Farewell service for Bishop of Plymouth
The Rt. Rev’d Nick McKinnel will retire this summer
Last updated 24th Jul 2022
The Bishop of Plymouth, who is to retire this summer after 42 years in ministry, said the Keyham shootings in the city last August had been one of the most significant moments of his tenure.
The Rt. Rev’d Nick McKinnel, 68, has been Bishop of Plymouth since 2015.
In the aftermath of the shootings, in which six people including the gunman died, Bishop Nick led a service of prayer and reflection for the city.
Reflecting on the role of the Church at the time, he said: "It was a chance to articulate how even in the most difficult circumstances God can be present and God is present.
"In many ways the Christian faith makes sense both of the tragedies of life but also the goodness and kindness of humanity."
Bishop Nick, who has four children and nine grandchildren, grew-up in Devon.
After ordination, he served his early ministry in London and Liverpool before returning to Devon in 1987 to become the Rector of Hatherleigh and its surrounding villages.
He was also vicar of St Andrew’s, the Minster church of Plymouth, from 1994 to 2012.
The bishop, who is a keen angler and cricketer, said of retirement: "There are lots of things that I will miss, but it will be nice to have more time for my family and a few hobbies.
"For me, I have most enjoyed that day-to-day being a ‘shepherd’ to the churches and hopefully an encourager to individuals too."
He said he had also been struck by the recent 40th anniversary of the Falklands conflict and valued his role at civic occasions in Plymouth and beyond.
Following his retirement, Bishop Nick has been nominated to be the High Sheriff of Devon for a year from March 2023: "I’m hoping to be alongside people working in areas like probation and the prisons and the courts and showing that as a county we are appreciative of them and enrich our society."
He also the first ever Chancellor of Plymouth Marjon University, a role of which he is proud:
"It’s great to be in touch with young people and students and to see a small university really living out the church foundation that it has and helping those who perhaps otherwise would not be in higher education."
There will be a public farewell service for Bishop Nick at Exeter Cathedral on Sunday 24 July at 3pm.
He will be succeeded as Bishop of Plymouth by the Reverend Prebendary James Grier, who is due to be consecrated as bishop on 29 September.