New Bishop of Truro announced

Truro's new bishop has been nominated by King Charles III, the Church of England has said.

Bishop David Williams, the current Bishop of Basingstoke, revealed the news on an online service for more than 3,000 people streamed from St Meriadoc School in Camborne.

He will formally take over the role as the Bishop of Truro early in 2025, with his official duties starting "probably in late April or early May".

Bishop Williams, who has been visiting Cornwall for 30 years, said he was most excited to get to know the local people and the "essence of what it means to be Cornish". He added "I can't tell you how excited I am".

Bishop Williams has been in his current role for 10 years, and before that he was a parish priest for 25 years.

He said he had "always gone home with a sense of wellbeing and being refreshed" after visiting Cornwall and could "not wait to be here".

Bishop Williams said he was expecting challenges such as falling congregation numbers, but he was excited by the chance to use "new and creative ways to gather and reimagine how we tell the story [of Jesus]".

"Yes there are challenges, but there are far more opportunities and far more joy."

Bishop Williams said he hoped to work will colleagues to provide "non-anxious leadership, trust in God and the innate strength of the people of this county".

He said: "We'll remind ourselves that light shines in the darkness and darkness never puts out the light.

"That there is always hope that will replace despair and love will always triumph over evil."

Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].