Rt Revd Nick McKinnel to be next Bishop of Plymouth

The next Bishop of Plymouth is to be the Rt Revd Nick McKinnel .

Currently the Bishop of Crediton in Devon, he will be ‘translated’ across back to Plymouth, where he spent 18 years in ministry as Rector of the Minister Church of St Andrews.

He was made Bishop of Crediton in 2012 but his experience of Plymouth made him a good candidate to become the Bishop of the city and the surrounding area, which includes Torbay.

There has been a vacancy for a Bishop of Plymouth for over a year, since the resignation of the Rt Revd John Ford, who moved to Australia.

Bishop Nick said: “Week by week I am in churches around Devon which bring the love of God to their communities as Christian people live out and proclaim their faith. I have greatly enjoyed my time as the Bishop of Crediton and now look forward as Bishop of Plymouth to working alongside clergy and parishes in the south and west of the diocese in the cause of Christ.”

The Church has been actively involved in projects to regenerate areas of Plymouth, and has played a significant role in the recent Plymouth Fairness Commission.

The Bishop of Exeter, the Rt Revd Robert Atwell, said: “I am delighted that Nick McKinnel has agreed to become the next Bishop of Plymouth in succession to Bishop John Ford. Bishop Nick is held in considerable affection right across the Diocese and will bring to this new appointment his own distinctive brand of warmth and wisdom. Prior to being Bishop of Crediton, Bishop Nick served with distinction as Rector of St Andrew’s, the Minster Church of Plymouth, and as a result has a good knowledge both of the city and of the wider area of which he will now have oversight. He combines an instinctive feel for the art of the possible with a commitment to Christ and to mission which will serve Plymouth well.”

The process to fill the vacancy in Crediton will now begin immediately and in the meantime Bishop Nick will continue to work across both areas.