Church of England bishop sad to retire after decade in Suffolk
The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich said hanging up his clerical collar after dedicating nearly 50 years to the Church of England felt "really strange" and "quite sad".The Right Reverend Martin Seeley, who was ordained and made a deacon back in 1978, is retiring after spending 10 years serving as the area's ordinary.The 70-year-old was relieved of his duties during a ceremony at Bury St Edmunds Cathedral."Suffolk has been my life and love for 10 years and living in Suffolk and Ipswich has been a gift - I have absolutely loved it," he said, while speaking to BBC Suffolk.
"But, when we finish, we can't stay where we are and so I have to move out of Suffolk."So, I am conscious of the friendships, relationships, and wonderful things I have been involved in... and it's quite hard."I am currently in the midst of packing and so I am coming across all these things that bring it all back."
During the decade Bishop Seeley spent in the county, Donald Trump was elected US president on two occasions and the world also experienced the coronavirus pandemic.He was also at the helm for Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, as well as her death, and also King Charles III's coronation in 2023."You forget how much has happened in those 10 years and it's been a very complex 10 years in many ways," he said."I started with Trump and I am ending with Trump."He recently said that "radical change" was required within the Church of England following a report which documented a cover up of child abuse.Bishop Seeley, who also sat in the House of Lords, officially said goodbye to the Church of England and the county at a special event held in Bury St Edmunds.It concluded in symbolic fashion, with him removing his "clobber", handing back "the bishop's crook", and walking out of the cathedral, hand-in-hand with his family.
He said it proved to be an emotional and "overwhelming" occasion."We were all in tears and I just had this overwhelming sense that the people of Suffolk – that family I had been caring for 10 years - had just given me back to my family," he said."I knew it would be hard but I don't think I had got a sense of the extraordinary things people were going to say and how powerful letting go and handing over would be."I think I am still recovering from it."Meetings to choose his successor will be held in March and April.
Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
a day ago
- Wales Online
Meghan Markle shares rare photo of Princess Lilibet to mark her fourth birthday
Meghan Markle shares rare photo of Princess Lilibet to mark her fourth birthday Meghan Markle took to her Instagram account to share a photo of her cradling her 'beautiful girl' Meghan Markle has celebrated her daughter's fourth birthday with a heartfelt tribute and unseen family photos. The Duchess of Sussex shared the affectionate post on Instagram on Wednesday, June 4, featuring two black and white snaps with her daughter Lilibet. One showed Meghan embracing Lilibet during a recent boating trip and another captured the princess as a baby snuggling close to her mum. The Duchess usually only shares photos of her daughter pictured from behind to protect her privacy but in the more recent photo Lilibet's eyes and top half of her face could be seen with her nose and mouth and rest of her face covered by Meghan's arms as she hugged the princess. Meghan wrote the caption: "Happy birthday to our beautiful girl! Four years ago today she came into our lives - and each day is brighter and better because of it. Thanks to all of those sending love and celebrating her special day!". The new snap shows the pair on a boat trip (Image: meghan/Instagram ) The Duke and Duchess are expected to arrange a party for Lilibet's milestone but other members of the Royal Family, including the King, will be absent. Last month Prince Harry opened up about his strained relationship with his father after losing a Court of Appeal case concerning his UK-based security measures. Article continues below To date it's understood that Lilibet has only met her grandfather once, three years ago when Harry and Meghan visited the UK with their children for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, reports the Mirror. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter. Former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond said it is "incredibly sad" that the King is likely to miss Lilibet's birthday. Speaking to the Mirror she said: "Her birthday is mid-week, so I assume it will be a school day for Lilibet but I'm sure there'll be time for a tea party or celebration of some kind. "Kids' birthdays are always fun and I think Meghan is the sort of person who will put a great deal of effort and care into making the day extremely magical for her little girl. "I'm sure it will all be picture perfect. Having just celebrated the fourth birthday of my own granddaughter - the smiles, the laughter, the love and the fun - I can only imagine the pain that Charles must feel when he thinks about all he is missing. These are years and occasions that cannot be relived and, once passed, they are gone forever. It's incredibly sad." The other new photo shows Lilibet as a baby (Image: meghan/Instagram ) Jennie also commented on the new pictures Meghan shared: "I suppose Meghan is showing the children more on Instagram because she knows there is a public appetite for photos of them. But she's being very coy about allowing us to see what they really look like. "That's fair enough, if she wants to protect their privacy - though you could certainly argue that there's a very fine line between using them to publicise her Instagram account and her determination to keep their family life private. "With both children at school she and Harry will obviously have a bit more time to pursue their various activities. Meghan seems to be ramping up her projects more and more, but I think they will both continue to put their family first - just like William and Catherine. And there's nothing wrong with that if you are lucky enough to be able to do so." Lilibet, the youngest grandchild of the King, was born on June 4, 2021, in California. She was christened Lilibet Diana in honour of her great-grandmother, the late Queen, and her grandmother Princess Diana. Article continues below She is seventh in line to the throne and unlike her older brother Archie has never lived in the UK - only visiting once.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
Meghan Markle cradles Princess Lilibet in new photo to mark fourth birthday
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are celebrating daughter Princess Lilibet's fourth birthday today - and mum Meghan took to her Instagram account to share a sweet post to her 'beautiful girl' Meghan Markle has marked her daughter's fourth birthday with a gushing tribute and unseen family photos. The Duchess of Sussex took to Instagram on Wednesday, 4 June, with two black and white photos with her daughter, Lilibet. One showed Meghan holding Lilibet close during a recent boat trip, and another from when the princess was just a baby snuggled in close to her mum. Meghan wrote the caption: "Happy birthday to our beautiful girl! Four years ago today she came into our lives - and each day is brighter and better because of it. Thanks to all of those sending love and celebrating her special day!" It's likely that Harry and Meghan will be throwing a party for their daughter to mark her special day. However, one relative who will miss out on any celebration is Lilibet's grandfather, the King. Last month, Harry dropped a bombshell when he revealed his father no longer speaks to him after losing a Court of Appeal challenge over his security arrangements while in the UK. It comes as Lilibet is only known to have met her grandfather once - with the emotional meeting coming three years ago when Harry and Meghan brought their children to the UK for the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. And former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond believes the fact that the King will probably not see Lilibet for her birthday is "incredibly sad". She told the Mirror: "Her birthday is mid-week, so I assume it will be a school day for Lilibet, but I'm sure there'll be time for a tea party or celebration of some kind. "Kids' birthdays are always fun and I think Meghan is the sort of person who will put a great deal of effort and care into making the day extremely magical for her little girl. "I'm sure it will all be picture perfect. Having just celebrated the fourth birthday of my own granddaughter - the smiles, the laughter, the love and the fun - I can only imagine the pain that Charles must feel when he thinks about all he is missing. These are years and occasions that cannot be relived and, once passed, they are gone forever. It's incredibly sad." Meanwhile, Lilibet's birthday comes as she features more and more on mum Meghan's Instagram account. Both Harry and Meghan have carefully guarded their children's privacy - and even shots shown on social media are curated to make sure they don't show either Archie or Lilibet's full faces. And Jennie added: "I suppose Meghan is showing the children more on Instagram because she knows there is a public appetite for photos of them. But she's being very coy about allowing us to see what they really look like. "That's fair enough, if she wants to protect their privacy - though you could certainly argue that there's a very fine line between using them to publicise her Instagram account and her determination to keep their family life private. "With both children at school, she and Harry will obviously have a bit more time to pursue their various activities. Meghan seems to be ramping up her projects more and more, but I think they will both continue to put their family first - just like William and Catherine. And there's nothing wrong with that if you are lucky enough to be able to do so." Lilibet, the King's youngest grandchild, was born on June 4, 2021, in California. She was named Lilibet Diana, paying tribute to her great-grandmother, the late Queen, and her grandmother, Princess Diana. She is seventh in line to the throne and unlike her older brother Archie has never lived in the UK - only visiting once. Get Royal Family updates straight to your WhatsApp! As the royals get back to their normal duties after a difficult year, the Mirror has launched its very own Royal WhatsApp community where you'll get all the latest news on the UK's most famous family. We'll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
‘The bell tower door was barricaded': The 14th-century church at war over its priest
Not much happens in Malpas, a small Cheshire market town set in lush countryside near the border of Wales. With a stately medieval church at its centre, a population of roughly 1,600, and an overactive Facebook group, the biggest news is usually distributed by the parish newsletter and is no more scandalous than the cancellation of the number 41 bus. Recently, however, Malpas has been set alight by an explosive row between its rector and her parishioners – one that has made national headlines and torn the church and the town in two. On an early summer's afternoon in the centre of town, the church is locked and the surrounding roads are quiet. With my notebook and a photographer in tow, a dog walker eyes me warily. The people of Malpas are not used to the media attention. Parochial disputes like this also do not usually make it out of the pages of the Church Times, but the heated battle for St Oswald's, a 14th-century church set atop a hill in the centre of Malpas, has unfolded in a spectacularly dramatic fashion. Once you get people started on the subject, the floodgates open. A vocal group of parishioners and former lay people claim that the Rev Dr Janine Arnott, the rector in question, has taken what was a thriving rural parish – an increasing rarity in the Church of England – and put its flock asunder. She is variously accused of banning individuals from the choir (it has since been disbanded entirely), removing the chief bellringer, barring access to the bell tower with 'broomsticks', and has reportedly overseen the dwindling of the congregation of around 60 to fewer than 10 people. The recent village-wide celebrations of VE Day in May this year were seen by many to be the last straw, as Arnott reportedly declined to allow a village choir to sing a rendition of I Vow To Thee My Country in the churchyard (her detractors claim that this was because some members were her ex-congregants). 'The story here is of a complete lack of accountability of a newly trained minister who is clearly having difficulty running her first parish,' claims one parishioner, Dr Gregory Williams, 60. 'Within a short period of time, the director of music resigned and the choir left. A while later, the tower captain was locked out of the bell tower with no explanation given and the bell tower door was barricaded. The bells fell silent. The congregation numbers soon collapsed, and at the current time, very little money is coming into the church,' he says. In fact, the tower captain, Ben Kellett, had apparently found himself locked out of the tower after declining Arnott's request to sign a 'volunteer' agreement outlining his duties. Arnott had also asked Kellett for a list of churchgoers with keys to the tower and, it is claimed, took issue when he did not provide one. Several parishioners wrote to the Bishop of Cheshire, the Right Rev Mark Tanner, hoping to persuade him to intervene, and even filed an 'informal' complaint, which wasn't upheld. Now, an insurgent group of Malpas parishioners or allies – their identities remain unknown – have taken matters into their own hands, and Tanner has had to intervene after 'libellous' flyers signed from the 'Little Malpas People' were plastered around Chester Cathedral over Easter. One of the flyers, glued to the exterior of the cathedral with permanent adhesive, said: 'Dear Bishop Mark. Please do your moral duty and protect your flock. We shouldn't have to keep toeing the line only to get demonised by you. It's disgusting. You wasted our time and kept your hands clean for three years now at our expense. You know it, as do we.' Notes were also left on the windscreens of cars nearby in envelopes that appeared to bear the seal of the Diocese of Chester. It signified a nasty escalation of a dispute that has been raging since Arnott was appointed to take over the large rural parish in June 2022. In a letter sent to churchgoers, Tanner said the leaflets calling for her removal were 'anonymous, factually incorrect, libellous, and sought by forgery to impersonate a bishop.' A separate letter to the parochial church council (PCC) from the diocesan legal team, which was leaked to the local newspaper, the Whitchurch Herald, last month, said Arnott is a victim of 'unlawful and inexcusable harassment'. One churchgoer, meanwhile, told The Telegraph that she has been so upset by the rector's behaviour that she can't speak about the dispute without getting a nosebleed. The rift began with an unlikely argument over the Agnus Dei. In a meeting with the church choir in 2023 that has since become infamous locally, Arnott told them they could no longer sing this prayer (which often precedes Communion) in Latin as they had done for years, as this was against canon law. Diana Webber, a former safeguarding officer, resigned over this disagreement and Arnott's handling of relationships with parishioners. From the start, she was 'very concerned about [Arnott's] attitude,' Webber says, claiming that Arnott 'appeared to have taken a dislike to the choir.' A PCC meeting was called shortly afterwards – unfortunately, on Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week, despite protestations from members of the council. The meeting became heated when Liane Smith, 65, a former PCC member, stood up and called a vote of no confidence over the rector's 'authoritarian' leadership style. It turns out, perhaps unsurprisingly given the scale of the row, that confidence was in short supply. '[Arnott] counted the votes and it was, if I recall correctly, 23 had no confidence, three had confidence in her, and six abstained,' Smith says (this was before the alleged exodus of church members took place). Arnott said she had been 'trying to run the church calmly in the face of strong opposition', according to minutes of the meeting. In an apparent attempt to oust her, Smith then attempted to publish the minutes of the meeting (including the details of the vote against Arnott) in the parish newsletter, but says she was prevented from doing so by the rector. 'They were shortened minutes, but they had the salient facts in,' she says. 'Just to fit on an A5 page in the back of the parish news. And that was considered 'vexatious'.' Despite losing a vote of confidence, Arnott remained in post. Smith was subsequently asked by Arnott to step down from her roles, including as the parish newsletter's editor (Arnott made clear, though, that she was welcome to continue worshipping at the church). 'I thought that was quite excessive and had nothing to do with the fact that I had published, or attempted to publish the minutes,' she says. 'I left the church at that point [… ] My husband and I have been married for 45 years and have been churchgoers for that whole time. Now we no longer go to any church.' Most of the existing church laypersons eventually resigned or were asked to leave. They carry with them a range of grievances and accusations, some more reasonable than others. Among the complaints is the disbanding of a longstanding, talented church choir. One anonymous parishioner criticises Dr Arnott as 'one of those born-again Christians' who does not face the East (face the altar) for Communion. What is clear, however, is that deep ill-feeling runs on both sides. The situation escalated this year with leaflets distributed to Malpas residents and plastered on Chester Cathedral calling for Arnott's removal. It is not known who is responsible. While some locals say this smear campaign has undermined their genuine concerns about the running of the Church – one said they were 'furious' as it 'gives them a bad name' – others are unrepentant. Williams describes the flyers as 'not an act of crime but actually a courageous act, a heartfelt cry for help from yet one more individual or group of people who feel that they are being let down by the Church of England.' A spokesperson for the diocese of Chester says that parishes 'operate with a large degree of autonomy, provided they act within legal boundaries', adding: 'The Bishop and other diocesan figures have limited scope to intervene directly in parish matters. However, we have consistently offered support, guidance, and assistance throughout this situation as we would elsewhere. 'Whilst it would not be right to comment publicly on personal pastoral matters, wherever the diocese is aware of matters which require response, appropriate action is taken involving other authorities where necessary. 'The Bishop is aware of the concerns raised locally in and around St Oswald's and has been engaging through proper channels. Whilst we are not commenting further at this time in order to care for those involved, all are encouraged to remain in conversation, and support is available for anyone who wishes to access it.' Arnott declined to comment. Parish disputes – even those as bitter as this – are, sadly, increasingly common. In a curiously similar case in Wiltshire, for instance, a church choir refused to continue singing over a dispute with their vicar, Father Oliver Learmont, and his handling of relationships in the parish. A number of lay people resigned. Last year, Church of England clergy warned that some vicars were being bullied out of their posts by parishioners, who were taking over PCC meetings and launching malicious email campaigns against them. Some in Malpas feel the discord in parish churches – which have, for generations, been the backbone of the Church of England – points to a lack of direction in the organisation as a whole. That appears unlikely to be rectified any time soon, with the Church awaiting the appointment of a new archbishop of Canterbury, seven months after Justin Welby announced that he planned to stand down over failures in the handling of an abuse scandal. 'The state of the Church of England at the moment is very sad,' says one churchgoer. 'They can choose a Pope in a fortnight. How much longer do we have to wait for directions from the top?' In the meantime, it's clear there will be no winners in Malpas' unholy civil war.
