Warden of Cranmer Hall Nominated as the New Bishop of Berwick

Cranmer Hall and St John’s College are delighted to report that our Warden, the Revd Canon Mark Tanner, has been nominated as the new Bishop of Berwick, in the Diocese of Newcastle.

Mark returned to Cranmer Hall in August 2011 and has been an inspiring Warden for a five year period which has seen our ordinand numbers more than double, the establishment of the Free Church Track, and a Baptist Track and the transition of the Wesley Study Centre to a research centre. We have closer working relationships with our local dioceses, and the profile of Cranmer Hall has grown to an outstanding level both nationally and internationally. He has also taken a key role in the theological education for the Church of England nationally through his leadership of the Principals’ Steering Group for the Church of England’s Colleges and Courses and contributions to a range of working parties and General Synod.

Underneath Mark’s strategic gifts has been a faithful and graceful support of staff and students. With great humour and a fully human spirituality in leadership, preaching, teaching and encouraging worship his influence on the life of the Cranmer Hall community and the life of St John’s has been invaluable.

Mark trained at Cranmer Hall between 1995 and 1998. He served his title post on Merseyside, and was a Vicar in Doncaster and then in Ripon. He has been an Area Dean, an Officiating Chaplain with the Army, part of the New Wine Leadership team, and oversaw a Grove Booklet series for ten years.. He is also a non-residentiary Canon of Durham Cathedral.

The Rev Canon Prof David Wilkinson, Principal of St John’s says, ‘We are sad to lose Mark but have always felt that his gifts would be used by the Church of England in more senior leadership. At a personal level Mark has been a good friend and colleague over the past five years and I am thrilled at this new appointment for his life and ministry. He leaves Cranmer Hall in fantastic shape, with a great team, a superb programme, and the largest, most vibrant group of students we have had for many years.’

Mark says, ‘I am thrilled to be invited to live and minister in Northumberland and Newcastle alongside Bishop Christine. My time at Cranmer has been an incredible privilege and a deep joy. I leave Cranmer Hall in very capable hands to a bright future, and having walked with some remarkable women and men in training I move on with great hope for the future of the Church of England.’

Mark will be consecrated at York Minster on 18th October 2016, and will begin in the Diocese on Advent Sunday. On Mark’s departure Cranmer Hall will be under the oversight of the Revd. Dr Kate Bruce, Deputy Warden.