridge between the sacred and the secular’, he said. ‘We should expect to find all people on this bridge... among them gay and lesbians and people of other faiths.’ He called for the destruction of ‘every wall that divides people and the Church’.

People queued back through the nave to congratulate the new bishop and his wife. Consecrated alongside Stephen was Michael Perham, who becomes Bishop of Gloucester. The Cottrell family moved to Reading at Easter and the boys are now settled in at schools in the area. Bishop Stephen was formerly a canon at Peterborough Catheral. He has extensive experience in mission, having worked for Springboard, the evangelical initiative set up by the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey.

Pictured above: Bishops lay their hands on the head of their colleague, in the act of consecration and right, the new bishop with the Archbishop of Canterbury. Photos Frank Blackwell