Hundreds of well wishers attended a farewell service yesterday (Sunday 2 February) to mark the retirement of Suffolk’s most senior Church of England clergyman later this month.
Bishop Martin retires aged 70 on Friday 28 February and nearly 800 people attended the service at St Edmundsbury Cathedral in Bury St Edmunds during yesterday afternoon, with more attending during a morning service too.
He is the 11th Bishop and Bishop Graeme Knowles, former Bishop of Sodor and Man and Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, has been appointed Acting Diocesan Bishop after Martin’s retirement while a recruitment process is ongoing.
Bishop Martin said: "It was most humbling to see such a turn out in the cathedral, a place close to my heart where I have attended many celebrations during my time in Suffolk. The service brought home the close connections that have been forged during my time as bishop and I leave with a host of treasured memories and friendships that will last the rest of my life. So I thank the people of Suffolk for their welcome in 2015, their support and their passion for the Church in the intervening years, and their warm wishes for my retirement".
A champion of parish and chaplaincy ministry, Bishop Martin had overall responsibility for the Church of England in Suffolk, covering nearly 480 churches and 90 church schools, serving 631,000 people. He has been committed to maintaining and increasing the number of serving clergy in Suffolk, and to not closing churches. In this last year the diocese has seen a rise in church attendance, particularly among young people.
He is married to the Revd Canon Jutta Brueck, who is the vicar at Great St Mary’s, The University Church, Cambridge. Bishop Martin previously served in parish and higher education ministry in London, Cambridge and Ipswich and is retiring to Cambridge.
Bishop Martin was attracted to Suffolk’s diversity with the rural villages, growing towns and beautiful countryside and coastline particularly appealing for his family.
As President of the Suffolk Agricultural Association, he welcomed the Duke of Gloucester to the Suffolk Show last year and Bishop Martin was delighted to present long service awards to farmers, paying tribute to their dedication to looking after livestock and growing crops to help feed us all. He said through his year as President of the Association he has gained further insight into the lives of those who worked so hard to put food on the county’s plates.
"I have listened to the challenges farmers face, with the increasing unpredictability of the weather, with the complexities of the current government support schemes, with the moves towards more sustainable farming practices, and the very thin profit margins – indeed losses in some parts of agriculture – for the farmers and their families. One of the treats has been instigating 'Clergy on Combines' where we teamed up vicars with farmers for the vicars to spend part of a day experiencing riding on a combine – the most amazing machines – and using that to build a stronger connection between church and farm. Twenty-five clergy/farmer pairs took part across the county and I hope it is repeated," said Bishop Martin.
His interest in farming is reflected in the rural brief he has held as a member of the House of Lords where he was appointed in March 2022. He has also held the defence brief for the bishops and has concentrated on the welfare of serving personnel and their families, raising concerns in the House of Lords particularly around housing, brought to his attention by military bases in Suffolk.
Bishop Martin remained acutely aware that Suffolk’s diversity included areas of prosperity and poverty and he was committed to ensuring the diocese would make a difference for good in communities across the county.
Under his leadership, has adopted a far more proactive stance in Suffolk with the aim of developing the church’s influence in communities at a grassroots level. This led, for example, to practical support for top-up shops and food banks housed on church premises to support families during a cost of living crisis.
Bishop Martin undertook several pilgrimages during his time in Suffolk at Lent, with the then Bishop of Dunwich, the Rt Revd Dr Mike Harrison. Each time they walked 70 – 80 miles to meet people from all walks of life and understand challenges faced in communities. "You learn much more about people and places when you walk and these pilgrimages shaped much of what we engaged with for the rest of the year".
During the pandemic he said he deeply regretted that the Government wanted to close churches and other places of worship, at a time when public prayer was required for people to cope with the coronavirus disease. "Churches are there for this, to be places of prayer at challenging times such as this, and we have shown and proved we can hold worship safely. We will of course however continue to pray in our homes through this national lockdown, and offer worship online too, to support all our communities who are struggling with this awful pandemic," said Bishop Martin.
Bishop Martin was particularly proud of the diocese’s long-established link with Kagera in Tanzania, Africa, which he visited in 2019, 2023 and 2024. He learnt about the impact of the climate crisis on farmers and villagers, and how the church was playing a key role in helping people adapt their farming methods to feed families. The Bishops’ Lent Appeal each year has focused upon raising funds for the agriculture, health and church sectors in Kagera, Tanzania. Bishop Martin said: "This partnership is two way – we learn a huge amount from our friends in Kagera about how to live as Christians in the midst of the world’s challenges".
Bishop Martin described himself as a keen and able cook who was also a keen, but less able, saxophonist. During his time in Suffolk he has also developed a love of woodturning, and of growing trees from seed.
Chair of Trustees of Debenham High School, he has been a governor of Chantry Academy, Ipswich, and a director of the University of Suffolk. He was a director of the Festival of Suffolk set up to coordinate celebration of Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee in Suffolk, and a Patron of the Suffolk Community Foundation.
Born in Portsmouth, he studied at Jesus College, Cambridge, and Union Seminary in New York, before entering the ministry. His first appointment was as a curate at a large parish in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, in 1978 before serving in the United States from 1980 for 10 years. He arrived in Suffolk after being Principal of Westcott House, a theological college in Cambridge, and an honorary canon of Ely Cathedral.
Tributes have poured in for retiring Bishop, from those who were unable to attend his farewell service in St Edmundsbury Cathedral in Bury St Edmunds.
Lady Clare, Countess of Euston and Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk, said: "It is a rare privilege for a Lord-Lieutenant to be able to pay a tribute to a man who has guided this county in all matters of faith throughout ten tumultuous years of dedicated service as our Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. One might never have expected from his background including New York, the Isle of Dogs, and a long period at a theological college that Martin would take so readily to life as Suffolk’s Bishop and that Suffolk would take to him. But that is what happened, wonderfully." She said Bishop Martin’s Easter pilgrimages epitomized his clear determination to support rural churches and their communities. "His work in all aspects of county life, good and bad, has been indefatigable. We have come to know a man of deep spirituality. Constant, compassionate, and charismatic in his courtesy to all those who have crossed his path," she added.
Mark Pendlington, Deputy Lieutenant, and a former High Sheriff of Suffolk, said: "Bishop Martin may be retiring as our Bishop, but friendships made and valued collaborations secured will ensure that his legacy will endure for many years to come." He added: "In ten short years he has come to embody all that is so special about the culture and character of our county: reflective, forward-looking, modest, self-effacing, with an endearing sense of humour to suit all occasions. The best and most inspiring leadership is often delivered in a quiet, considered and kindly way, a characteristic many value and recognise in Bishop Martin. From his insightful contributions to national debates in the House of Lords, and the senior responsibilities placed on him by Lambeth Palace, to the care and practical support he has given to our clergy and congregations that continue to secure a flourishing Church at the heart of our diverse local communities here in Suffolk."
The Diocese is in partnership with Kagera in Tanzania which Bishop Martin has visited. Bishop Darlington Bendankeha said: "He has shown commitment in making sure that this partnership has moved from one level to another."Bishop Darlington added that Kagera would greatly miss him "However, his work will continue to speak loudly in our daily lives. He will be remembered as a man of God who worked tirelessly for the church and community within and beyond the UK".
Pictures by Keith Mindham