The appointment of the Right Reverend Nick Baines to be the Bishop of Bradford is one that will hopefully reap positive rewards.
The Church of England could be said to have been in the doldrums recently, and what is certainly needed is an injection of enthusiasm to improve the profile of the organisation.
The new Bishop would certainly seem to fit that bill. As someone who regularly uses blogging and social networking to get his points across, Bishop Nick, as he is known in his current diocese of Croydon, obviously embraces modern means of communication.
In this internet age, that is not only desirable but also, some might say, essential, if the church is to move well and truly into the 21st century.
Aside from the so-called “controversy” around some of his comments – because certain sections of the media will always find it noteworthy when a member of the clergy steps out of the box and passes an opinion on modern life – Bishop Nick seems to have drive, ideas and a willingness to engage with all sectors of the community.
Hopefully his stint in Croydon will have prepared him for life in a multicultural diocese such as Bradford.
And if he makes a success of his role, perhaps plans to reorganise the Church of England in West Yorkshire which could see the Bradford diocese subsumed, might be put on hold or rethought to give Bradford a much larger part to play.
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