The Bishop of Stafford has today announced his intention to retire with effect from May 2010; when he will be 61. The Rt Revd Gordon Mursell told his clergy that the decision had been forced on him over fears for his voice.
In the past eight years the bishop has had three separate operations on his vocal chords; but has now been told that the cumulative wear had left a permanent vulnerability which requires a “significant reduction in voice use.” In his letter to clergy, the Rt Revd Gordon Mursell said he was retiring “with great sadness”, but joked that “it is the consequence of talking too much!”
He added: “I made an excellent recovery from the last operation, in October last year. But it appears that the cumulative “wear” on my voice has left a permanent weakness, or vulnerability, in the area round the vocal chords; and it is clear that the long-term consequence has to be a really significant reduction in voice use. And in this post, that is almost impossible to achieve without failing to do what is asked of me. So I am clear that it is the right decision to step down, even though it will be desperately sad to say goodbye to so many wonderful people.”
He describes as a “silver lining” that he will now be able to spend more time with his wife, Anne, who works part time as a consultant psychiatrist in Dumfries; and said: “We will be able to live together all of the time, instead of only half of it!” Gordon and Anne will move to Kirkcudbright, in south-west Scotland, where they already have a house.
Gordon said: “I have known the area for 25 years, my mother lived there for many years, and Anne is Scottish; so I hope we shall feel at home. But it will be a real wrench to say goodbye. All this, however, is still some time off, and there is plenty to do in the meantime as the Archdeacon and I prepare for a major series of mission action planning visits.”
The Bishop of Lichfield, the Rt Revd Jonathan Gledhill, who now has to begin the search for a successor to serve as Bishop of Stafford, said: “We are enormously saddened that the Bishop of Stafford has to take early retirement. He has encouraged and inspired us all with his unique teaching gifts and has become a much appreciated pastor of his Area. Although we fully understand and support his reasons for leaving us we feel a real sense of bereavement.”
The Bishop of Stafford is an Area Bishop within the Church of England’s Diocese of Lichfield; and is responsible for over 480 clergy and lay ministers serving 220 churches across north and east Staffordshire. The Stafford Episcopal Area – one of three in the Diocese of Lichfield - is larger than a number of Church of England dioceses.