Bishop of Berwick inaugurated at Newcastle Cathedral

The Bishop of Newcastle, the Right Reverend Christine Hardman, led the service which began Mark Tanner’s ministry as the second bishop in the Newcastle Diocese, which is the Church of England from the Tyne to the Tweed and includes 239 churches and 47 Church of England schools.

Mark Tanner, formerly Warden of Cranmer Hall, part of St John’s College in Durham University, was consecrated as a bishop by Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu at York Minster on the 18^th October.

During the Service of Welcome the Dean of Newcastle, the Very Reverend Christopher Dalliston, ‘installed’ Bishop Mark – formally placing him in his own seat or stall – in the Cathedral, which is the mother church of the Diocese of Newcastle.

The service included singing from the choirs of both Newcastle and Durham Cathedrals, and readings and music reflecting the tradition of St Nicholas as patron saint of seafarers.  Bishop Mark Tanner gave the address which can be listened to here.

Bishop Christine Hardman said, “Bishop Mark brings with him wide and varied experience – of youth work, military chaplaincy, parish ministry in a range of settings, and most recently the world of theological education.  He comes to us as someone recognised as a good, strategic, and caring leader who believes in people and loves to invest in them. He is a skilled communicator, with significant skills in mission and evangelism, and a deep love of God, nurtured by prayer.  Bishop Mark already knows and loves the North East, having spent the last 5 years in Durham.  We warmly welcome him, his wife Lindsay, and their children to the Diocese of Newcastle.”

Bishop Mark Tanner said, “I’m looking forward to getting to know the people here, to spending time in churches and with communities, to hearing the good news about where God is working, and to giving all the encouragement I can in all of this and more. It is a great privilege to pray and work together with each other in Christ as we grow church and bring hope in this wonderful and varied diocese.”

The Dean of Newcastle, the Very Reverend Christopher Dalliston, said, “The beginning of the Bishop of Berwick’s work and ministry is something to celebrate for the whole Diocese of Newcastle, and we’ll be welcoming people from across the region to the Cathedral to thank God for this new chapter in the long story of the Christian faith in the North East.”