Drummers and dancers to welcome new Bishop

Drummers, dancers and children waving flags will all form part of the colourful and dramatic service of welcome for the new Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham - who will officially take up his role at the end of February.

More than 1,200 visitors are expected to attend the installation service at Southwell Minster for the Rt Revd Paul Butler at 3pm on Saturday 27th February 2010.
Bishop Paul was appointed as the new Bishop for the diocese in June last year, when he spent the day touring the area and meeting people on an old Nottinghamshire double decker bus.

Canon Precentor at Southwell, the Revd Canon Jacqui Jones, who has been planning the service, said: “This will be a very special day for Bishop Paul and for all of us. The service will reflect the Bishop’s own concerns and emphasis with the involvement of children and young people, his interest in Africa and a variety of styles of worship and music.”

Packed with symbolism and dramatic moments, the cathedral choirs, and children representing all the deaneries in the Diocese will anticipate the Bishop's arrival before he knocks on the huge West doors of the cathedral and is welcomed in by the Dean of Southwell. Later in the service the Bishop will be placed in his own chair or ‘cathedra’, symbolising his role as teacher and towards the end of the service he will be handed the ancient diocesan pastoral staff - made from a narwhal’s (arctic whale) tusk for the very first Bishop of Southwell. This crosier, or Bishop’s crook, will be a symbol of his role as leader and pastor of Christ’s flock in this area.

Representatives of the parishes of the diocese have been invited to the service and there will be further opportunities for people to meet him at two additional welcome services the next month. The first will be at St Mary’s, Nottingham on Sunday 7th March and the second will be at Worksop Priory on Sunday 14th March - both services will start at 4pm and all are welcome.

Bishop Paul will move to Southwell with his wife Rosemary and youngest daughter Sarah. He returns to the area with many local connections, having spent three years studying at the University of Nottingham and then time working in the county with social services. He was a member of Christ Church Chilwell and went on to train for ordination at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. After experience in a number of parishes in the London area he was appointed as the Bishop of Southampton in 2004 where he has been responsible for the southern area of the Winchester Diocese with particular interest in youth and children’s ministry and urban issues. He is also chair of CMS (Church Mission Society) and has strong link with Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

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