New Bishop of Guildford hopes for younger churchgoers

The Right Reverend Andrew Watson is being installed as the 10th Bishop of Guildford

The new Bishop of Guildford has said he hopes to draw more teenagers and young adults into Church of England congregations across Surrey.

The Right Reverend Andrew Watson, who is being inaugurated at Guildford Cathedral, said the age of congregations was his biggest concern.

"Our congregations are weighted on the older side and we praise God for our older people," he said.

"But we do need to draw in a lot more younger adults especially."

The inauguration service, which begins with Bishop Andrew knocking on the west door of the cathedral three times with his pastoral staff to request entrance, marks the official start of his ministry in Surrey.

He was previously Bishop of Aston in Birmingham.

He said he was confident in the ability of the diocese to attract younger people and being father to four children in their teens and twenties himself, kept him in touch with their generation.

"One of the best things about being a dad, especially of teenagers and young adults, is that you can't get too pompous as a bishop because they pull your leg mercilessly," he said.

"But, it is very good to be in touch with that generation so much at home.

"So often our society has a lot of segregation in terms of age and I think a lot of our churches do demonstrate that you can be all ages together and that is a very rich and special thing."

The inauguration service includes choral music composed by Bishop Andrew, who will also preside and preach at the cathedral on Sunday.

Bishop Andrew's inauguration began with him knocking on the west door of the cathedral to request entry