New Bishop of Wolverhampton announced

Bishop Wambunya is the current vicar of St Paul’s in Slough and will start his new role in October

The new Bishop of Wolverhampton will be the Right Reverend Dr Timothy Wambunya, Downing Street has announced.

The King approved the nomination for the fifth bishop for the city on Tuesday.

Bishop Wambunya is the current vicar of St Paul’s in Slough, in the Diocese of Oxford. He will start his new role in October following the retirement of Bishop Clive Gregory.

Speaking about his appointment in the Diocese of Lichfield, he said he was "thankful for the trust placed in me to serve this vibrant and diverse community".

"I look forward to working closely with my colleague bishops, the clergy, lay leaders, and parishioners to advance our intercultural mission of faith, hope, and love," Bishop Wambunya added.

He was ordained a priest in 1998 after training and working as a marine engineer.

'Wealth of experience'

Previously a keen athlete, he excelled at 100m and 200m and was selected for the Commonwealth Games trials for Kenya, the diocese said.

He was appointed vicar at Emmanuel Holloway Church, Stepney, in 2000 and returned to Kenya in 2007 when he became principal at Carlile College (The Church Army Africa College) in Nairobi.

In 2013 he was consecrated and became Bishop of the Diocese of Butere, Anglican Church of Kenya, before taking up his current role in Slough four years ago.

Speaking of his time in the diocese, the Bishop of Oxford, the Right Reverend Steven Croft said he had served with distinction and would bring significant experience to his new ministry in Wolverhampton.

"He has made a very significant contribution to our wider work in racial justice and intercultural mission," he added.

Welcoming the appointment, Bishop of Lichfield, the Right Reverend Dr Michael Ipgrave said: "He brings a wealth of experience as a practical and detailed person with an engineering background, a scholar who has studied words and wisdom, and a priest and bishop who has cared for and taught parishioners and clergy in the UK and Kenya."

Bishop Wambunya, his wife, Gertrude, and the youngest of their three sons will move to Wolverhampton in October. A welcoming service will be held at St Matthew’s, Walsall, on 15 October.