New Bishop of Durham named after long search
Diocese of DurhamThe new Bishop of Durham has been named as the Venerable Rick Simpson.
The appointment of the 59-year-old, formerly the Archdeacon of Auckland, has been approved for the role by King Charles III and was announced by Downing Street and Buckingham Palace earlier.
The new bishop has been visiting locations around the diocese, including meeting children at Whitburn Church of England Academy in Sunderland.
Reacting to his appointment, he said: "I am humbled and delighted to have been called to be the bishop of this diocese, which I love."
He said: "My deepest hope is to be able to walk alongside and encourage our local Christian communities as they seek to both show God's love in action and help people to come to life-changing faith in Christ – and through this see our churches grow.
"It is also an honour to be tasked with representing the needs and voices of people in this region in the national church and the House of Lords."
It ends a long search to appoint a successor to the Right Reverend Paul Butler, who retired in February 2024.
The post had been filled on an interim basis by the Bishop of Jarrow, Sarah Clark.
The Durham diocese covers parts of north-east England from Gateshead to Stockton.
The new Bishop holds the fourth most senior position in the Church of England and gets a seat in the House of Lords.
A year ago, the church was set to nominate another cleric for the role but the unnamed individual withdrew unexpectedly.
