On Tuesday 12 May, Downing Street announced that Mark Tanner is to be the next Bishop of Chester. Hopefully, Mark and his wife Lindsay have found time to breathe as his diary for the day was totally packed. Here's how the day went.
10:00 am
Next Bishop of Chester announced
The Rt Revd Mark Tanner has been named by Downing Street as the next Bishop of Chester, succeeding the Rt Revd Dr Peter Forster who retired in September 2019. Bishop Mark is currently the Bishop of Berwick in the Diocese of Newcastle.
“It will be hard to say goodbye to the North East,” he says, “however, Lindsay and I are really excited to return to Chester where I was ordained, and both of our children were born.”
10:01 am
Live-streaming welcome
Just minutes after the announcement by Downing Street, Archdeacon Ian hosts a live-streamed event to welcome and "meet" Bishop Mark and his wife Lindsay. They join us from Northumberland via Zoom, as do friends and colleagues who come to welcome them and ask them some questions.
Watch again on Facebook.
10:23 am
"Hello" from Mark and Lindsay
A video of Mark and his wife Lindsay is published to Facebook. Filmed atop a hill in Northumberland, they say how much they are looking forward to coming to Chester, where both of their children were born.
Watch again on YouTube
10:40 am
A welcome from the diocese
People from across the Diocese of Chester welcome Bishop Mark in a joyful compilation of messages stitched together into one video.
Thank you to everyone who took part.
Watch again on YouTube
12:20 pm
BBC Radio Merseyside interviews Mark
Bishop Mark talks to BBC Merseyside's Roger Phillips. They talk about looking forward to the move and how his wife and children will be making the transition.
Listen to the BBC Merseyside interview again on soundcloud.
1:00 pm
Children sing and pray for the bishop
Chris Penn, Director of Education, hosts a live video chat between Bishop Mark Tanner and pupils from five Church of England schools in our diocese.
Watch again on YouTube
3:30 pm
Clergy and family tea-party
Mark and Lindsay chat with clergy and their families live on Zoom. They discuss what ministry is like in the Diocese of Chester.
Watch again on YouTube
6.30 pm
Evening Prayers from Chester Cathedral
Dean of Chester Cathedral, the Very Revd Dr Tim Stratford, leads prayers to welcome Bishop Mark Tanner.
Watch again on Youtube
And then on Tuesday 13 May...
2:00 pm 13 May
Women in ministry welcome the bishop
The day after the announcement, the Dean of Women in Ministry, the Revd Christine Broad, and others, welcomed Bishop Mark to the diocese. Their conversation covered a range of topics from who the next Bishop of Stockport will be, the mission of the Church, and whether equal opportunities are truly available to women.
Watch again on Facebook
Follow Bishop Mark on Twitter and Instagram: @Northern_Bishop