Ship of Fools: Nick Baines - new bishop of Leeds

Thread: Nick Baines - new bishop of Leeds Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by justlooking (# 12079) on :

Just been announced this morning Nick Baines to become new Anglican Bishop of Leeds for 'super diocese' of West Yorkshire and The Dales.

I'm in the area affected. My first thoughts are, Oh well - could be worse I suppose.

He's all over the internet so there'll be plenty to read.

Anyone else got any thoughts about it?

[ 04. February 2014, 11:35: Message edited by: justlooking ]

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

Food many - though I am surprised they didn't appoint someone from outside so as to be impartial.

Many in Ripon Diocese will be pleased that they've got another liberal.

Posted by BroJames (# 9636) on :

Not outstandingly liberal, I would have thought. More open evangelical.

Posted by justlooking (# 12079) on :

Not sure I'd have him down as any sort of evangelical. We prayed for him at Mass today.

I know it was an outside chance but I would have been very happy if Tony Robinson had been chosen. He's a traditional-ish Anglo-Catholic and AFAIK still unable to accept women in the priesthood, but on the plus side he has what I believe is an integrity of faith, was a particularly able archdeacon and is an excellent suffragen. I hope he will be able to contribute fully in this new 'super-diocese'.

Interesting times ahead.

[ 05. February 2014, 16:19: Message edited by: justlooking ]

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

quote:
Originally posted by BroJames:
Not outstandingly liberal, I would have thought. More open evangelical.

OK - just googled him and discovered that he trained at Trinity Bristol.

But he is still good!!!!

Posted by Spike (# 36) on :

quote:
Originally posted by justlooking:
Not sure I'd have him down as any sort of evangelical.

I knew him when he was Bishop of Croydon and previously as Archdeacon of Lambeth. He's definitely evangelical.

Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :

There are evangelicals who can respect and work with people from other faith traditions, though, and those who can't. I'd like to hope that anyone chosen for a senior position in the church would be from the former group - and therefore an asset to the Diocese.

Posted by Spike (# 36) on :

From what I've heard from some of the catholic clergy in the Croydon area, +Nick's track record wasn't brilliant in that area

Posted by justlooking (# 12079) on :

Done a bit of reading around. He never shuts up does he? Seems to think his blog is the same as preaching.

From the Croydon Advertiser

quote:
"If a couple of thousand people are reading my blog, why is that worth less than preparing to preach a sermon on Sunday for 200 people?

"What I am saying is that you either stay in your study or, as a Bishop, you engage with the big wide world."

I can answer that. Preaching is about Christ. Blogging is about you.

[ 06. February 2014, 08:01: Message edited by: justlooking ]

Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :

But nobody HAS to read it!

Posted by justlooking (# 12079) on :

True. And not everyone who regularly reads a blog will be a fan. But my interest is more in why he writes it and what he believes is its impact. According to a local press report about 5,000 people read his blog. I don't know how this rates in cyberspace popularity terms but it's fewer than I would have assumed from someone known as the 'blogging bishop'.

He draws a connection between his blogging and his preaching and this is what interests me in the main. I've never heard him preach and until recently I hadn't read much of what he's written. His name has cropped up in the press from time to time, as the controversial blogging bishopbut until now I haven't felt the need to investigate further. This blogged on 4th December seems pertinent

quote:
..... someone on Twitter asked if my blog is just a 'vanity project' as I am always telling where I have been or whom I have met (like in the Chris Evans studio a couple of weeks ago). Well, er, yes, I guess it is. A blog is by definition an online journal and I use it as a record of things I might otherwise forget.

Very different from his earlier comment

quote:
"If a couple of thousand people are reading my blog, why is that worth less than preparing to preach a sermon on Sunday for 200 people? "What I am saying is that you either stay in your study or, as a Bishop, you engage with the big wide world."

Is he engaging with the big wide world or is he bestowing himself upon it?

Posted by Charles Read (# 3963) on :

So try reading his blog and see what you think.

He comments there on such matters as language teaching in schools (he trained as a linguist) and it is good to see Christian comment on such matters.Anf he tries to keep up with some reading , even non-theological reading. That is impressive in any bishop!

I seem to recall he is one of the few evangelical bishops who come to the evangelical group on General Synod occasionally. (Our own Pete173 is a faithful attender but, though not a bishop, I have given up on them now!)

Nick is concerned for reaching contemporary society as it uis, not as the church would like it to be.

A good appointment in my view....

Posted by justlooking (# 12079) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Charles Read:
So try reading his blog and see what you think.

That's what I've been doing.

From what I've read so far here's what I think. Some of what he writes falls into the category of engaging with the world and some doesn't. YMMV but the book reviews and the 'what I did at the weekend' type of posts I skim through. Of the posts I've stopped and read is this:

quote:
14th October 2013 I have not had time to post on all the myriad of things going on in the world. I am writing this on the train back from London before heading off to lecture and preach at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena tomorrow (after a 3.30am wake up).

But, these are the questions I would ask anyway:

1. Why do newspaper editors want everyone else in the world to be regulated, scrutinised and accountable to outside agencies, but scream when it is proposed that they should be regulated, scrutinised and accountable? When did regulation become a synonym for censorship? How do you spell 'special pleading'?

2. What do members of the English Defence League think they achieved by coming to Bradford last Saturday and shouting to themsleves for an hour before going home again? Genuine question. Nobody was listening. It just seemed like a waste of time and money – to say nothing of the cost to Bradford and the police.

3. Are Manchester United fans not just the teeniest little bit embarrassed about bleating like babies after a couple of games where they didn't win? After laughing at everyone else for twenty five years?

4. Where was all this new Madeleine McCann stuff hiding before the UK police got going on it?

5. We already owned the Royal Mail; so, why were we asked to buy it?

6. Who decides whether Edward Snowden did the world a favour or played into the hands of the bad guys?

7. When is the Pakistani government going to start protecting all its citizens, particularly Christians who are being targeted with violence?

8. Which Americans are proud of their political system when it inhibits the working of government?

9. How do we get the balance between protection (intelligence agencies) and oppression (intelligence agencies)? And who decides what is appropriate secret service?

10. Are we nearly there yet?

These 'off the top of the head' questions presented without any attempt to immediately set about producing an answer I find engaging. Also some of his commentary on what is happening in the world. A lot of what he blogs though seems to be running commentary on himself.

He's not a dick-head. That much I can see.

Posted by Truman White (# 17290) on :

quote:
Originally posted by justlooking:
Done a bit of reading around. He never shuts up does he? Seems to think his blog is the same as preaching.

From the Croydon Advertiser
quote:
"If a couple of thousand people are reading my blog, why is that worth less than preparing to preach a sermon on Sunday for 200 people?

"What I am saying is that you either stay in your study or, as a Bishop, you engage with the big wide world."

I can answer that. Preaching is about Christ. Blogging is about you.

Think you're being a bit hard on him there mate. Blogging is all about the bloke/ess writing it. It's supposed to be personal to build up a rapport with your readers. If he's smart, he'll be looking at what subjects attract the most readers and try and build some regular time looking at those.

More power to his typing figures I reckon.

Posted by justlooking (# 12079) on :

I take your point, however from what I've seen so far I'm not getting the feeling he's trying to build a rapport with anyone. Maybe it's different for bloggers who are not public figures. For a bishop a lot of his regular readers will be people in his diocese who may have a range of reasons for wanting to know to know what he's currently doing and saying.

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