NEARLY 500 people gathered at the Cathedral Church of Saint Alban in Griffith on Friday to witness the consecreation of Reverend Alan Robert Gillion to be the 10th Bishop of Riverina.
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Bishops and Deans from around the country joined The Right Reverend Michael Colclough, Bishop of London, and Griffith's Father Rob Harris in the enthronement and consecration ceremony of the 63-year-old father-of-two.
The former actor and former rector and dean in Diocese of London said he was excited about his new role.
"Travel has been a huge part of my ministry and I am honoured and excited to have been both nominated and elected to the role of Bishop of Riverina in Australia," he said.
"My time serving the church in London has been very special and I now look forward to the opportunity to care for clergy and communities across this wonderful part of Australia."
Bishop Rob Gillion, a member of the Archbishops' College of Evangelists, trained as an actor at the University of London and worked an actor and theatre director for 12 years before entering the ministry.
The 63-year-old, who was elected at a special synod in April this year, has served in dioceses in the UK and Hong Kong, and prior to ordination he studied at the Theological College of Salisbury.
The Diocese of Riverina covers more than one-third of rural New South Wales and had been without a bishop since previous bishop Dr Douglas Stevens resigned in November 2012.
