Tribute to former Bishop of Sherwood

The former Bishop of Sherwood, the Rt Revd Alan Morgan, who retired from the Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham in 2004 died last week on Monday 24th October. Bishop Alan, who was known by many as ‘the coalfields bishop’ made a huge contribution to working for regeneration of the coalfield areas across the country and was part of the government’s Coalfield Task Force  headed by John Prescott in 1997.

The Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham, the Rt Revd Paul Butler said: “Bishop Alan was a tireless campaigner on behalf of the marginalised and the poor and his time in the diocese was marked by his passion for justice and single-minded efforts to bring people together. He was also someone with a real human touch and compassionate approach to those of much faith and those of little.”

Bishop Alan was appointed as the Bishop of Sherwood in 1989. Originally from Swansea in South Wales, he graduated with a BA in Philosophy and history from St David’s College in Lampeter and then studied at St Michael’s theological College in Llandaff. Following curacies in Wales, he moved to Coventry East Ministry Team in 1972 as Team Vicar of St Barnabas. In 1978 he became the Bishop of Coventry’s Officer for Social Responsibility and was appointed as Archdeacon of Coventry in 1983. His passion for the Church’s social responsibility was reflected in his involvement with a range of organisations. He was chair of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, a trustee of the national AIDS Trust and a trustee of the Charities’ Aid Foundation, as well as linking with a whole range of other church and voluntary groups from Family Life and Marriage Enrichment to social housing groups. In Nottingham he was chairman of the East Midlands Churches Forum and president of a number of charities, including Framework Housing. At a national level he was chairman of the General Synod’s Board of Social Responsibility’s Working Party on the Future of the Family,  which produced a report called ‘Something to Celebrate’ in 1995. He was also part of the Coalfields Task Force and went on to continue the work as Chair of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.

There is to be a private family funeral.