Nick Baines (bishop)


Nicholas "Nick" Baines is a British Anglican bishop. He has been the Bishop of Leeds since 8 June 2014. He is a former Bishop of Bradford, the diocesan bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Bradford.

Early life

Baines was educated at the Holt Comprehensive School, Liverpool, before gaining a Bachelor of Arts honours degree in German and French at the University of Bradford. He worked as a linguist at GCHQ for four years prior to training for ordination at Trinity College, Bristol, where he gained a Bachelor of Arts honours degree in theological studies.

Ordained ministry

Baines was made a deacon at Petertide 1987 by George Hacker, Bishop of Penrith, and ordained a priest the Petertide following by David Halsey, Bishop of Carlisle, both times at Carlisle Cathedral. His first appointments were as assistant curate at St Thomas' Church, Kendal and St Catherine's Crook. He then moved to Leicester, becoming briefly associate minister of Holy Trinity, Leicester, and then Vicar of Rothley, during which time he was also chaplain to an adult mental health unit, before becoming Rural Dean of Goscote in 1995. In 2000, Baines became the Archdeacon of Lambeth in the Diocese of Southwark. He also oversaw the diocese's children and youth policies and was a member of the General Synod of the Church of England from 1995 until 2005.

Episcopal ministry

Baines was then appointed area Bishop of Croydon in 2003, succeeding Wilfred Wood. He was consecrated by Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, at St Paul's Cathedral and installed in Southwark Cathedral on 8 May 2003.
The confirmation of Baines' election to the see of Bradford was on 1 April 2011 and he was enthroned at Bradford Cathedral on 21 May 2011. In 2011 Baines said "Christians should learn from Muslims how to exist as a “minority” culture in British cities that are increasingly dominated by immigrant communities".
On 29 May 2013, he consecrated Nick Dill as Bishop of Bermuda on behalf of Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 4 February 2014, it was announced that Baines would become the diocesan and area Bishop of Leeds upon the confirmation of his election on 8 June; he was acting diocesan and area bishop from 22 April 2014
On 2014 he took his seat in the House of Lords as one of the Lords Spiritual.
Baines is an experienced broadcaster, regularly appearing on Pause for Thought on BBC Radio 2. While in Leicester he used to broadcast regularly on BBC Radio Leicester and Leicester Sound and twice received a commendation in the Andrew Cross Awards for religious broadcasting.

Personal life

Baines married his wife, Linda, in 1980, and they have three children.

Selected works