Bishop Turnbull wants to spend more time with his family. Shown with wife Brenda
From BBC News Thursday, 10 April, 2003, UK
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Bishop Turnbull wants to spend more time with his family. Shown with wife Brenda
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When one of Britain's highest ranking members of the clergy steps down, friends will toast his retirement - with a beer named after him.
The Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Michael Turnbull, retires later this month.
But Teesside-based brewer Cameron's is sending him off in style, with a "bishop's brew" ale created in the 67-year-old's honour.
Just 500 bottles of the beer, which has an alcohol content of 4.4%, will be made at the company's Hartlepool brewery. BC
However, none of the beer, which has been approved by the diocese of Durham, will be available for public sale.
Bishop Turnbull says he intends to give it away as a thank you to colleagues and clergy.
But he added: "I will be keeping 10 specially-signed bottles."
He said he intends to sell the signed bottles off to raise money for people in the African country of Lesotho via the Durham-Lesotho link.
The bottle label carries Bishop Turnbull's own coat of arms.
A spokesman for Cameron's, said: '''I guess this must be the only beer we've ever produced that will not go on public sale, yet is probably the most prestigious we've ever produced."
Bishop Turnbull was ordained in 1988 and has served as Bishop of Durham for almost 10 years.
The Reverend Canon Dr Nicholas Thomas Wright has been named as the new Bishop of Durham.
The Bishop of Durham has announced he will retire in April 2003.
The Right Reverend Michael Turnbull plans to move to Kent with his wife Brenda to spend more time with their family.
For the last four years he has been chairman of the North East Constitutional Assembly, trying to draw up plans for an elected regional assembly.
The Bishop of Durham is the fourth most senior Bishop in the Church of England and carries an automatic place in the House of Lords.
'Much work'
Bishop Michael, who will be 67 in December, began his ministry as a deacon in 1960 in Middleton, Manchester.
He was ordained as a bishop in 1988 and has served as Bishop of Durham for almost nine years.
The bishop does not plan to put his feet up over the winter. He said: "We in the diocese have much work to do together, especially this autumn.
"I am looking forward to visiting every deanery and building on our understanding of the church and its mission."
Bishop Michael and his wife Brenda are looking forward to being closer to their three children and seven grandchildren in the south of England.
Bishop Michael will continue preaching and teaching and writing in his retirement, as well as indulging in his favourite pastimes of walking and cricket.
He will also remain a supporter of Sunderland AFC football club.
End BBC Article
The Bishop of Durham is also the Visitor of the University, in addition to his pastoral and leadership roles in the Church. Bishop Michael retires in 2003 after nine years at Durham, and before that, six years as Bishop of Rochester. He was Chairman of
the “Turnbull Commission” which reorganised the National Institutions of the Church of England and subsequently was Chairman of the Archbishops’ Council’s Ministry Division. In Durham he has been responsible for take the Diocese into a new era of Clergy
deployment and pastoral delivery. He has been active in the House of Lords as the lead bishop on constitutional affairs and has been prominent in the movement towards regional government in the North East.
He is a graduate of Oxford University, trained for ordination in Durham, was Chaplain at York University and has an honorary D.Litt from the University of Greenwich. He is an Honorary Fellow of St Chad’s College, Durham.