‘Privilege to be Bishop of Bath and Wells’
The Rt Rev Michael Beasley will become the 80th Bishop of Bath and Wells in Saturday’s enthronement service.
People from across the diocese will be taking part and every parish in Bath and Wells will be represented, along with guests from local schools, businesses and civic societes.
The service will be streamed live on the Bath and Wells Facebook page so anyone can watch it at home or gather together as a church community.
Bishop Michael said: “It’s an astonishing privilege to be called to be the 80th bishop of Bath and Wells. I’m humbled to serve in a role which has seen so much of our country’s history. I’m even more humbled to have the honour of serving alongside all the different communities and churches of Somerset who will take part in the installation service and activities.”
Bishop Michael will walk from the Bishop’s Palace to the cathedral for the service at 3pm with a group of young people who took part in the process to select him.
The Bath and Wells diocese stretches from Portishead in the north to Crewkerne in the south, Minehead in the west to Frome in the east. It has two bishops, three archdeacons, 300 clergy, 540 churches, 180 schools, 496 parishes and 370 lay readers who serve nearly 900,000 people.
Bishop Michael is a former scientist, who has been one of the leading advocates for a global Covid vaccine rollout.
Prior to taking a full-time role with the church, he worked as an epidemiologist, a background he was called on to use during the pandemic as a member of the Church of England’s Covid task force.
He was appointed as Bishop earlier this year following the retirement of the Rt Rev Peter Hancock, who stood down in
May 2021 due to ill health.
Bishop Michael was brought up in rural Staffordshire and attended a small Church of England primary school and a rural church.
He was ordained in 1999 and until his appointment as director of mission in the diocese of Oxford in 2010, he combined his scientific work 50/50 with work in Christian ministry as a missioner and theological educator.
He became the Bishop of Hertford in from 2015.
Bishop Michael is married to Lizzie, a farm manager’s daughter from Somerset, and they have two young children.
Prior to his interview for his new job they completed a 60-mile walk around the county.
He said: “I am delighted to be coming to be the Bishop of Bath and Wells and to joining with everyone in the diocese as together we live and tell the story of Jesus. We have strong family connections with Somerset and I’m very much looking forward to working alongside its people, communities and churches.
“We have all been through a challenging few years. The Covid pandemic pushed us all apart. Now is the time to come back together. Our churches have an essential role in helping us rebuild communities and in facing the challenges present to us both internationally and at home.
“Jesus’s message is one of peace – a peace I’m looking forward to sharing and pursuing as I join you as your bishop.”
As well as being a member of the Church of England’s Covid task force he also worked with Unicef, the NHS, the Government and leaders of different faiths to launch vaccinaid.org which has raised more than £10 million in support of vaccination for low-income countries.
He said:“i thought I’d left science behind but God never wastes anything! So in the last few years the skills I gained before have been of use to the church now.”