Bishop of Portsmouth uses departing sermon to highlight marginalised groups

THE departing Bishop of Portsmouth has used his final sermon to call for more opportunities for often marginalised groups, ranging from refugees to the LGBT community.

By Richard Lemmer

Published 25th Apr 2021, 11:30 BST

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The Rt Revd Christopher Foster gave his last sermon during a farewell service at Portsmouth Cathedral yesterday evening, with selected guests attending under Covid-19 restrictions.

The 67-year-old has stepped down as the ninth Bishop of Portsmouth after more than a decade in the role.

Attending to thank the bishop for his service were representatives from across the country, including the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire Nigel Atkinson, the First Sea Lord Admiral Tony Radakin, and the MPs Stephen Morgan, Penny Mordaunt, and Flick Drummond.

Bishop Christopher leaves Portsmouth Cathedral holding the hand of his wife, the Rev Sally Davenport, who is retiring as team rector of Holy Trinity and St Columba Church, Fareham.

Bishop Christopher leaves Portsmouth Cathedral holding the hand of his wife, the Rev Sally Davenport, who is retiring as team rector of Holy Trinity and St Columba Church, Fareham.

Bishop Christopher used his final sermon to call for more opportunities to ‘outsiders rather than insiders’ – saying that there are ‘very many’ people that the church continues to treat as different.

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He said: ‘We are called to be spacious Christians, giving opportunity to outsiders rather than insiders, young more than older, black more than white, gay more than straight, women more than men, refugees and asylum seekers more than those settled and comfortable, those whose learning or health is impaired or thwarted rather than the educated and well-to-do - not because they are more precious in God's sight, but because there are very many who we, the Church, continue to treat as different.

‘We make God's love too narrow by limits of our own, and we must not.’

Bishop Christopher before delivering his final sermon as the Bishop of Portsmouth.

Bishop Christopher before delivering his final sermon as the Bishop of Portsmouth.

During the sermon Bishop Christopher was pleased to announce that two family friends – a couple who had befriended the bishop several years ago after fleeing persecution in Pakistan – have now been granted permission to remain in the UK.

The Anglican priest had used his final exclusive interview with The News to call for more people play a part in ‘making the world a fairer place'.

In his departing sermon, Bishop Christopher also paid tribute to colleagues, community leaders, and his family as he declared his pride in being part of Portsmouth.

He added: ‘There is much I leave undone and still to do. Where I have failed you or fallen short, I am sorry. Where we have grown in depth, impact and number, let's rejoice. Thank you all for helping me as we have tried together to build God’s kingdom, and the coming of that kingdom is my deepest hope and prayer.

Bishop Christopher hands over his crozier to synod lay chair Debbie Sutton, who will lay it on the cathedral altar, marking the end of his tenure as Bishop of Portsmouth.

Bishop Christopher hands over his crozier to synod lay chair Debbie Sutton, who will lay it on the cathedral altar, marking the end of his tenure as Bishop of Portsmouth.

‘We are proud to be Portsmouth, I am proud to have been Portsmouth with you, but prouder still to have been your fellow disciples. Thank you.’

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The Very Reverend Dr Anthony Cane Dean of Portsmouth said the city had been blessed with an ‘outstanding’ spiritual leader for more than a decade.

He said: ‘(Bishop Christopher has made) the tricky balance between serving the national church and his local diocese look effortless, when in fact it is anything but.’

Bishop Rob Wickham, Area Bishop of Edmonton, is to be the Diocese of Portsmouth’s commissary bishop while a permanent replacement is selected.

Bishop Christopher and his wife Rev Sally Davenport, who is retiring as team rector of Holy Trinity and St Columba Church, Fareham, plan to move to Somerset for their retirement.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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