New Bishop of Ramsbury Announced

Author of the highly acclaimed 'Parish – An Anglican theology of place', he is currently serving as Team Rector of St Mary, Oxted in Surrey.

The Bishop of Ramsbury is an ancient title first used in 909 AD with responsibility mainly for the Wiltshire parishes in the Diocese of Salisbury. The new Bishop will also chair the Diocese’s Mission and Ministry Council.

He is married to Rebecca, who works as an executive coach, and was born in Marlborough where the new Bishop and his family will be living. They have three children, Grace (16), Jonah (14) and Talitha (Tali for short,12).

Dr Rumsey is 50 and comes from a long line of parish clergy. He was educated first at the University of Reading and then at Kings College, London. He trained for ordination at Ridley Hall, Cambridge.

He served his title at Harrow in the Diocese of London and was Vicar of Gipsy Hill in the Diocese of Southwark. In 2011 he was appointed Rector of Oxted and Tandridge in the Diocese of Southwark before becoming Team Rector in 2014.

As well as being an author, whose writing centres on themes of place and local identity, he is also a musician with a longstanding interest in songwriting & popular music.

Both he and his wife have been involved in the Greenbelt festival for many years; and have also attended New Wine with the family in recent years.

He said:
“I am honoured and delighted to have been appointed as the new Bishop of Ramsbury. 

"At a time of rapid change in our society, the enduring strength of the Church of England is its commitment to local communities, in all parts of the country, I greatly look forward to working alongside Bishop Nicholas and Bishop Karen, and to serving this purpose in the glorious county of Wiltshire. 

"We hope to arrive in Marlborough just after Christmas, along with our vintage caravan and tabby cat, Pepper.”

The Bishop of Salisbury, Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam said:
"I very much look forward to Andrew’s arrival in the diocese. As a parish priest he has worked in a variety of settings. As a person he has unusual breadth and depth and is an outstanding communicator of the Gospel. He will love Wiltshire and help us develop what it means to Renew Hope across the Diocese of Salisbury.”

Dr Rumsey is expected to take up his new position in January 2019 after being ordained to the episcopate as the new Suffragan Bishop of Ramsbury by the Archbishop of Canterbury on Friday 25th of January.

He succeeds the Right Reverend Edward Francis Condry, who resigned on the 12th May 2018.

There is a review of 'Parish – An Anglican theology of place' here.