Nick Baines is the new Bishop of Croydon

The Ven. Nicholas (Nick) Baines has been appointed Bishop of Croydon to succeed the Rt Rev. Wilfred Wood. He will be consecrated Bishop in St Paul's Cathedral on Thursday 8 May.

As Area Bishop of Croydon he will assist the Diocesan Bishop in the oversight and pastoral care of parishes in the southern part of the Diocese.

Nick Baines, 45, has been the Archdeacon of Lambeth since the summer of 2000. He is a member of the General Synod, and is involved in various Committees looking at mission at home and abroad. Nick is married to Linda and they have two sons and a daughter.

Since coming to Southwark Diocese, Nick has continued his long held interest in youth work as Chair of the Diocesan Children & Youth Policy Group. Other interests include the shaping of the church to face the challenges and opportunities of the twenty first century, clergy development, ecumenism and mission to people outside the Church.

He was appointed a Director of Ecclesiastical Insurance in 2002. For many years he has been a regular contributor to Pause for Thought on Radio 2 and in September a book based on these reflections will be published by St Andrew's Press.

Wide parish experience

Liverpool born he was ordained in 1987. Prior to becoming archdeacon he was a Vicar and Rural Dean in Leicester Diocese. He has wide parish experience, including city centre, urban UPA, town centre, market town, rural village, and commuter village. As Archdeacon of Lambeth he has had oversight of mainly inner-city and suburban churches, with the extra responsibility of sharing the Bishop's staffing and management of them.

Commenting on his appointment, he said, "Having enjoyed several years here in Southwark as the Archdeacon of Lambeth I am now pleased to be asked to respond to the challenges and opportunities of the Croydon Area. Following Bishop Wilfred is a considerable challenge but, I shall do my best to serve the people there as faithfully and generously as he did for so many years."

Bishop Tom said, "I have watched Nick Baines over several years using his many gifts and deep commitment to the task of the contemporary Church. It is a special pleasure to know that he will still, be a close colleague in his new role. I am confident Nick will be a worthy successor to Bishop Wilfred." Nick Baines will be installed in Southwark Cathedral on Sunday 11 May and welcomed into his new Area at Croydon Parish Church on Sunday 1 June. Further details on these services will be in next month's Bridge

Canoeing cleric is now a Canon

The Rev Tony Thompson was installed as an Honorary Canon at Southwark Cathedral on Sunday 9 March.

Tony Thompson, who has been at Christ Church, South Nutfield since 1982 marks his retirement by canoeing up the river Thames from it's source to raise funds for the church (See February Bridge).

In his sermon Bishop Tom noted that Honorary Canons are people who are leaders of their type, perhaps specialising in training or chaplaincy work, but he said, Tony Thompson was a leader of a more general type. He was dedicated to parish ministry and as such had had a wide and varied ministry, having trained at Cambridge in the 1960s and having worked in Peckham and the Oxford Diocese, before going to South Nutfield.

In reminding the Cathedral that they need to be careful of what they are taking on, as the Brighton pier collapsed only two days after Tony had canoed under it, Bishop Tom said that Tony Thompson would be much missed when he does retire.