The Bishop of Bolton has spoken about his plans for the future as he prepares to retire from his role after serving the diocese for 30 years.
The Rt Reverend Mark Ashcroft not only served as Bishop of Bolton, but also previously as Archdeacon of Manchester, Area Dean of North Manchester and Rector of St Stephen and Christ Church Harpurhey.
The 68-year-old will not be leaving the ministry altogether, but he will be leaving his role as Bishop of Bolton and will move away from the borough.
To mark the occasion a special service was held at Manchester Cathedral with plenty of family, friends and colleagues turning out to express their gratitude, respect and affection for Bishop Mark and his wife Sally.
On moving on to the next chapter he said: “So, in the future I expect to be involved in church work in some capacity but I don’t quite know as yet where I can best be of service to others.
“I enjoy taking services and preaching so I expect I will do some of that in the future.
“But it is quite exciting to think of an unknown adventure with God ahead.
“I have been Bishop of Bolton since 2016 but first came to Greater Manchester in 1982.
“I have enjoyed working and serving in the area because it is a great place to live and I have had some wonderful colleagues.
“I have been blessed in being able to do the very things that I enjoy doing – most of the time.”
Although he has too many memorable moments to name involving reaching people at “significant moments” in their lives, some of his highlights include spending nearly 10 years working in Kenya in theological education, and developing youth work in one of the most deprived parts of Manchester in Harpurhey.
He added: “I have many wonderful memories mainly involving people who have been touched and blessed by God at significant moments in their lives such as a confirmation or ordination.
“In recent years highlights have been my involvement with the environmental work of the diocese and achieving a Bronze eco award, helping churches to think through what it means to follow Jesus every day of the week not just Sundays, and helping the diocese to plant new churches in parts of the diocese where few people were engaging with any church.”
But if he had to pick one moment that stands out he said it was probably taking the ordination services of a new clergy in the diocese during Covid in 2020.
He added: “It was a really difficult time but those services with only a few allowed to be there were really special.”
He says that being ordained is more of a calling than a career, and that it all stemmed from a “strange experience” in his early 20s at university when he had two hospital stays for operations.
He said: “During that time I think six people independently asked me if I had considered whether God was calling me to serve Him in the church.
“That certainly made me sit up and think and pray and set me on the path.”
He says that the most challenging parts of the role have been when tragedy strikes at an unexpected moment, which could be someone dealing with bereavement or limiting sickness, or when a church is broken into or set on fire.
He added: “It’s a privilege to walk with people through tough times.
“A second challenge is that we don’t always have the resources to do what we want to do.
“A third challenge is that in today’s world, many people don’t have much interest in faith matters, yet the good news of a God who loves us and gives us new life in Jesus is still as relevant today as ever.”
He served as curate at Burnage in Manchester diocese from 1982 to 1985 before moving to be a tutor at St Paul’s School of Divinity Kapsabet in Kenya from 1986 to 1990, and then principal from 1990 to 1995.
He returned to Manchester in 1996 to be Rector of Christ Church, Harpurhey, serving until 2009.
He was Area Dean of North Manchester from 2000 to 2006, and he was also Honorary Canon at Manchester Cathedral from 2004 to 2009.
Since 2009 he has been Archdeacon of Manchester and Residentiary Canon of Manchester Cathedral.
After reaching the age of 68 - which is the normal retirement time for clergy – he says he has a sense of peace that the particular work that he felt called to do is in a good place to hand over to others.
He added: “I will also be able to spend a bit more time with family as my mum is 92.
“I am feeling some sadness at moving on from great friends and colleagues but also a sense of peace from God that I have completed what I was sent to do.
“I am also looking forward to resting a bit and then discerning what might lie ahead in the future.”
If you have a story and something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at jasmine.jackson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @JournoJasmine.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here