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The Bishop of Brixworth, the Right Reverend John Holbrook has announced he will retire later this year. After 14 years of dedicated service to the Diocese, Bishop John will lay down his crozier on 30 September 2025.
The Bishop of Peterborough, the Right Reverend Debbie Sellin said ‘Bishop John has served this Diocese faithfully and he will be hugely missed. He carries a pastoral approach in all that he does and people know that they are loved and valued by him, which has been a mark of his ministry.'
'Throughout his time he has travelled the length of the Diocese, taken on national roles and represented the Diocese in Korea. I am grateful to Bishop John for the way in which he held the vacancy so graciously, preparing the Diocese for my arrival and supporting me so well. I am sorry not to be working longer with him and I wish him a good retirement, knowing that God will continue to use him in different ways.’
Reflecting on his 39 years of ordained ministry Bishop John said ‘Serving the people and communities of Peterborough Diocese has been the most wonderful privilege. We have loved living in this beautiful area, ministering here has been great fun and immensely rewarding. We are so grateful that God called us to follow Christ here fifteen years ago and I will continue to pray for you in the future.'
Throughout his ministry Bishop John has had a particular concern for education. He was Chair of the Diocesan Board of Education and served on the Nominations Committee of the University of Northampton alongside being a governor of both primary and secondary schools. He chaired the governing bodies establishing new primary schools at Hayfield Cross in Kettering and Monksmoor Park in Daventry.
Bishop John is committed to Christian unity and to building healthy inter-church relationships, having taken on the responsibility for the Church of England’s engagement with the Baptist Union. In 2018 he was appointed Chair of the national charity ReSource which supports “little, local and ordinary churches” in their mission and ministry.
Bishop John was ordained in 1986 serving as curate at St Mary’s Barnes in the Diocese of Southwark (1986–1989) and then as Senior Curate at St Mary’s Bletchley in the Diocese of Oxford (1989–1993). Here, he was also Curate in Charge of North Bletchley Anglican-Baptist Local Ecumenical Partnership (LEP). He went on to become Vicar of Adderbury and Milton, and Rural Dean of the Banbury area (1993–2002).
Immediately prior to his appointment as Bishop of Brixworth, Bishop John was Rector of Wimborne Minster in the Diocese of Salisbury (2002–2011). In addition, he was Priest in Charge of small rural churches at Hinton Martel, Holt, Horton, Chalbury, Witchampton and the Crichels. He was Rural Dean of Wimborne Deanery and has been Acting Bishop for two dioceses, Leicester and Peterborough, during periods of vacancy.
Bishop John is married to Elizabeth, and they have two grown-up children. In retirement he is looking forward to continuing his passion for pastoral care and moving closer to family and his beloved Bristol City football ground.