How’s This For Irony?

An atheist gets a Bishop in the family!

Here is a quote from the Diocese of Carlisle website (27 May 2022):

A well-known vicar who ministered in Cumbria for 15 years has been chosen as the next Suffragan Bishop of Penrith.

The Rev Canon Rob Saner-Haigh, who is currently Residentiary Canon Director of Mission and Ministry in the Diocese of Newcastle, was appointed by the Bishop of Carlisle.

It means Rob will return to the Diocese of Carlisle where he had served all his ordained ministry until his move to Newcastle in 2020. He will also once again live in Kendal, having previously been the vicar of the town’s parish church for 10 years, and will have a particular responsibility for continuing to develop the county’s ecumenical God for All vision and strategy, based around its four key themes: Follow Daily, Speak Boldly, Care Deeply and Tread Gently.

Rob, aged 49, said: “I am thrilled to be returning to Cumbria; a place whose people and landscape I know and love so much. I come seeking to serve this place and its people, and to work prayerfully for the good things of God for us all over the coming years.

He was born and raised in Birkenhead on Merseyside prior to studying for a degree in Ancient History and Archaeology at Birmingham University, later completing his MPhil research…