THE Rt Rev Dr Mike Harrison will begin his new role as the Bishop of Exeter at his Enthronement service, with ancient traditions stretching back hundreds of years, on Saturday, November 2 at Exeter Cathedral. 

The service will symbolise the bishop’s spiritual role in Devon and be an opportunity to welcome him, his wife Rachel and four children, to the county. 

It follows Bishop Mike’s Confirmation of Election as Bishop of Exeter at Lambeth Palace in September by the Archbishop of Canterbury. 

The Enthronement is taking place on All Souls’ Day, when Christians around the world remember loved ones who have died, often by placing flowers on their graves or lighting candles. 

Bishop Mike will begin the day in prayer at dawn on Woolacombe Beach, where he has happy memories of childhood holidays with his own parents. 

He will also join the congregation for a service at the rural St Peter’s church in Bittadon, visit Barnstaple Panier Market, and a community hockey club in Tiverton en route to Exeter.

The Enthronement service itself will commence with a procession from Exeter’s Guildhall to Cathedral Green.

Bishop Mike will then be asked to knock on the cathedral’s famous Great West Door with his staff, as is traditional for a new diocesan bishop, before being permitted to enter for the 3pm ceremony. 

Bishop Mike said: “I am thrilled to be welcomed into the Diocese of Exeter at the Enthronement service and am really looking forward to getting started in the role.

“I will be shining a light on just a small fraction of the rich variety of ministry, joyful service and Christian witness Devon’s churches provide, as I travel from North-West of the County to Exeter Cathedral on November 2. 

“My journey is about celebrating different aspects of community life and the part that churches and other community organisations play in making Devon such a great place to live.

“Beginning in Woolacombe will be particularly poignant for me on All Souls’ Day, as I remember my own parents and brother of blessed memory, and later, join with others in worshipping the God who provides unquenchable light in darkness and a sure and certain hope in resurrection.”

The Enthronement service will include the St Peter’s Singers, representatives of Devon’s schools, uniformed organisations, community groups and charities, other Christian denominations and representatives from world faiths. 

The Archdeacon of Canterbury, the Ven Dr Will Adam, will install Bishop Mike in the 14th century bishop’s throne, believed to be the tallest piece of medieval woodwork in Europe.  

The throne represents the ancient See (or seat) of the Bishop of Exeter as the head of the Church of England in Devon. It is also significant in Christianity as a reminder of Jesus Christ being described in the Bible book of Revelation as the “lamb on the throne”, following his death and resurrection. 

The Dean of Exeter Cathedral, the Very Rev Jonathan Greener, said: “Exeter Cathedral is very much the church of the Bishop of Exeter, with a magnificent 16-metre-high Bishop’s Throne at its heart, so the installation of a new bishop marks a critical moment in the life of this place. It brings a new start, refreshes our mission, reinvigorates our community, and builds on nearly a thousand years of Christian worship here in the heart of Exeter.

“Bishop Mike brings a great deal of experience to his new role, and we greatly look forward to working with him to serve the people of our county and diocese.”

At the end of service, Bishop Mike will lead a “wave of light” procession out onto Exeter’s Cathedral Green to pray for the people of Devon. 

The service is by ticket only, but will also be live-streamed on Exeter Cathedral’s YouTube channel.