Following the retirement of our previous Episcopal Visitor, Bishop Tony Robinson, we are pleased to share with you that Bishop Mark Davies, the Bishop of Middleton, has kindly agreed to take on Bishop Tony’s mantle and will, therefore, be our third Episcopal Visitor.

The Rt Revd Mark Davies, Bishop of Middleton

According to the Guidelines laid down by the Church of England[1], every community must have an Episcopal Visitor or Guardian. The Episcopal Visitor is the guarantor to the Church at large of the Order’s sound administration, stability, and right to confidence.

Our Episcopal Visitor is the Rt Revd Mark Davies, Bishop for the Area of Middleton in the Diocese of Manchester. We are extremely blessed to have Bishop Mark as our Episcopal Visitor.

Every brother has unhindered access to the Episcopal Visitor and our Prior and all members of our Order may seek his advice, guidance, and counsel from time to time as we deem appropriate. According to our Charter, our Episcopal Visitor is (re)elected by the professed brothers for a period of ten years.[2]

Biography: Growing up in Stoke, Bishop Mark was raised in a Christian household and first found his call to ministry at a young age. He recalls being in church at around ten or eleven years old, looking at the priest and the altar and knowing that this was who he was meant to be. It is this moment and this calling which has stayed with him throughout the years.

He credits his vicar, headteacher and two teachers for opening doors for him to pursue his vocation and eventually be ordained; something which has shaped his passion and commitment to both parochial ministry, and education and schools ministry.

His first appointment was as a curate at St Mary’s Church in Barnsley from 1989 to 1992, after which he served as the priest-in-charge at St Paul’s Church, Old Town, Barnsley until 1995. His next appointment was as Rector of Hemsworth  until 2006; whilst at Hemsworth: he was a Vocations Advisor and Assistant Diocesan Director of Ordinands (ADDO) for the Diocese of Wakefield from 1998; Rural Dean of Pontefract (from 2000); a Proctor of Convocation (a member of the General Synod Convocation of York from 2000; and an Honorary Canon of Wakefield Cathedral from 2002. In 2006, he moved from Yorkshire to Greater Manchester to serve as Archdeacon of Rochdale, relinquishing all his previous posts when he was nominated Bishop of Middleton on 10 March 2008. At the time of his appointment, he was the Church’s  youngest bishop.

One area of his ministry in Manchester is as chair of Greater Manchester Churches Together, and he is also the chair of the Diocesan Board of Education which covers 192 Church of England schools. Bishop Mark stresses the importance of young people, stating “Our children and young people are amongst my best teachers.” He is regularly found visiting schools to support and encourage staff, both teaching and non-teaching, and to thank them for the ways in which they open doors for children. From his years of working with other Christians, those of other faith communities, and those of no faith, Bishop Mark believes that when we stand together we are so much stronger.

His interests include literature, music, food, walking and gardening.

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[1] The Advisory Council on the Relations of Bishops and Religious Communities

[2] Our Charter, Article B 5:1-9, The Order’s Governing Documents