The Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Rt Revd Peter Hancock, is to take early retirement on medical grounds as he continues his recovery from treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia.
Bishop Peter, 65, has been bishop of the diocese for seven years, from 2014. For four of those years, he was the Church of England’s lead bishop for safeguarding and represented the Church of England at the three hearings of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby paid tribute today to Bishop Peter, saying “his commitment to changing the culture and shining a light in dark places was an inspiration to us all”.
Bishop Peter has been receiving treatment for leukaemia since last August. In a letter to the diocese today he wrote that while he had been hoping to return to work before long, his hospital consultant has said he will need to spend many months recovering and will initially be unable to lead services in public, use public transport or go into indoor public spaces.
He said: “So after much prayer and reflection, I believe this means that I need to take early retirement on medical grounds.
“After seven years as Bishop of Bath and Wells I could not be more grateful for all the opportunities that I have had to serve the Diocese and during this time I have met so many inspiring, faithful, creative, and courageous people and visited so many wonderful places. I don’t yet know what lies ahead, but I am sure the Lord will continue to lead and guide me and provide opportunities for ministry and service in the future. I remain hopeful and confident in his future for me.”
He said he was aware what a challenging time it was for the Church of England, as churches had closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I am very aware of the challenges we are all facing and the extra burdens and responsibilities that we are all carrying. I am therefore particularly grateful for all that you are doing to sustain and support the life of the diocese and especially for all that Bishop Ruth has been doing as Acting Diocesan Bishop. The diocese is clearly in good hands and good heart, and my prayers and thanks are very much with you all.
“In the midst of all that is happening in the world today let us not lose sight of God’s gracious, loving care for us all.”
Archbishop Justin said: “I would like to thank Peter for more than 40 years of dedicated ministry in the Church. Anyone who has worked with him or spent time with him will know the deep authenticity of his personal faith and pastoral concern. I have got to know Peter well during his nearly four years as lead safeguarding bishop, where his commitment to changing the culture and shining a light in dark places was an inspiration to us all.
“He led the Church’s response to IICSA , sitting through all three hearings. I know the enormous toll this took on him, but he always had the welfare of survivors at heart. I know the past year has been very difficult with his diagnosis and treatment for cancer. As with many others, I will continue to pray for Peter and Jane as they embark on retirement, that they will feel God’s great strength and love.”
A farewell service for Bishop Peter is being planned for Pentecost, Saturday 22 May. Due to the restrictions likely to be still in place, details for this service are still be worked out and will be circulated in due course.
The Bishop of Taunton, Rt Revd Ruth Worsley will continue to lead the diocese while discernment for a new Bishop of Bath and Wells begins. She said: “Bishop Peter has been a wonderful, warm and wise friend and colleague in the past five and a half years of ministry we have shared together in Bath and Wells. I shall miss him terribly. Clearly it is with sadness that we hear the news that he will not be returning to minister as Bishop amongst us. However, his recovery and health are of greater importance at this time and our prayers continue for Peter, Jane and the whole family. May they know God’s hope, grace and joy as they step into the future.”
An online message board for anyone who wishes to say farewell message now for Bishop Peter and Jane is now available.
Short biography of Rt Revd Peter Hancock
Bishop Peter was born on the Isle of Wight and later moved with his family to Fareham, Hampshire. After studying at Cambridge, he trained for the ordained ministry in the Church of England at Oak Hill Theological College. He was ordained in 1980 and served his curacies at Christchurch, Portsdown and at Emmanuel Church, Radipole in the Diocese of Salisbury. He was vicar of St Wilfrid’s Cowplain, then Archdeacon of The Meon until he was consecrated as Bishop of Basingstoke in 2010. He was installed as Bishop of Bath and Wells in Wells Cathedral on 7 June 2014.
Bishop Peter took over as lead Bishop for safeguarding in the Church of England in 2016 and served throughout the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse’s investigation of the Church of England.
Bishop Peter is married to Jane and they have four adult children and five grandchildren.
Prayer following the announcement of Bishop Peter’s retirement
Gracious and loving God,
We give thanks for the ministry of Bishop Peter in this our Diocese of Bath
and Wells: for his wise leadership, for his gentle pastoral care for all those
entrusted to his charge, for his integrity and his faithfulness, and for all that
he has given to so many over the past seven years.
You have brought him through these challenging months of sickness and
treatment, and we give thanks for strength recovered and for hope
renewed.
As we learn with deep sadness that he must lay aside his duties as our
Bishop, we pray for your blessing on him and Jane as they look to the future:
enfold them in your love, fill them with your peace, and give them the
strength they need to move through this time of transition and letting go.
Give them the assurance that you will always hold them fast, that this time
of loss may, through your grace, become a discovery of knowing you more
deeply, serving you in new ways, and delighting in the life of their family.
And we pray for our Diocese at this time, especially for Bishop Ruth, that
you will give us patience and discernment as we seek the way forward,
vision for the future, unity to support one another in uncertain times, and
trust in your loving purposes for us all.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.