Archbishop of Canterbury: 'Bishops Need Stillness'

Bishops need to make time for stillness and silence if they are to find the strength to show leadership to the church, the Archbishop of Canterbury has told Malaysian church leaders.

Dr Rowan Williams was speaking in a sermon at the consecration of the new Bishop of West Malaysia, the Rt Rev Ng Moon Hing in St Mary's Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur, on Saturday 5 May.

A congregation of almost 900, sitting in the body of the church and its two extensions, heard Dr Williams describe life for a bishop as something that should first of all be listening to God.

"Day by day we bishops need to spend time in stillness and in silence, waiting and praying for the Holy Spirit, praying that the Word of God will richly come alive and that light will shine out of our darkness, the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

"These earthen vessels show that power belongs to God and not to us... No bishop's ministry will survive more than 24 hours without that silence, that blessed 'doing nothing' which is at the centre of what God is doing in us."

In March, the Bishop of Lichfield, the Rt Rev Jonathan Gledhill, expressed his "very deep concern" about the physical and mental health of his clergy after figures were released showing nine clergy in his diocese were forced to resign on health grounds between 1999 and 2005.

The Archbishop of Canterbury said on Saturday: "Let no-one be under any illusion; being a bishop is not always simple, straightforward, easy or popular task - and I think I hear a murmur of assent there."

He encouraged bishops, however, reminding them that their calling as a bishop was a "privilege" and "an exciting task".

"It is exciting because it is about being with the risen Jesus, about being there with Peter and John on the seashore where Jesus calls, gives and sends," he said.

"Our mission is not to conquer the world, to subdue others... our mission is to draw people to the company of Jesus; new words to speak, new thoughts to think and new love rising in their hearts."

Later in the service, Dr Williams joined the Archbishop of South East Asia, the Rt Rev John Chew, and more than a dozen other provincial and visiting bishops in laying hands on the new Bishop of West Malaysia in consecration.

The Archbishop travels to Sri Lanka on Monday.