New Bishop of Southampton 'humbled' to take on role
- Published
The newly appointed Church of England bishop of one of the south coasts' largest cities has said she is "humbled" to take on the role.
The Venerable Rhiannon King, who is currently the Archdeacon of Ipswich, will be consecrated as the Suffragan Bishop of Southampton on 18 October.
Archdeacon King will be the 17th person to hold the position and succeeds the Right Reverend Geoff Annas - who has been acting bishop since November 2023.
The role is a key leadership position in the Diocese of Winchester - and covers the area around Southampton, Bournemouth, Eastleigh, Lyndhurst, Romsey and Christchurch.
Archdeacon King said she was "delighted and humbled" to take on the position, adding that she had "big shoes to fill".
"I don’t think there are many greater privileges than serving God and his Church and I can’t wait to learn from as well as contribute to what God is already doing here,” she said.
Originally from Oxford, the Bishop-designate was ordained deacon in 2000 and has previously held roles in and around, Cambridge and Birmingham.
She has served as the Archdeacon of Ipswich since 2019.
She said: “Over the years I have especially loved working with local parish churches, helping them to grow generally and, in particular, to ‘grow younger’ as they reach out to their communities."
"In the last decade I have grown a special passion for estates, inner-urban ministry and work with asylum seekers and refugees,” she added.
As part of her work, she will serve under the Bishop of Winchester, the Right Reverend Philip Mounstephen.
Bishop Mounstephen said he was "delighted" by the appointment, adding that Archdeacon King would bring an a "self-evident passion for people, for God’s Church and its mission".
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