Anglican Communion News Service

From the Bishopric Nomination Committee

The Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Willochra today elected one of its members to be its next Bishop.  Archdeacon Garry Weatherill, of Crystal Brook, has been Ministry Development Officer and Archdeacon for the last three years, and a Synod of 90 people reached the decision through a careful process of nomination, debate, and ballotting.

Bishop David McCall left Willochra in July this year to be Bishop of Bunbury, and Archdeacon Weatherill has been the Administrator of the diocese since then.

The diocese is predominantly rural, consisting of Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, the  mid north, and all of the north of the state. Some innovative programmes of development of lay ministry teams are being put in place around the diocese.   Archdeacon Weatherill has been very much involved in that process, and has a clear vision for continuing and strengthening those programmes.

A date for the Consecration has yet to be set, and then we will expect the service in which he is recognized, and installed in the Bishop¹s throne in the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Port Pirie to follow soon afterwards.

The new Bishop will live in the Bishop¹s House at Gladstone.

Fr Garry is 44 years of age, and before his ordination in 1986 was a school teacher.   He served as assistant in Brighton Parish, and at the Cathedral in Adelaide, before becoming Rector of Semaphore and Port Adelaide.   He is unmarried, and lists his leisure interests as contemporary fiction and poetry, theatre, movies, cooking, and godchildren.   Those who have worked with him bear witness to his encouraging ministry, and his ability to empower and stimulate people to join in the mission of the church in all its aspects.