New Bishop of Wolverhampton announced

27/08/2024

The Right Reverend Dr Timothy Wambunya will be the next Bishop of Wolverhampton.
Portrait shot of a bishop Emma Thompson | Diocese of Oxford

The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Dr Timothy Wambunya, Vicar of St Paul’s, Slough, in the Diocese of Oxford, for nomination to the Suffragan See of Wolverhampton in the Diocese of Lichfield, in succession to Bishop Clive Gregory, following his retirement.

Timothy’s initial career was in Marine Engineering. He trained for ministry at Oakhill Theological College, London. He served his title at St John, Southhall Green, in the Diocese of London and was ordained Priest in 1998. Timothy was appointed Vicar at Emmanuel Holloway Church, Stepney, in 2000 and, in 2007, was appointed Principal at Carlile College (The Church Army Africa College) in Nairobi, Kenya. During these two roles, he studied for a PhD in Paremiology at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies (University of Wales). In 2013, he was consecrated and became Bishop of the Diocese of Butere, Anglican Church of Kenya, before taking up his current role in 2020 as Vicar at St Pauls, Slough, in the Diocese of Oxford. He has additionally served as an Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Oxford.

Welcoming the news, Dr Michael Ipgrave, Bishop of Lichfield, said:

“I am delighted that Bishop Tim will join us in Lichfield Diocese. He will be resolute in sharing in our diocesan direction of travel: to ‘… follow Christ in the footsteps of St Chad’. 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. I look forward to working with and learning from Bishop Tim as he brings his theological and liturgical breadth and depth to the service and the leadership of the diocese. I am sure the diocese, particularly those in the Wolverhampton Episcopal Area, will welcome him and Gertrude warmly.”

Read the full announcement on the Diocese of Lichfield website.