A NEW bishop in Wiltshire for has been ordained by the Archbishop of Canterbury at Southwark Cathedral last month.

In a ceremony on January 25, the Rt Revd Dr Andrew Paul Rumsey, has become the 17th Bishop of Ramsbury and the 6th Bishop of Ramsbury since it came back into use in the 1970s.

Despite its reference to the village of Ramsbury near Marlborough the role covers a much wider area.

It takes in a responsibility mainly for the Wiltshire parishes in the Diocese of Salisbury meaning Bishop Andrew will share in ministry and mission across the Diocese with the Bishop of Salisbury and the Bishop of Sherborne.

The bishop said: “How good to be here. Having been duly ordained, installed and welcomed, I’m so glad to be embarking on ministry with you in the Diocese of Salisbury.

“The ancient see of Ramsbury reaches back to the year 909 and hallows a landscape with such a rich and mysterious spirituality.

“I have been pouring over maps of Wiltshire and marvelling at the variegated nature of our new home - and enjoying the poetry of its place-names.”

One of his responsibilities will be to chair the new Mission and Ministry Council.

Bishop Andrew said: “The Church of England’s claim to be ‘a Christian presence in every community’ is well-founded and I hope my role will be to encourage and extend this presence, which is a priceless legacy and so vital in our unsettled times.

“It will be a privilege to come to know you, congregations and communities

“People will be my first priority, as I travel the area, chair the new Mission and Ministry Council and work with Bishop Nicholas, Bishop Karen and Archdeacons Alan and Sue, to support the life and faith of the local church.

“God is in this place, and I look forward to us serving him together.”

As an author Bishop Andrew, has published Parish – An Anglican theology of place, in which a parish is fittingly described as being ‘uniquely embedded in English culture and society, by virtue both of its antiquity and close allegiance with secular governance’.

Bishop Andrew is is married to Rebecca, who was born in Marlborough where they currently live, and they have three children: Grace (17), Jonah (15) and Talitha (12).

On January 26, there was a service in Salisbury Cathedral to welcome him to the see and to officially begin his ministry as Bishop of Ramsbury.

His appointment was announced by Downing Street in October last year.