History is made as Church appoints its youngest ever bishop
He was once the youngest priest in the Church in Wales. Now, 13 years later, the Revd Canon David Morris will make history by becoming its youngest ever bishop.
The Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Bangor, Andrew John, has appointed David as Assistant Bishop of Bangor. At the age of just 37, David will be the youngest person ever to serve as a bishop in the Church in Wales.
A senior member of staff in the Diocese of Bangor, David has served as Diocesan Director of Ministry for the past two years. He is also a Residentiary Canon of Saint Deiniol’s Cathedral in Bangor.
Originally from Cymmer in the Rhondda Valley, David graduated in theology from the University of Wales, Bangor and trained for ministry at St Michael’s College, Llandaff, when he also completed a Master’s degree in theology. He was ordained as a priest in 2010 at Llandaff Cathedral and served his curacy in Merthyr Tydfil. Two years later, David was appointed parish priest of Grangetown in Cardiff, where he served for seven years, and was also Vocations Advisor for Llandaff Diocese. In 2019, he was appointed Director of Ordinands for Llandaff Diocese and Vicar in the East Vale Ministry Area, in the Vale of Glamorgan, a post he held for three years until moving to Bangor.
David was made a Commander of the Order of St John in 2020 and has been actively involved with St John Ambulance Cymru as a chaplain since 2010; he was appointed Dean of the Priory for Wales in 2019 and a Trustee of the charity in 2020.
These are exciting times for the Church, and I know David will play a hugely important role in taking the work forward
Announcing his appointment, Archbishop Andrew said, “I am delighted that David has accepted this appointment to help take forward the Church’s work in the Diocese of Bangor, where his own vocation as a priest was formed. He has already made a tremendous contribution to the life of the diocese, and I know that he will provide inspirational leadership and deep pastoral care to our congregations and the communities they serve. These are exciting times for the Church, and I know David will play a hugely important role in taking the work forward.”
David said, “Being called to serve as Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Bangor is the greatest possible privilege. I studied theology at the University in Bangor, and since I returned to the diocese in 2022, my love for this very special part of the world, and for its people, has grown all the deeper. I have been greatly moved by the inspiring stories of faith and service I have found right across our church communities and I look forward very much to playing my part in helping those communities grow and thrive.”
David’s appointment has been approved by all the Church in Wales bishops and will be confirmed at a Sacred Synod meeting in April. He will be consecrated as a bishop on May 11 and will adopt the title of Bishop of Bardsey, as well as Assistant Bishop of Bangor.
In his spare time, David enjoys gardening, travelling, keeping fit and spending time with his fiancé, Marc Penny, and his cat, Gordon.
The Diocese of Bangor stretches across north-west Wales and has a population of 190,000 people.