Introducing Bishop Mike Royal
Bishop Mike, Churches Together in England (CTE) General Secretary, is coming to visit Norfolk later this year - here we introduce him
Churches Together in Norfolk and Waveney (NWCT) are pleased to announce that Bishop Mike Royal, who is the General Secretary of CTE, is coming to deliver a sermon later this year in an ecumenical service in Norwich Cathedral. Dr Ian Watson, County Ecumenical Officer of NWCT, says:
”NWCT are in the process of renewing our ecumenical mission statement. Once finalised the senior Church Leaders are coming together for a service of commitment and thanks to publicly declare their support for it. This will be done in an ecumenical service on Christ the King Day, 24 November 2024, at 3.30pm in the Norwich Anglican Cathedral. Bishop Mike has agreed to come and deliver the sermon. I am delighted, anyone who has met him will know what a brilliant and powerful speaker he is. It is a great joy for the county to have him as part of our ecumenical celebrations.
”I hope that as many Christians as possible from across Norfolk and Waveney come along in fellowship to hear him and to meet him as a true friend on a common ecumenical journey. By this I do not mean from just those churches that make up NWCT, or are situated in Norwich, but those from other denominations or non-denominational, free and charismatic churches across the county. Bishop Mike, himself, is from the wonderful Pentecostal tradition. There will be a reception after the service to meet him along with other church leaders for friendship and sharing.”
As a way of introduction to Bishop Mike, attached is a lovely article based on an interview he recently did with ‘Keep the Faith’ Magazine, which is made available here with their permission: Bishop Mike Royal’s Interview
Mike Royal is the Apostolic Pastoral Congress's diocesan bishop for the Inner Birmingham Diocese and bishop for Social Engagement Strategies. He has been in ordained ministry since 1993.
Before joining CTE, Mike was the Co-Chief Executive of the Cinnamon Network. He is a founding Trustee and former National Director of award-winning charity Transforming Lives for Good (TLG) which works with children and young people at risk of exclusion from school. He is a part time Forensic Mental Health Chaplain with Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust. Mike has a BA in Urban Planning from the University of Westminster and an MA in Black Theology from the University of Birmingham.
Mike has a wealth of ecumenical experience at local, regional and national level. He led the Street Pastors’ team in Birmingham, the second to be launched in the UK, and worked with Telford Christians’ Together to launch their Cinnamon Faith Action Audit, one of 60 such local initiatives, which have been praised by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby as showing ‘the breadth of commitment across the country, the depth of commitment, and above all the strength of experience and good practice.’
Mike lives in Birmingham and has been married to Viviene who is an Alternative Provision School Headteacher for 30 years. He enjoys walking, swimming and listening to soul music.
For the latest draft of the proposed NWCT Ecumenical Mission Statement click here
Photos of Bishop Mike (top) and with other church leaders (bottom) at the coronation of the King, courtesy of Keep the Faith Magazine http://www.keepthefaith.co.uk