Anglican Communion News Service

The United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (USPG), one of the Church of England’s major world mission agencies, has appointed the Rt Revd Michael Doe, Bishop of Swindon, to be its next General Secretary. Bishop Michael, who has served in Swindon since 1994, succeeds the Rt Revd Mano Rumalshah who returned to Pakistan at the end of last year to become the Bishop of Peshawar.

USPG’s trustees made the appointment in the light of Bishop Michael’s wide-ranging ecumenical experience and diocesan work with Uganda, as well as his high-profile role in church life at a national level, said Douglas Yates, the organisation’s chairman. “We feel sure he will build on the work of Bishop Mano and lead the society in its vital work of serving the Anglican Communion in playing an effective part in God’s mission,” he said. For the last four years, Bishop Michael has chaired Churches Together in England, an ecumenical organisation which helps and encourages Churches to work more closely together in their work and witness.

In a letter congratulating Bishop Michael on his appointment, the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion Office, the Revd Canon John L Peterson, said that USPG had elected well. He said, “I cannot imagine a person who will represent the historical background of USPG in a better way.”

Commenting on his appointment to USPG, Bishop Michael said, “Organisations like USPG have a crucial role to play in building bridges between churches in different parts of the world, often responding to very different cultures and challenges.” Bishop Michael takes up his new position at the start of May.