Donald Allister to become a bishop - 05/11/2009

The new Bishop of Peterborough is to be the Ven Donald Allister, the Archdeacon of Chester.

Donald, aged 57, was a vicar in Birkenhead and Cheadle, and Rural Dean of Cheadle before becoming the Archdeacon of Chester in 2002. He will be consecrated and installed as Bishop of Peterborough next spring.

Donald said: “Christian ministry is a huge privilege and for me it has also brought many joys. I have loved my roles in various churches and in the Diocese of Chester. “I am overwhelmed by this new job but believe that it is the Church’s call and God’s call to me.
I will certainly miss the Diocese of Chester and my many friends and colleagues here.” Donald is married to Janice, a GP.

They have a son, the Revd John Allister, who is Curate at Hurdsfield, near Macclesfield, and two grown-up daughters, Rosie (a vet) and Susan (who gave up her academic career in recent months to become a full-time mother).

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Download an interview with Donald