Huddersfield’s first-ever Bishop has been consecrated.
The Right Rev Dr Jonathan Gibbs took part in a special service at York Minster yesterday.
But the new Bishop isn’t about to start work: his term of office for the new post starts on December 1.
The service was led by the Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu and Dr Gibbs was backed by his family.
Dr Gibbs was Rector of Heswall in the Diocese of Chester for 17 years before being given the new Huddersfield post.
Huddersfield is a new bishopric covering the local authority areas of Calderdale and Kirklees and like Bradford is one of the five ‘episcopal areas’ of the new Diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales created last Easter.
He said: “I am delighted to be coming to Yorkshire and to be joining the new Diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales at this exciting time.
“My wife Toni and I are thrilled to be moving to such a great part of the world, with a wealth of culture in its towns and cities as well as beautiful villages and countryside.
I am looking forward to working with the other members of the Diocesan team to build up the life of our churches both numerically and spiritually”.
