Last updated 12:07, Tuesday, 07 October 2008

CUMBRIA’S controversial Anglican bishop, the Rt Reverend Graham Dow, is stepping down after eight years.

RETIRING: The Bishop of Carlisle, Rt Reverend Graham Dow, centre, at the roll-out of Astute in Barrow in June, watched by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and BAE’s Murray Easton REF: 03899708

The Bishop of Carlisle will retire on April 30, when he will be 67.

The evangelical bishop has had some controversial moments.

Last year he suggested the devastating floods hitting Britain could be a judgement because people had offended God with greed and immorality.

Former Tory politician Edwina Currie branded the bishop, who was university chaplain to Tony Blair, a “wicked man”.

The bishop wrote a book before he became an Anglican bishop, saying that addictions such as alcoholism or smoking, anorexia and wearing black could be a sign of evil or destructive spirits.

Barrow clergyman, the Reverend Gary Weston, part of the South Barrow Ministry, said: “I think anyone in a position of leadership like him is going to be scrutinised.

“He has been a good bishop to his clergy and has been very supportive. He has always done what he believes God has called him to do. I just wish him well in his retirement.”

The diocese says Bishop Dow has overseen a number of significant initiatives, most importantly “From Survival to Revival”, a programme that encourages parishes to grow by asking each parish to think of things it could do in six areas: discipleship, ministry, mission, youth, giving and worship.

He has also encouraged the development of lay people in ministry and led courses training people in prayer for healing.

More than 400 people have been through this training and many more churches in the county now offer healing prayer.

A diocesan spokesman, Canon Richard Pratt, said: “Bishop Graham has sometimes had a controversial public profile, largely because he seeks to remind us of our accountability to God for our lives.

“His main point – not well understood – is that the way we behave has consequences not only at an external level for the world, but at moral and spiritual levels as well.

“The worldly level is obvious enough – we have been careless about the environment, and this has caused global warming and climate change.

“At the moral level, the Bishop argues that private lifestyle and public responsibility cannot be separated.”

The Rt Rev Dow’s farewell service will be in Carlisle Cathedral on Saturday March 28, at 2.30pm.