The appointment of the Reverend Canon Arun Arora as the new Bishop of Kirkstall in the Anglican Diocese of Leeds has been confirmed.
Arun will take up the role of Bishop for the Leeds Episcopal Area after five years as Vicar of St Nicholas Church, in the heart of Durham City. The appointment is a return to Yorkshire, where he served his curacy at St Mark’s Church in Harrogate.
Canon Arora, who was born and raised in Birmingham, said:
“It is a joy and a privilege to be called to be Bishop of Kirkstall and to join the work that God is doing in Leeds. It is a particular delight to be returning to the Diocese where I was ordained and served my curacy, where my wife and I first lived and where our daughter was born.
“I am a city boy at heart and am excited at the thought of serving an increasingly confident and growing church in this vibrant city. I’m looking forward to working with the churches of Leeds and civic, commercial, educational and cultural partners in a common cause to bless the city and its people.”
Welcoming Arun at Holy Trinity, Boar Lane, Leeds, the Rt Rev Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds said:
“This is an exciting appointment for the Leeds Area and for the Diocese of Leeds as a whole.
“Arun has a proven range of gifts and will bring great energy and commitment to the tasks ahead.
“We all look forward to working with him and he is guaranteed a very warm welcome.”
Having originally trained and practised as an employment lawyer, Canon Arora worked as director of communications for the Diocese of Birmingham and as press officer to Bishop Mark Santer.
He trained at Cranmer Hall, Durham and served his curacy while also acting as Director of Communications to former Archbishop of York Lord John Sentamu. After leading a Church in Wolverhampton, Arun served as National Director of Communications for the Church of England.
The Most Reverend Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York said:
“It is a delight to welcome the appointment of Arun as Bishop of Kirkstall.
“His enthusiasm, zeal and passion for communicating the gospel is well known in Durham and across the Northern Province.
“Arun’s commitment to inclusion and justice was seen in the recent co-chairing of The Archbishops’ Anti-Racism Taskforce encouraging change and leading to the establishment of the Racial Justice Commission.
“As a bishop he will continue to challenge the church in effectively living out its promises.”
