Anglican Communion News Service

The Revd Peter Fox, AKC, present General Secretary of the Melanesian Mission and Rector of Harpsden in Oxfordshire, was elected Bishop of Port Moresby following a joint meeting of the House of Bishops and the Bishop Appointment Committee held on 4th September.

The bishop elect was a missionary in Papua New Guinea (1979-85) where he had the daunting task of building up a new parish at St. Mary's Gerehu, in the PNG capital of Port Moresby. On arrival, the former curate at Wymondham Abbey found there was no priest's house, vehicle or church building...

Bishop Paul Richardson, Chairman of PNG Church Partnership, comments, "It is good that Fr. Peter's ministry was so well remembered that he is being called back to Port Moresby".

The Bishop elect and his wife, Angie, have three children, all boys : two of whom will be continuing their education in Port Moresby. In the early years at St. Mary's Gerehu, Angie helped to set up the Mothers' Union.

Asked how he felt on receiving the news of his election (by telephone in the middle of the night !) Peter Fox said: "Totally gobsmacked ! We have a profound sense of God's mercy and love towards us, and look forward to coming home to PNG."

Biographical:

b. 52. AKC 74. St. Augustine's College, Canterbury, 74. d75, p76. Curate at Wymondham, Norwich Diocese, 75-79. Papua New Guinea, 79-85. Rector of a group of five parishes in Norwich Diocese : East w. West Rudham, Syderstone, Tatterford, Tattersett and Houghton - 85-89. (Tatterford is the home village of Bishop David Hand, KBE, the first Archbishop of Papua New Guinea.) Team Rector of Lynton w. Barbrook, Countisbury with Lynmouth, Brendon, Martinhoe and Parracombe, Exeter Diocese, 89-95. Rural Dean of Shirwell, 93-95. P-in-C Harpsden w. Bolney, 95-01.

Leisure interests:

Peter is an Associate of the Inner Magic Circle (with Silver Star); he also enjoys kite flying, and plays the banjo in a Country & Western Band. Angie is a Barn Dance 'caller'.

Pacific Links :

• Two small UK mission agencies : Papua New Guinea Church Partnership and the Melanesian Mission, represent Anglican Provinces in the Pacific : respectively, the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea (five dioceses - Archbishop James Ayong) & Church of Melanesia (eight dioceses - Archbishop, Sir Ellison Pogo). General Secretaries of the sister agencies work closely together; in 1998, Lambeth Conference year, a joint Pacific Day was held at Southwark Cathedral.
  
• Norwich Diocese is linked with the Province of Papua New Guinea, and a visit led by the Revd. Paul Inman, present Chairman of the Link Committee, will take place in October, (All in the family - Angie Fox's mother, Jennie Horswell, was for twenty years (81-01) Secretary of the Norwich PNG Link.)
  

Church of Melanesia is linked with Chester Diocese.

Article From: Papua New Guinea Church Partnership