Preacher: The Rt Rev’d Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds

The Rt Rev'd Nick Baines became the first Bishop of Leeds in June 2014. (The Diocese of Leeds is the newest and largest diocese in the Church of England, mainly covering West Yorkshire & the Yorkshire Dales). He was previously Bishop of Bradford, and before that, Bishop of Croydon. He read German & French at Bradford University and, before ordination, worked for four years as a Russian linguist at GCHQ. Bishop Nick has a particular expertise in communication and is known for his engagement with the media. He has 14,500 followers on Twitter and his blog attracts between 500 and 2000 views on a good day. He is frequently asked to comment nationally on topical issues and is regularly heard on Radio 2’s Chris Evans Show and ‘Thought for the Day’ on Radio 4. His writing includes comment pieces for broadsheet newspapers, popular books on Christian faith (he’s written six) and contributions to academic journals. For nine years he chaired the Sandford St Martin Trust which promotes excellence in religious broadcasting through the presentation of annual awards. Nick became a member of the House of Lords in 2014. He has represented the Archbishop of Canterbury at international faith conferences and for 11 years was the English Co-chair of the Meissen Commission which develops relationships between the Church of England and the Protestant Church in Germany. He preaches regularly at conferences in Germany — in German.