Adrian Newman became the Bishop of Stepney in July 2011. He describes himself as a social entrepreneur, committed to human flourishing and the re-enchantment of society. He was once introduced as the ‘most un-Dean-like Dean in the Church of England’ – a description he quite liked at the time. He is currently intent on being a most un-Bishop-like Bishop………..
He worked as a management economist before ministerial training at Trinity College Bristol.
He was ordained in 1985 and served as a curate at St Mark’s Forest Gate. In 1989 he was appointed Vicar of Christ Church, Hillsborough, Sheffield.
In 1996, he became Rector of St Martin in the Bull Ring, Birmingham, and oversaw a redevelopment of the church site at the same time as its parish was being transformed by the demolition and rebuilding of the surrounding retail district.
He became Dean of Rochester in 2005, leading the second oldest cathedral foundation in the UK through a time of cultural change and major redevelopment.
He was consecrated Bishop of Stepney on 25th July 2011.
The Stepney Episcopal Area spans the three London Boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Islington which he describes as “one of the most exciting, vibrant and diverse places in the whole of the country, an area that is challenged and challenging, but authentic and alive.”
His role is to lead the church in Stepney in serving the changing society of East London. This involves, on the one hand, addressing the challenges of Boroughs with significant rankings in terms of UK child poverty, and on the other engaging with the high-end economy of Canary Wharf, which employs more people than a city the size of Leicester.
He is married to Gill and they have three adult sons.
