Tributes from past and present colleagues

Fellow bishops and colleagues have paid tribute to Bishop Christopher, for his friendship, care for others and his thoughtful ministry.

The Bishop of Stepney, the Rt Rev Joanne Grenfell, who worked alongside him as Archdeacon of Portsdown, said: “Christopher was a wonderful colleague to me: wise, generous, and supportive. He is a fundamentally good and secure person, and that makes the people around him feel secure and valued in their roles.

“We were able to be imaginative and brave in our approaches to ministry in Portsmouth diocese, often leading the way and never ducking the challenges that we faced, because he had the foresight to know that change was necessary and the courage to enable it to happen.

“Together, Christopher and Sally have offered warm hospitality, drawing colleagues and their families into the friendship of their household. There are legacies in the form of a welcoming, caring diocese which is sharing the gospel in fresh ways with new generations. I am thankful for his friendship and his ministry as Bishop of Portsmouth.”

The Bishop of Dorchester, the Rt Rev Gavin Collins, who worked alongside him as Archdeacon of the Meon, said: “Christopher has been first and foremost a pastoral bishop, seeking to know and to care for his clergy, their families and congregations, and, indeed, the wider communities across the Diocese of Portsmouth.

“I have had the privilege of seeing him engage with pupils in a primary school, sixth form students on a visit to the Houses of Parliament, council leaders, mayors and asylum seekers. On all occasions and with all those he meets, Christopher has been consistently himself – a godly priest, with a genuine compassion for, and interest in, those he is meeting, as he seeks to demonstrate the love and interest that the God he serves has in them also.

“I have worked with Christopher in two successive dioceses, as he was my suffragan bishop when I was in St Albans Diocese, and now for these past 10 years has been my diocesan bishop in Portsmouth. It has been a joy to count Christopher as a friend, a mentor and a colleague in ministry.”

And the Very Rev Dr Anthony Cane, Dean of Portsmouth, said “Christopher has been an outstanding Bishop of Portsmouth for more than a decade, making the tricky balance between serving the national Church and his local diocese look effortless, when in fact it is anything but.

“It is easy to forget that his richly deserved reputation as a pastoral bishop, who really knew and cared about every corner of the diocese, was only possible through a disciplined programme of travel, by both land and sea.

“The hospitality he and Sally offered at Bishopsgrove, to a whole variety of people from the wider community as well as the churches, was extraordinarily extensive and widely appreciated.

“As for the ordinations, confirmations and other cathedral events at which he presided, there was always a sense of the personal and the holy, and a real connection with all those who were present. In these and many other ways, Christopher’s ministry will be much missed, and we offer he and Sally a heartfelt ‘thank you’ as their retirement begins.”

Process to appoint new Bishop of Portsmouth

Bishop Christopher had delayed his retirement to lead the Diocese of Portsmouth through the Covid pandemic. The process to find his successor has already begun, with meetings of the Crown Nominations Commission, chaired by the Archbishop of Canterbury, expected to identify suitable candidates for the post this summer.

While that happens, the Area Bishop of Edmonton will help to lead the Diocese of Portsmouth in the interim. The Rt Rev Rob Wickham, will be the ‘commissary bishop’ for the diocese, which is one of only two in the Church of England to have no suffragan (assistant) bishop.

Bishop Christopher said: “It has been a privilege to serve as bishop in this diocese for over a decade. Because we are a small diocese with a family feel, our clergy and lay people have been able to collaborate effectively and respond quickly to changing circumstances – as the past year has shown.

“Over the past 10 years, I have seen courage, generosity and resourcefulness as our congregations have faithfully shared God’s love, through prayer, worship and serving others.

“Thank you to all those who have prayed for us and worked alongside us over the past 10 years, in the churches and communities of south-east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Sally and I will be sorry to leave so many valued friends and colleagues.”