Now we know what happened to Bangor’s proposed interim bishop.
One wasn’t found.
That explains why an interim bishop never arrived.
It does not explain what happened next.
In November 2025 the Church in Wales had reached an extraordinary conclusion about Bangor. Following its governance crisis, this was not the moment simply to elect another permanent diocesan bishop.
Bangor needed breathing space.
It needed experienced interim leadership.
It needed stability while governance, management and financial structures were repaired.
Archbishop Cherry Vann spoke of the possibility of “radical work”. The arrangement might last one or even two years.
So convinced was the Church of this course that Governing Body approved exceptional constitutional arrangements by 75 votes to four.
And then an interim bishop wasn’t found.
Fair enough.
But here is the problem.
The inability to find the person does not make the reason for needing that person disappear.
If Bangor was not ready for a permanent bishop in November, how did the failure to secure an interim bishop make it ready for one only months later?
A recruitment difficulty does not repair governance.
It does not resolve financial problems.
It does not restore damaged confidence.
And it certainly does not perform the “radical work” which the Archbishop herself had contemplated.
Yet the Church moved remarkably quickly from:
Bangor is not ready for a permanent bishop.
to:
We need an experienced interim bishop for perhaps two years.
to:
An interim bishop cannot be found.
to:
Let us elect a permanent bishop after all.
And the person elected was Manon James, who had herself been installed as Dean of Bangor only months earlier.
That is where the questions should begin.
Who decided that the failure to find an interim bishop justified abandoning the period of recovery for which that bishop had been required?
What assessment concluded that Bangor was now ready?
What had actually changed?
And when did Manon James first emerge as a prospective candidate for the permanent bishopric?
There may be perfectly satisfactory answers.
But “we couldn’t find an interim bishop” is not, by itself, one of them.
It explains why the proposed solution could not be implemented.
It does not explain why the problem the solution was designed to address apparently ceased to matter.
And that is the curious part of the Bangor story.
They couldn’t find the bishop they said Bangor needed.
So they appointed the permanent bishop they had previously said Bangor wasn’t ready for.
" ... and it gives me great pleasure, Iman Abdullah, to hand Sion bin-Rhys Evans over to your safe hands as Sub-Mullah to the ISIS diocese of Afghanistan. May Mohammed be with him ...."
I don't know how much you've read of this story, but the Archbishop ended up with egg on her face when https://tinyurl.com/56znkjwzshe discovered that Ashrafi had been a supporter of Osama Bin Laden. See: https://tinyurl.com/56znkjwz (other news sources are available). Someone at Lambeth didn't did their research very well - although of course the gentleman's views might genuinely have changed over the intervening years.
I actually felt rather sorry for Canterbury here, as it’s no fun being unintentionally set up by your staff, unknowingly fronting the incompetence in front of the world’s press, and then having to rescind an award in the face of a scandal that was already out there for anybody with a single brain cell who was charged with doing due diligence to see. As always with these things, it’ll be what happens next that measures her culpability. She’s done the right thing rescinding the award, but if heads don’t roll at Lambeth, she’s no leader. This is not some little administrative error for brushing under the carpet and moving on.
@friar D I agree with you wholeheartedly, this feels like the team that is tasked with this due diligence has failed monumentally. Regrettable addition to the publics already poor opinion of clergy and the establishment as a whole. Sad.
Thanks to Damian Thompson @holysmoke for this. "This monologue by @ColinBrazierTV is magnificent and full of startling information. Did you know how many attacks there are *in this country* on Muslims who convert to Christianity?"
Why We Mock Christianity but Fear Islam. https://x.com/holysmoke/status/2101006892264743159
And the new Bishop of Bangor is....
ReplyDeleteBangor: the bishop who was never found
DeleteNow we know what happened to Bangor’s proposed interim bishop.
One wasn’t found.
That explains why an interim bishop never arrived.
It does not explain what happened next.
In November 2025 the Church in Wales had reached an extraordinary conclusion about Bangor. Following its governance crisis, this was not the moment simply to elect another permanent diocesan bishop.
Bangor needed breathing space.
It needed experienced interim leadership.
It needed stability while governance, management and financial structures were repaired.
Archbishop Cherry Vann spoke of the possibility of “radical work”. The arrangement might last one or even two years.
So convinced was the Church of this course that Governing Body approved exceptional constitutional arrangements by 75 votes to four.
And then an interim bishop wasn’t found.
Fair enough.
But here is the problem.
The inability to find the person does not make the reason for needing that person disappear.
If Bangor was not ready for a permanent bishop in November, how did the failure to secure an interim bishop make it ready for one only months later?
A recruitment difficulty does not repair governance.
It does not resolve financial problems.
It does not restore damaged confidence.
And it certainly does not perform the “radical work” which the Archbishop herself had contemplated.
Yet the Church moved remarkably quickly from:
Bangor is not ready for a permanent bishop.
to:
We need an experienced interim bishop for perhaps two years.
to:
An interim bishop cannot be found.
to:
Let us elect a permanent bishop after all.
And the person elected was Manon James, who had herself been installed as Dean of Bangor only months earlier.
That is where the questions should begin.
Who decided that the failure to find an interim bishop justified abandoning the period of recovery for which that bishop had been required?
What assessment concluded that Bangor was now ready?
What had actually changed?
And when did Manon James first emerge as a prospective candidate for the permanent bishopric?
There may be perfectly satisfactory answers.
But “we couldn’t find an interim bishop” is not, by itself, one of them.
It explains why the proposed solution could not be implemented.
It does not explain why the problem the solution was designed to address apparently ceased to matter.
And that is the curious part of the Bangor story.
They couldn’t find the bishop they said Bangor needed.
So they appointed the permanent bishop they had previously said Bangor wasn’t ready for.
Why?
" ... and it gives me great pleasure, Iman Abdullah, to hand Sion bin-Rhys Evans over to your safe hands as Sub-Mullah to the ISIS diocese of Afghanistan. May Mohammed be with him ...."
ReplyDeleteI don't know how much you've read of this story, but the Archbishop ended up with egg on her face when https://tinyurl.com/56znkjwzshe discovered that Ashrafi had been a supporter of Osama Bin Laden. See: https://tinyurl.com/56znkjwz (other news sources are available). Someone at Lambeth didn't did their research very well - although of course the gentleman's views might genuinely have changed over the intervening years.
ReplyDeleteHere is the cheque for the reparations as you requested. Spend it on any activity you like
ReplyDeleteSt Chuckle
And the prize for the world's profoundly stupid feminist twunt goes to....... Dame Sarah MaLooney 🏆
ReplyDeleteI actually felt rather sorry for Canterbury here, as it’s no fun being unintentionally set up by your staff, unknowingly fronting the incompetence in front of the world’s press, and then having to rescind an award in the face of a scandal that was already out there for anybody with a single brain cell who was charged with doing due diligence to see. As always with these things, it’ll be what happens next that measures her culpability. She’s done the right thing rescinding the award, but if heads don’t roll at Lambeth, she’s no leader. This is not some little administrative error for brushing under the carpet and moving on.
ReplyDelete@friar D I agree with you wholeheartedly, this feels like the team that is tasked with this due diligence has failed monumentally. Regrettable addition to the publics already poor opinion of clergy and the establishment as a whole. Sad.
DeleteHere is a copy of the New Bishop's Bible. As you can see we have reduced the amount of text by taking out all the bits we don.t agree with.
ReplyDeleteFlattered
I have in my hand a piece of paper that guarantees peace in our time...
ReplyDeleteOswald
Beware of the ninja!
ReplyDeleteThanks to Damian Thompson @holysmoke for this.
ReplyDelete"This monologue by @ColinBrazierTV is magnificent and full of startling information. Did you know how many attacks there are *in this country* on Muslims who convert to Christianity?"
Why We Mock Christianity but Fear Islam.
https://x.com/holysmoke/status/2101006892264743159