The new Bishop of Liverpool was installed in a service at the city's Anglican Cathedral.
Dr John Perumbalath has become the ninth Bishop of Liverpool, succeeding Bishop Paul Bayes, who retired in February 2022. The Service of Installation took place on Saturday afternoon (April 22) before Bishop John took his first Cathedral Eucharist as Bishop on Sunday morning (April 23).
Bishop John hails from the ancient Syrian Christian community in Kerala, India, and trained for ministry at Union Biblical Seminary, Pune. He worked as a youth worker for university students and as a theological educator before his ordination in the Diocese of Calcutta, Church of North India.
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He was Curate at St John’s Church, Calcutta, from 1994 and was appointed Vicar at St James’ Church in 1995. John then served as Vicar of St Thomas’ Church in 2000, as well as Chaplain at St Thomas’ Secondary School.
In 2002, John moved to the UK and was appointed Associate Rector at St George’s Church, Beckenham, in the Diocese of Rochester. He then served as Team Vicar of Northfleet and Rosherville in addition to Diocesan Advisor for Thames Gateway Regeneration. In 2008, he was appointed Vicar at All Saints Perry Street and served also as Diocesan Urban Officer.
John was appointed Archdeacon of Barking in 2013, in the Diocese of Chelmsford, and took up his current role as Area Bishop of Bradwell in 2018. He chairs the Churches Refugee Network for Britain and Ireland and is the Church of England’s lead bishop for Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.
Downing Street announced that Bishop John would become the city's new bishop in October.
After his appointment, Bishop John said: "I am delighted and humbled to have received this call to be the next Bishop of Liverpool. I have come to love Liverpool through my numerous visits when my daughter was in university here for six years. I look forward to becoming part of the vibrant and diverse communities served by the diocese of Liverpool.
“We have many challenges ahead of us both in the church and society. A pandemic has shattered human confidence and a cost-of-living crisis is staring at our face. Anxiety, fear, and anger take many forms in such a context.
“As a follower of Christ coming to lead a diocese that aspires to be a bigger church to make a bigger difference, I want to proclaim and live out a message of hope, peace, and justice. I pray that I will lead a church that is faithful in offering our communities the hope that we have in God, serving the communities by working together well and in partnership with others."
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