Welcoming Bishop Fearon

I am immensely excited and grateful to announce that the Most Rev. Josiah Idowu-Fearon has accepted my invitation to join the staff of St. John the Divine. He will begin this new ministry in November as Bishop-in-Residence for Evangelism, Mission, and Global Partnerships. You will recall Bishop Josiah’s visit to SJD in 2021. He is a man of immense experience and wisdom as a leader for the global Anglican Communion, and we are extremely blessed Bishop Josiah was open and feels called to join this special parish family.

Late this summer, Bishop Josiah concluded a seven-year tenure as Secretary General of the Anglican Communion in London, UK, a position involving extensive travel to all parts of the global church to strengthen our bonds of unity as Anglicans. Prior to that service, Bishop Josiah served the Church of Nigeria as Bishop of Kaduna and Archbishop of the Province of Kaduna. Among his academic credentials, he attended St. John’s College, Durham University in the UK and holds a Masters in Islamic Studies and Muslim-Christian Relations from Birmingham University (UK). He earned a PhD in Sociology and a Postgraduate diploma in Education from Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria. Bishop Josiah continues to be active with peace and reconciliation initiatives in his native Nigeria seeking to end conflict between rival groups in the Kaduna region of the country.

Bishop Josiah’s portfolio will include:

• helping SJD develop new gospel-oriented relationships within the City of Houston, particularly to the “Anglican diaspora” from the Global South and other parts of the world;
• helping SJD grow as a community of engagement, reconciliation, and healing across ethnic, racial, and cultural divisions for the sake of the city; and
• helping SJD develop meaningful relationships with congregations and dioceses in the wider communion, with SJD as a network hub linking the Global South to other parishes and leaders in the Episcopal Church.

Again, I am very excited about partnering with Bishop Josiah in ministry as we look to our immediate future. I know you join me in giving thanks to God for this new call and in welcoming Josiah and his wife, Comfort, into our congregation later this fall.

Leigh+
The Rev. Dr. R. Leigh Spruill, rector