The 112th Bishop of Worcester, the Rt Revd Dr Peter Selby will retire on 30 September following 10 years in the post.  A farewell service will take place in Worcester Cathedral at 4pm on Sunday 30, at which the oversight of the diocese will be officially handed to the Bishop of Dudley during the vacancy period.

Bishop Peter says that being Bishop of Worcester has been a life-changing experience. “I have been nourished by beautiful landscapes, stimulating colleagues, and communities with vibrant social and industrial histories. Above all my experience has been of generosity and hospitality and I want to say ‘thank you for having me’ to everyone across Worcestershire and Dudley who has helped to make my time in this place so special.”

Dr Selby became Bishop of Worcester on 1 July 1997. He began his public ministry in Worcester on 7 September in the same year with a eucharist at HMP Long Lartin on the day he was inducted and installed in Worcester Cathedral. He was appointed Bishop to HM Prisons in 2001 and on the day before his retirement Bishop Peter will celebrate 40 years as a priest.

He continues: “My life as Bishop has been a very privileged one, as well as being hugely enjoyable and lots of fun. I came to the diocese with ideas that some people must have found difficult, yet I have only had the warmest response from people. For me Worcestershire and Dudley has been a place of hope and opportunity, in which human compassion and the Christian message of God’s constant care continue to enrich and sustain our life together.”

Bishop Peter will be retiring to the Isle of Wight with his wife Jan. The 113th Bishop of Worcester will be the Rt Revd Dr John Inge, currently Bishop of Huntington in the Diocese of Ely. Bishop John will be installed as Bishop of Worcester in the Spring.

ENDS

The Diocese of Worcester is one of 44 dioceses in the Church of England. It covers an area of 671 square miles and includes parishes in the County of Worcestershire, the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, and a few parishes in northern Gloucestershire, south east Wolverhampton and Sandwell.