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New Bishop of Aston announced

2 September 2008

The new Bishop of Aston, announced today by Downing Street, will be the Revd Andrew Watson. He will succeed the Rt Revd John Austin who died in 2007 following his retirement as Bishop of Aston in 2005.

News of the appointment of a new Bishop of Aston is significant for Birmingham and the surrounding region. Primarily, the Bishop of Aston works with the Bishop of Birmingham in leading the Church of England across the city and surrounding areas including Solihull, Sutton Coldfield and parts of Staffordshire, Sandwell and Bromsgrove, and therefore it is the one of the most senior appointments in a Diocese. The Bishop of Aston will also be required to advise and consult with key people and organisations involved with the well-being of all communities in this region and will be especially engaged with working with parishes in developing Mission and Evangelism.

The Revd Andrew Watson, 47, comes to Birmingham from the Diocese of London where he is Vicar of St Stephen’s East Twickenham. He is married to Beverly who was brought up in the West Midlands and was Ordained as a deacon this year. Andrew and Beverly have 4 children, Hannah, Samuel, Joseph and Lydia. The family will live in the former Rectory in Sutton Coldfield, now known as Bishop’s Lodge.

Andrew Watson’s paternal grandparents were missionaries in south-west China and have been a strong influence in his life. He was educated at Winchester College and Corpus Christi College Cambridge. Before Ordination he worked as a Youth Worker in an inner-city London parish where he became aware of many of the problems associated with Urban Poverty.  Following his Ordination, he was a Curate in Redditch before moving to London to be a Vicar in Notting Hill and was involved in community support for the Notting Hill carnival. Andrew has been Vicar of St Stephen Twickenham since 1996 during which his congregation has grown to nearly 900 people. He is also Area Dean of Hampton, and the author ofThe Fourfold Leadership of Jesus (BRF 2008).

Andrew’s interests include music, walking, reading, photography - and keeping chickens. He also maintains an interest in China - which he has recently visited.

Andrew said: “'It is a great privilege to have been chosen to serve as the next Bishop of Aston. I know there are many exciting challenges ahead. The Church needs to grow and I look forward to working with Bishop David and all the parishes in Birmingham and its districts in encouraging an ethos of encouragement, trust and prayerful risk-taking in both congregations and local communities.

‘I am very pleased to be moving to Birmingham and to becoming part of a forward-looking, international city at a very important time in its history. I look forward to being part of a diocese which is positioned so strategically for God's mission in the 21st century.'

Bishop David Urquhart, Bishop of Birmingham said: “I am delighted that Andrew Watson is coming as the new Bishop of Aston. He brings with him wide experience, which includes working in some of the more challenging areas of London. He knows how churches grow and understands the contribution they make to their local communities. His track record in both Notting Hill and Twickenham is outstanding. He is a friendly, outgoing and gifted person, who will, I am sure, very quickly become part of our Christian Mission to the whole region. Andrew joins a strong leadership team in the Diocese and will relate to civic leaders and faith leaders as well as those working in community regeneration, education, youth work and children ministries. I am very much looking forward to working with him and to welcoming him and his family to the region.”

Andrew will be consecrated as a Bishop in St Paul’s Cathedral on Tuesday 28th October and he and his family will be formally welcomed to Birmingham in a service at Birmingham Cathedral on Saturday 8th November.