Bishop chosen after secret ballot

After two-and-a-half days locked in a cathedral, members of the Church in Wales have named their choice for the next Bishop of Bangor.

The Archdeacon of Cardigan the Venerable Andrew John, 44, is the ecumenical officer for the St Davids diocese in west Wales.

The 46-member electoral college had been meeting in the city's cathedral since Tuesday.

Mr John now has 28 days to decide if he will take on the role.

He will be the 81st Bishop of Bangor.

The Electoral College of the Church in Wales made the decision on the third and final day of its meeting behind closed doors at Bangor Cathedral.

"Bangor is a very special diocese in a beautiful part of the world "
Venerable Andrew John, Bishop elect of Bangor

The election follows the death of the former Bishop of Bangor, the Right Reverend Anthony Crockett in June.

He said he was looking forward to leading the Bangor diocese.

"I am aware that I have a hard act to follow and that the diocese is still grieving for Bishop Tony.

"I am very honoured to have been chosen and I hope I will quickly gain the support and the confidence of the people I will serve.

"Bangor is a very special diocese in a beautiful part of the world and I am very much looking forward to beginning this new chapter in my ministry," Mr John added.

'Uncertain period'

The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan the president of the electoral college, welcomed the appointment.

He said: "Andy John is a talented, energetic and popular priest with a good understanding of the needs and challenges of a predominantly rural and Welsh-speaking diocese, having served from quite a young age as Archdeacon of Cardigan.

The archbishop said the Bangor diocese has been through a "difficult and uncertain period" after the long illness and death of the former bishop.

But he said he was confident the new bishop would "take the diocese forward with fresh inspiration and vigour".

Mr John, a married father-of-four whose wife Caroline is also a church deacon, grew up in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion and is a fluent Welsh speaker.

He graduated in law at the University of Wales, Cardiff, in 1986 and in theology at the University of Nottingham in 1988.

He studied a Diploma in Pastoral Studies in 1989 at St John's College, Nottingham.

He was ordained as a deacon in 1989 and as priest in the Diocese of St Davids in 1990 and has served all his ministry so far within that diocese.

He has been vicar of Pencarreg and Llanycrwys since 2006 and Archdeacon of Cardigan since 2006.