London-born Philip North studied in Yorkshire and worked in parishes in the North East and East Anglia before returning to the capital. He moved to Lancashire eight years ago to become Bishop of Burnley and it didn’t take him long to settle in.
‘I have always loved Lancashire,’ he says. ‘I had friends here so I knew the diocese quite well before I came here. There is such a range of issues across the county. There are areas of countryside, towns, cities and villages, areas of huge contrast, poverty and wealth – it's England in miniature. Anything you could want, you can find in Lancashire.’
Earlier this year the Rt Rev Philip North became the tenth Bishop of Blackburn, following the retirement of Bishop Julian Henderson after almost ten years in the role.
Since his arrival in the Red Rose county Bishop Philip, who turns 57 this month, has developed a love of the Lancashire countryside and whenever he can, he gets out to explore.
On the gloriously sunny autumn day he speaks to Lancashire Life, Bishop Philip is at his desk at his residence in Salesbury and regretting not being able to get outdoors.
‘It’s an idyllic day, ideal for being on the hills. I love walking on the hills, or getting out on my bike. The Lancashire countryside is largely undiscovered – the Ribble Valley, the hills around Burnley, there are lot so places to get wet and muddy.
‘I particularly like walking and cycling around Chipping and up Parlick. I completed a 100km walk across the county in September as part of our Harvest Appeal. There is something very special and beautiful this part of the world.’
And he settled well into his new role, too.
‘The role has been better than I expected,’ he says. ‘It is a stretching role which has asked deep questions of me. It has been a smooth transition and that enables parishes to continue to do their work.
‘I am most interested in the way the gospel is lived and the way we serve the world and I believe in growing churches and in the difference the church can make. There is an incredible range and breadth of parishes and styles of church across Lancashire and a real engagement with communities.
‘That seems to be a particular feature of church life in Lancashire – this is a place that still knows what the church is for. People here still want their parish church and to have their vicar involved in the community.’
Bishop Philip has officially been the Diocesan Bishop since the end of April when the Conformation of Election took place at York Minster. There was no consecration service since he was already a Bishop when he was announced, but he was formally installed as Bishop of Blackburn, and the leader of the Church of England in Lancashire at a ceremony in Blackburn Cathedral in June.
And he is hoping the first anniversary of his elevation will see cause for celebration in parishes across the diocese. A funding application will be submitted in February which, if successful, he believes could bring huge benefits.
‘We are applying for up to £30m of investment to our parishes to use in our work with children, young people and schools in our most deprived areas and supporting parish life there. Some would also go to support our clergy so they can stay joyful. If we are successful it will make a very significant difference to local churches in Lancashire.
‘This is a wonderful place and a quite stable place, and it produces some lovely people. Many people spend their whole lives in Lancashire and that creates strong, warm and friendly communities with a very good quality of life. People here are very easy to get on with and have made me very welcome.’
Putting Christmas into practice
The Bishop of Blackburn’s Christmas message to Lancashire Life readers
When I bought my nephews and nieces their chocolate Advent Calendars this year I was struck once again by the contrast between the way we present the Christmas story today and the reality of the events that surrounded Jesus’ birth 2000 years ago.
In the picture on the Advent calendar everything was just so perfect. Mary and Joseph were smiling broadly. The shepherds and their sheep were spotlessly clean. The angels were flitting around a straw-clad stable the nation’s top interior designer would have been proud of. Everything was neat, tidy, organised … and happy.
Compare that to the actual events of the first Christmas. Joseph dragging his heavily pregnant wife half way across the country. A squalid birth round the back of an inn. Filthy, unrespectable shepherds the first visitors. A penniless family soon to be flung out as refugees as their lives were torn apart by global political events way beyond their comprehension. That was the reality.
It's an important contrast, because the way we tell the story drives how we think about Christmas. For many people Christmas is a time of escape when for a few days they can ignore the tricky realities of their lives. The pretty nativities, the baubles and the twinkly lights are important; nor do I want to knock that approach. Everyone deserves a few days of fun and partying!
But dig deeper and there is so much more to Christmas than that. For Christians, the Christmas story is not an escape from their daily lives. It is what makes sense of them. It is precisely because Jesus was born into the real world, with all its hardships, pain and suffering, that Christians rejoice.
As a Christian, here is why I will be giving thanks this Christmas.
In Jesus, God has come as a human being. That means human life is precious and beautiful and we need to protect its dignity.
In Jesus, God has been born into poverty. That means we need to care for those who are poor and work for a world of justice.
In Jesus, God has come to share our life. That means we can share in God’s life and so, even when life seems hard, there is hope of a better future.
This Christmas, all around Lancashire, Christians will be celebrating the birth of Jesus. Of course there will be carols, concerts, parties, events for families and loads of joy. But they will also be ‘putting Christmas into practice’.
Many will be meeting the needs of families who are struggling to make ends meet during the cost of living crisis. For example, the church in Blackpool delivering a Christmas present to every house in their parish or the churches preparing Christmas hampers.
Many will be offering company and community to the lonely. For example, the church in Burnley offering a Christmas dinner to anyone who would otherwise be alone.
Many will be drawing alongside the needs of refugees. For example, the church in Shevington supporting a large group of asylum seekers who are at imminent risk of homelessness because of recent changes in regulations.
For me, this is the very heart of Christmas. If Jesus was born into poverty, we celebrate his birth best when we care for those who are poor or vulnerable or alone.
I hope you have a really happy Christmas, however or with whomever you choose to spend it. And I pray that, whatever the circumstances of your life, in the child of Bethlehem you might find a rich and lasting hope.
Rt Rev Philip North, Bishop of Blackburn
