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Bishop is St Matthew’s at the Elephant parish priest

London SE1 website team

Former Bishop of Sherborne the Rt Revd Graham Kings has been installed as priest-in-charge of St Matthew's at the Elephant.

Bishop is St Matthew’s at the Elephant parish priest
From left at front: Bishop Anthony Poggo (Lambeth Palace), Bishop Christopher, Bishop Graham, Bishop Karowei Worgu (of Woolwich), The Revd Hugo Adan Fernandez and The Revd Mia Hilborn (Guy's & St Thomas')

Bishop Kings was licensed by the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, during a welcome service at the Meadow Row church on Sunday evening.

Bishop Christopher in his sermon spoke of the 'constant flux' at the Elephant & Castle and said that the church should be the 'still small voice of calm' at its heart.

The service was conducted partly in Spanish to acknowledge the Hispanic congregation led by Revd Dr Hugo Adan Fernandez and the local established but changing congregation.

St Matthew's is becoming an Anglican focus for the growing Latin American community at the Elephant & Castle which currently holds bi-monthly services at St Matthew's.

After being Bishop of Sherborne in Dorset, Graham Kings was in 2015 made 'Mission Theologian in the Anglican Communion' to work with the Archbishop of Canterbury building up a network of theologians especially in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Bishop Kings will be a three day per week priest-in-charge at St Matthew's whilst continuing to act as an honorary assistant bishop in Southwark and working on research at Lambeth Palace Library.

Bishop Graham takes over from Fr Neil McKinnon who retired from St Matthew's in 2016.

The first St Matthew's was the converted Lion Street Baptist chapel which was consecrated in 1867. The present building dates from 1993 when the church was consecrated in December by Bishop of Southwark the Rt Revd Roy Williamson and the community centre was opened a few days later by the Princess of Wales.

Among those present at the service were the Mayor of Southwark Cllr Charlie Smith, Chaucer Ward councillor Helen Dennis, Revd Peter Stevenson of neighbouring Crossways Christian Centre and representatives of other churches and local organisations.
Graham Kings is a regular participant in Beer and Theology evenings at the Angel pub on Bermondsey Wall East, SE16.

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