Bishop Mike Royal has been appointed as the next General Secretary of Churches Together in England (CTE).
CTE is a national ecumenical body that has the aim of fostering unity between churches from different traditions.
Royal is co-chief executive of the Cinammon Network, a charity helping churches across Britain and Ireland with community engagement and social action projects.
He has until now represented the Apostolic Pastoral Congress in CTE's Racial Justice Working Group.
Commenting on his appointment as General Secretary, he said: "I am both honoured and humbled to accept the role of General Secretary of Churches Together in England, as the church journeys together to fulfil the mandate of Jesus 'that they all may be one, as we are one' (John 17.22).
"I pray, as our country and the church navigate together through challenging and difficult issues, that we will all find a deeper commitment to God and to one another, as we travel together on this vital ecumenical journey."
He will take over leadership of CTE from outgoing General Secretary, Rev Dr Paul Goodliff, in March 2022.
Welcoming the news, Dr Goodliff said: "The appointment of Bishop Mike as my successor is a brilliant next step for CTE, which will benefit from his experience of inspiring churches to serve their communities.
"It strengthens further the commitment of the ecumenical movement in England to the task of making Christ known in word and deed.
"I look forward so much to the opportunity of working with Mike through this transitional period, and I pray that he will be given much wisdom and grace as he starts in this role."
Beyond CTE, Royal has been heavily involved in the ecumenical scene through his involvement in Street Pastors, leading the Birmingham team, and working with Birmingham Churches Together on their community-focused 'Standing in the Gaps' initiatives.
He currently co-chairs the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 Churches Together Working Group along with the Anglican Bishop of Birmingham, where his work involves coordinating church efforts around a range of issues including anti-trafficking, young people, social cohesion, health and wellbeing.
The Chair of the CTE Trustees, Rowena Loverance, said: "Everyone at Churches Together in England is delighted and excited by Mike Royal's appointment as General Secretary.
"He brings us extensive experience in putting faith into action and we look forward to benefitting – along with all our Member Churches - from Mike's strategic grasp, theological acumen and deep pastoral concern."
