Richard (better known as Rick) Lewers was consecrated as Bishop in Sydney last Friday night at St Andrew’s Cathedral and will take up the reins in Armidale as replacement for Bishop Peter Brain, who retired in April.

Some 20 bishops and archbishops attended the service, while the presiding priest, Reverend Kanishka Raffel flew in from Perth for the occasion.

Bishop Lewers said the consecration ceremony was a significant moment for him and went very well.

“There were people from my past, people from Armidale and lots of people there in general,” he said.

Bishop Lewers has spent the past six years in Sydney as the Rector of Engadine, and before that was the Rector of St Matthew’s in the ACT parish of Wanniassa for 11 years.

Bishop Lewers said he was nervous about his promotion to the new role but looked at the position as an “enormous

privilege”.

“It’s such an important task and I want to do it well, and I think when a job’s important and you want to do it well, it’s natural to feel apprehensive,” he told The Express.

“Hopefully I will bring a pastoral sensitivity for the people who are in the diocese and present a very good face to the community on what it means to be a good Christian.”

Bishop Lewers said rural ministry was significantly different to city ministry.

“There are different seasonal aspects of rural ministry, the isolation of rural ministry and issues of family and community,” he said.

“There are a whole range of issues peculiar to rural ministry and I think my learning curve will be quite big in regards to rural culture and rural movements.

“I’m looking forward to it and to meeting people in the area, the people working on the land and the people working in town.”

Bishop Lewers said he was somewhat familiar with the New England region, having visited on multiple occasions.

“While I was a missioner in Sydney, I visited Manilla for a week-long mission and we have friends at Mullally and we’ve come to the area to visit them,” he said.

After moving to Armidale on Monday with his wife Janene, he said he was looking forward to life in the region, though he would miss his three adult

children who live in Sydney.

“It’s a new season of life for us,” he said.

“We’re very excited to be here and love the country.”

Bishop Lewers said he was passionate about Jesus Christ and looks forward to spreading the word in the New England region.

“I love to preach and I love to open up the Bible and explain it to people and to do that in a simple way that’s easily accessible to people,” he said.

“I also want to encourage people because encouragement’s not something you hear very often in life.”

Bishop Lewers has served as a sports chaplain for soccer club the Canberra Cosmos and Super 14 rugby side the ACT Brumbies, and in his spare time is a keen golfer.

Dean Stephen Williams (pictured) said the Armidale Anglican community was delighted about the appointment of Bishop Lewers, who was chosen last November.

“We’re very happy that our diocese has elected him as a bishop,” Mr Williams said.

“A meeting called a synod was held where names were put

forward and discussed.

“We’re delighted to have him and Janene here in our community.”

Today’s installation ceremony, starting at 11am, will be attended by an estimated 400 people, including Armidale diocese members, clergy representatives and the Archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jensen.

• For full coverage of Bishop Lewers’ installation ceremony, see Friday’s Express.