IT will mark the end of an era for Bishop Kenneth – and give us a chance to say goodbye.

Bishop Kenneth and Sarah Stevenson

Hundreds of worshippers will pack Portsmouth’s Anglican Cathedral and Newport Minster for two special farewell services for the Rt Rev Kenneth Stevenson before he retires later this month.

He has been Bishop of Portsmouth for 14 years, and will hang up his mitre two months before his 60th birthday. Two farewell services will be held, one at Newport Minster at 3pm on Sunday (September 6) and one at Portsmouth Cathedral at 3pm on September 12.

Bishop Kenneth, who was enthroned in the cathedral in 1995, has led the Anglican Diocese of Portsmouth to a position where worshippers are challenged to be disciples, personal spirituality is emphasised and campaigning for social justice is the norm.

He launched the ‘Kairos’ process, which inspired parishes to dream up innovative ways of engaging with their communities, worshipping God and using our church buildings more imaginatively.

Under his leadership, diocesan finances have been stabilised, the diocese’s central staff team reorganised and lay worshippers encouraged to use their skills in ministry.

He’s also spoken for south-east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in the House of Lords, chaired the Church’s national Board of Education and encouraged clergy to develop their gifts. His pastoral and teaching skills will be missed by many.

Mainland worshippers, clergy, civic leaders and ecumenical representatives have been invited to the farewell cathedral service on September 12, at which Bishop Kenneth will preach and celebrate the Eucharist. His four children will be involved – James will chaplain him, Alexandra will sing solos, and Kitty and Elisabeth will lead prayers.

A collection will be taken for the new bone marrow transplant centre in Southampton, to mark the fact that Kenneth has undergone two bone marrow transplants to combat his leukaemia.

More than 500 island clergy, worshippers and community leaders have been invited to the farewell Evensong at Newport Minster on Sunday (September 6). 

It will be led by the Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight, the Ven Caroline Baston. Bishop Kenneth will preach and prayers will be led by children from Carisbrooke Primary School and Christ Church Primary, Sandown.

Those attending both services will receive a postcard of a recent portrait of Kenneth, painted by Sarah’s sister-in-law, Celia Montague.

Bishop Kenneth and his wife Sarah will move to a new home in Chichester this month.

The process to select a new Bishop of Portsmouth has already started. The appointments secretary for the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Caroline Boddington, and the prime minister’s appointments secretary, Paul Britton, met 180 worshippers, civic leaders and community representatives over three days in June to find out more about the diocese and the kind of person people would like to see as bishop.

They will advise the Crown Nominations Commission, which includes both Archbishops and six representatives from Portsmouth diocese. The Commission will produce two possible names after a two-day November meeting. The first name will be sent to Downing Street and to the Queen for approval, and the name of the new Anglican Bishop of Portsmouth should be known by the end of 2009.