Bishop of Rochester to resign a decade early

The TImes (London) ^ | March 28, 2009 | Ruth Gledhill

[hiho hiho]

One of the Church of England's most outspoken bishops has announced that he is to resign a decade early to devote the rest of his life to work with Christians in Islamic areas.

The Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, the Church's only Asian bishop, who is just 59 and could have stayed at Rochester until his 70th birthday, intends to use his expertise as an Islamic scholar to work in Pakistan where he was born and in the Middle East to build bridges between Christians and Muslims.

A conservative evangelical, he will step down in September after nearly 15 years in the diocese.

The diocese said this morning: "Bishop Michael is hoping to work with a number of church leaders from areas where the church is under pressure, particularly in minority situations, who have asked him to assist them with education and training for their particular situation. Details of this arrangement are still being worked out."

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He has been outspoken in his criticism of the pro-gay multi-cultural agenda in both secular society and within the Anglican Communion and was a speaker at last summer's meeting of leaders of the Global South in Jerusalem, the movement set up in opposition to the pro-gay provinces in the Communion. Were evangelical churches in the Church of England to seek an "alternative" bishop to lead them or provide oversight, Dr Nazir-Ali would be an obvious choice, although one insider close to the bishop said any such speculation was "hypothetical".

[2banana]

Sounds like a good and brave man...

[kaehurowing]

More and more, you will see the remaining Christians abandon the Anglican homosexual cult.

[dangus]

Aw, wow. Doesn’t he realize how badly opposition to Islam is needed where he is?

[dangus]

I’ll pray for his safety and that he is making the right call.