First Bishop of Wigan ever appointed will also be interim Bishop of Liverpool

The Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell has petitioned King Charles III to revive the see of Wigan, the official seat of a bishop which was designated many years ago but has never before been used.

It means the Right Reverend Ruth Worsley can step into the role as the interim Bishop of Liverpool, while also having the title of Bishop of Wigan.

Her appointment follows the departure of the Rt Rev John Perumbalath, who resigned as Bishop of Liverpool last month after media coverage of sexual assault and harassment allegations against him, which he denies.

As interim Bishop of Liverpool, Bishop Worsley will work closely with the senior leadership team, the bishop’s council and the diocesan synod.

She said: “The Diocese of Liverpool is a vibrant and faithful community and I look forward to working alongside the leadership team, clergy and laypeople as we navigate this season together.

"My prayer is that we will listen to God’s voice, find our hope renewed and seek to live out his love for all by being a church of welcome, care and healing.”

The Diocese of Liverpool covers a large area, stretching from Southport to Widnes and north Warrington to Wigan, including much of the Liverpool city region.

Currently the Bishop of Taunton, she brings a wealth of experience, having previously served as acting Bishop of Bath and Wells and acting Bishop of Coventry.

Initially, she will continue her work as the Bishop of Taunton, with delegations in place to enable her to deal with urgent legal matters in the Diocese of Liverpool.

Over the coming weeks, Bishop Worsley will begin meeting people in Liverpool and performing official legal duties while completing her ministry as Bishop of Taunton.

Her final service in Bath and Wells will be the Chrism Eucharist on the Tuesday of Holy Week (April 15) and it is expected she will assume the interim role fully from Easter.

A commissioning service will take place in Liverpool on a date to be confirmed.

A spokesperson for the Diocese of Liverpool said: “We welcome the decision of the Archbishop of York to appoint Bishop Ruth to lead the Diocese of Liverpool for this interim period.

"Her experience and wisdom will be a great addition to the leadership of our diocese over the next two years. We are very grateful to Bishop Ruth for being willing to respond to this call and the Diocese of Bath and Wells for enabling her to take up this ministry with us.

"We look forward to welcoming her in due course as she comes to lead our diocese in this next phase. We move forward together, believing and trusting in our God who is faithful and working his purpose out.”

The Crown Nominations Commission will begin the process of appointing a permanent Bishop of Liverpool in due course, at which point the see of Wigan is expected to lapse.