January 7, 2009

The Revd Canon Gregory Cameron, 49, who is Deputy Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, was chosen by members of the Electoral College of the Church in Wales meeting on Jan 5th at St Asaph Cathedral to succeed Bishop John Davies as Bishop of St Asaph.

The announcement was made by the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, at the west door of the cathedral on the first day of the meeting.

Canon Gregory Cameron will be the 76th Bishop of St Asaph, an area covering the north-east corner of Wales – the counties of Conwy and Flintshire, Wrexham county borough, the eastern part of Merioneth in Gwynedd and part of northern Powys. His election follows the retirement in December of the Rt Rev John Davies who served as Bishop of the diocese from 1999.

Canon Cameron has been the Director of Ecumenical Affairs at the Anglican Communion Office since 2003, he became Deputy Secretary General of the Anglican Communion in 2004. In this role, he has been involved in the ecumenical relations of the Anglican Communion at global level, and responsible for staffing the Lambeth Commission, which produced the Windsor Report. He has lectured in Old Testament at St Michael's College, Llandaff, and is currently an Honorary Research Fellow in Canon Law at the Centre for Law and Religion in Cardiff University. He was granted an honorary Doctorate of Divinity by the Episcopal Divinity School, Massachussetts, in 2007, in recognition of his contribution to reconciliation in the Anglican Communion. Previously, he served as Chaplain to the Archbishop of Wales, then Dr Rowan Williams.

Married to Clare, the couple have three sons, aged 11, nine and six.

Canon Gregory said he was looking forward to leading the Diocese of St Asaph. He said, "I am conscious that for the family of St Asaph the choice of a new bishop is a profoundly important point in their life and that of the Gospel in North-East Wales. I am both stunned and honoured by the choice of the Electoral College and hope that by God's grace I can at least in part live up to people's expectations. I will need the prayers of all the diocese and the church as we find a way forward together."

The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, who is President of the Electoral College, welcomed the decision. He said, "Canon Gregory is an immensely gifted man with wide experience of the worldwide Anglican Communion and of our ministry here in Wales. I look forward to working with him and welcoming him back to his home Province."

The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion The Revd Canon Kenneth Kearon on hearing the announcement said "I was delighted to hear of Canon Cameron's election as Bishop of St Asaph. He will bring great personal gifts to this diocese and to Church in Wales, gifts he has placed at the service of the Anglican Communion for the past 6 years as Director of Ecumenical Affairs and Deputy Secretary General. I know I speak for many friends around the Communion in wishing him, Clare and the boys God's blessing in this new sphere of ministry. At a personal level we at the Anglican Communion Office greeted his news with mixed emotions as we celebrate his election but also regret the immanent departure of a good friend and much valued colleague."

Anglican Communion News Service, London