Andrew Watson, who was the Bishop of Guildford and a member of the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC), has died - less than a month after announcing a diagnosis of inoperable pancreatic cancer.
Watson was born in 1961 and grew up in Buckinghamshire and Hampshire, as detailed in the Church Times' obituary. He studied law at Corpus Christi, Cambridge and then trained for ministry at Ridley Hall, Cambridge before being ordained deacon in 1987 and Church of England priest in 1988. He is survived by his wife, Beverly, four children (Hannah, Sam, Joe, and Lydia), and three grandchildren - as well as his mother and three siblings.
Following his diagnosis, Watson shared that his "faith in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting had only grown stronger".
Julian Henderson, President of the CEEC council, said the organisation is "deeply saddened by the news of Bishop Andrew Watson’s death."
“We give thanks for the life and ministry of our dear brother, Bishop Andrew, whose faithful service to the life of the Church of England, and to those he ministered to and shepherded, will leave a lasting mark," Henderson continued. "His leadership was marked by humility, wisdom, and a wholehearted commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“We pray for Beverly, their children, their friends and the whole diocese as they grieve his loss. We pray that the grace of God may prove sufficient for this time of grief and transition.”
