A COLLEGE vice-principal is to make history after being appointed to a restored position in the Church of England.

Downing Street announced that the Reverend Canon Mark Tanner, warden of Cranmer Hall and vice-principal of St John’s College in Durham, is to become the first Suffragan Bishop of Berwick.

The father-of-two is the first to hold the title since the death of Bishop of Berwick Thomas Sparke in 1572.

The 45-year-old will be consecrated at York Minister by the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, on October 18.

The Oxford educated clergyman was ordained in 1998 and served in parishes on Merseyside and Doncaster before becoming Vicar of Holy Trinity, in Ripon, North Yorkshire in 2007.

He returned to Cranmer Hall as Warden of the training college in 2011 and became an honorary Canon of Durham Cathedral last year, when he was also elected to the Church of England’s General Synod.

Married to Lindsay with two teenage children, the new bishop is a motor vehicle enthusiast, especially motorbikes and Land Rovers and is currently rebuilding a 1951 BSA Bantam.

Canon Tanner said, “It’s a huge honour to be nominated as the next Bishop of Berwick, and I am thrilled to be moving to the Diocese of Newcastle.

“We love Northumberland, and I am very much looking forward to working with Bishop Christine and the team.

“There is nothing as wonderful as seeing individuals and communities grow in the life and freedom found in Christ.”

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said, “As Warden of Cranmer Hall The Revd Canon Mark Tanner has been involved in developing and equipping people of all backgrounds and experience for the work of God’s mission.

“He brings particular spiritual gifts to this ministry, and it will be exciting to see these put to work across the Diocese”.

St John’s College Principal, the Reverend Professor David Wilkinson, said, “Mark has been a good friend and colleague over the past five years and I am thrilled at this new appointment for his life and ministry.

“He has been an inspiring Warden, who has led with great humour and a fully human spirituality in leadership, preaching, teaching and encouraging worship: his influence on the life of the Cranmer Hall community and the life of St John’s has been invaluable and we are sad to lose him.”