The group includes members of all three houses of the General Synod – Bishops, Clergy and Laity – and a senior member of clergy who is no longer on the Synod. The members are: The Rt Rev Nigel Stock, Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich (chair)

The Rt Rev Dr Christopher Cocksworth, Bishop of Coventry,The Rt Rev James Langstaff, Bishop of Rochester,The Rt Rev Dr Martin Warner, Bishop of Chichester,The Very Rev Vivienne Faull, Dean of York,The Ven Christine Hardman,The Rev Dr Rosemarie Mallett, Dr Philip Giddings, Dr Paula Gooder, Mrs Margaret Swinson

The group’s task (see PR 160.12 ) is to assist the House when it meets in February and again in May to come to a decision on the new package of proposals which it intends to bring to the Synod in July. The group has been tasked to arrange facilitated discussions in February with a wide range of people of a variety of views. It is expected to have two initial meetings in January.

Career

Bishop Nigel’s Wikipedia entry is so short it can be quoted in full:

William Nigel Stock (born 29 January 1950) is the current Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich; a post he has held since 2007. Stock was educated at St Cuthbert’s Society, Durham University and studied for ordination at Ripon College Cuddesdon. From 1976 to 1979, he was a curate at St Peter’s Stockton in the Diocese of Durham. From 1979 to 1984, he was priest-in-charge of St Peter’s in Taraka in the Diocese of Aipo Rongo, Papua New Guinea. From 1985 to 1991, he was vicar of St Mark’s Shiremoor in the Diocese of Newcastle; moving to become Team Rector of North Shields from 1991 to 1998. He was also Rural Dean of Tynemouth from 1992 to 1998 and an honorary canon of Newcastle Cathedral from 1997 to 1998. He was a canon residentiary of Durham Cathedral from 1998 to 2000 and also Chaplain of Grey College, Durham in 1999 and 2000. He became Bishop of Stockport in the Diocese of Chester in 2000.  Stock has been a Commissary for the Archbishop of Papua New Guinea since 1986. He entered the House of Lords as a Lord Spiritual in March 2011.

The Crockford’s entry is of course even shorter:

+STOCK, The Rt Revd William Nigel. b 50. St Cuth Soc Dur BA72. Ripon Coll Cuddesdon. d 76 p 77 c 00. C Stockton St Pet Dur 76-79; Papua New Guinea 79-84; V Shiremoor Newc 85-91; TR N Shields 91-98; RD Tynemouth 92-98; Hon Can Newc Cathl 97-98; Can Res Dur Cathl 98-00; Chapl Grey Coll Dur 99-00; Suff Bp Stockport Ches 00-07; Bp St E from 07

 Publications

I have found no books published by Bishop Nigel, but he has an easy and engaging manner in this short clip about the Church’s outreach in his diocese:

And here he is in more reflective mood in his Christmas message:

Christmas is for all from St Eds & Ips on Vimeo.

Churchmanship

Although Bishop Nigel voted in favour of the Anglican Covenant in November 2011, it was rejected by his diocese. In general this has tended to indicate a relaxed model of episcopal oversight. At the General Synod meeting on 20 November 2012,  Bishop Nigel and all synod members from his diocese voted in favour of the motion “That the Measure entitled “Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure” be finally approved.”

Leap in the dark assessment

I think and hope I can detect a twinkle in the eye of Bishop Nigel. I also detect – and I hope this is not just wishful thinking – the same smile of reason that I saw in Bishop John Inge (see last paragraph if you are interested).

If he is to succeed in the enormously difficult task which lies ahead, we must pray that my hopes are not ill-founded.