Andrew Watson (bishop)


Andrew John Watson is the Bishop of Guildford in the Church of England. He previously served as Bishop of Aston, the suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Birmingham, from 2008 until 2014.

Early life and education

Watson was born, the son of Angus and Alison Watson, in Bicester, Oxfordshire, and was educated at Winchester College and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1982; as per tradition, his BA was promoted to a Master of Arts degree in 1990. He then went to Ridley Hall, Cambridge to train for the ministry.

Ministry

Leaving Ridley in 1987, he was made a deacon that Michaelmas at St Stephen's, Redditch, and then ordained priest the Petertide next at Worcester Cathedral, both times by Philip Goodrich, Bishop of Worcester. His first positions were curacies at St Peter's Ipsley in the Diocese of Worcester and at St John's & St Peter's, Notting Hill in the Diocese of London. His only incumbency was Vicar of St Stephen's, East Twickenham, from which three new churches were planted; while at Twickenham, he was also Area Dean of Hampton from 2003 onwards.
In 2008, he was appointed as Bishop of Aston; he was consecrated a bishop on 28 October 2008, and on 26 September 2014 it was announced that he would be translated to Bishop of Guildford. The confirmation of his election to the See of Guildford occurred on 24 November 2014; his ministry was inaugurated at Guildford Cathedral on 28 February 2015.

Family and interests

Watson married in 1986, and his wife was ordained a deacon in 2008; they have four children. He is the author of The Fourfold Leadership of Jesus, Confidence in the Living God, and The Way of the Desert. He regularly speaks on the themes of Church Growth and Renewal in the UK, Norway and Sweden. He is on the board of the Queen's Foundation, Birmingham, and the Archbishops' College of Evangelists and chairs the CPAS Trustees and the Panel for World Mission and the Anglican Communion.
In February 2015, his handling of the controversy over anti-semitic material that was shared online by Stephen Sizer was praised by the Jewish community. In February 2017, he said that as a young man he was beaten by John Smyth.

Styles