New Bishop of Burnley unveiled as Reverend Doctor Joe Kennedy

Burnley Express

The new Suffragan Bishop of Burnley has today been introduced in front of invited guests at Burnley Faith Centre, Burnley Campus, Barden Lane, Burnley.

Transcript

00:00 My plans going forward are to be part of building bridges here in Burnley, making friends across the town,

00:06 make friends with civic leaders, interfaith leaders, get into other churches, see all the amazing work that they're doing.

00:12 And more generally I have a role not just in Burnley but across the diocese working with my two Episcopal colleagues.

00:17 So Bishop Philip has asked me to be part of the mission focus in the diocese, so that's sharing the gospel,

00:24 but it's also churches working across their communities to transform the communities,

00:30 building social cohesion, social capital, also caring for the environment.

00:34 So a very wide range in grief.

00:36 And then I have a particular focus on the south of the diocese, a pastoral ministry.

00:41 It was just lovely, wasn't it, seeing the children singing, really enthusiastic, sang beautifully.

00:46 Lots of people here but they held their nerve and it was really impressive.

00:50 Astonishing work happening here in building social cohesion, social capital, an amazing place,

00:56 such a proud history and working really hard in a really impressive and inspiring way to build its future

01:04 and through regeneration and working together.

01:10 So I'm consecrated, there's a big service in York in July and then I have a little bit of a holiday after that

01:15 with my children and my wife and then we start in September.

01:18 I was slightly impatient to start, if I'm honest, it seems like a long way away,

01:21 but I'm sure the time will pass and very much looking forward to coming here to Lancashire

01:26 and to the Diocese of Blackburn.

01:27 I've worked in the North West, lived in the North West for the last 13 years now.

01:31 I'm a vicar in a parish, also a rural dean, so I have a bit of responsibility across the town I live in.

01:38 And my children were born in the North West, absolutely love the North West,

01:42 we're delighted to be staying here in the North West, but new to Lancashire

01:46 and very much looking forward to getting to know the county and the people here.

01:49 Before my current job I worked in teaching people to be vicars

01:56 and also a bit of student chaplaincy and then some more parish before that.

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