Posted on: 17th September 2026

The Rt Revd Toby Howarth, the next Bishop of Leeds, recently spent a day meeting people and visiting places across the diocese as he prepares to take up his new role.

The day began at Centenary Square in Bradford, where Bishop Toby met leaders from different faiths to say farewell as he moves roles. Bishop Toby thanked all present for their support during his time as Bishop of Bradford, before calling on those assembled to continue to work together and hold him accountable as well. Warm words about Bishop Toby were shared by all, thanking him for his work in the city and district.

After this, Bishop Toby headed to Harrogate to visit Kairos Church, a network of small communities scattered around the Harrogate Deanery who also gather regularly at a central base in the town. Bishop Toby heard from volunteers about their Resurrection Bikes project, which takes unwanted bicycles and refurbishes them before providing them to those who need them, or selling them on.

Bishop Toby also visited Kairos’ prayer room, where during the week he visited people had been gathering every day to pray as part of the Global Week of Prayer. The Revd Jen Bradley, of the Walkingham Hill Benefice who partner with Kairos, shared some of Kairos’ other work with Bishop Toby.

Following this visit Bishop Toby moved to the Wakefield area, where he visited St John's Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Junior and Infants School. Helen Findlay, headteacher at the school, gave Bishop Toby a tour, meeting staff and pupils and finding out about the school and the Christian ethos that underpins all they do. Bishop Toby had the chance to see pupils at work and play, and find out more about the school’s facilities.

After this Bishop Toby headed to Dewsbury Minster, where he had the chance to meet people from the Huddersfield area and take part in a short service of prayer in the minster’s Paulinus Chapel. The chapel houses the oldest stone representation of Jesus, from circa 850, and was a beautiful setting for Bishop Toby to pray in and be prayed for by the Revd Caroline Greenwood, Team Rector of the Dewsbury Team Parish.

After a quick cup of tea, Bishop Toby headed to Church House in Leeds to meet community leaders and discuss the challenges the city faces. The group talked honestly about the issues they encounter in Leeds, and how best we can all work together to improve conditions for all.

The final stop of the day was at St Luke’s Swarcliffe in East Leeds, where Bishop Toby met the Revd Hannah Jones, vicar of the newly formed parish of Swarcliffe and Whinmoor, to find out all about her and her team’s work launching this new parish. Revd Hannah told Bishop Toby about the history of the church, which closed 15 years ago and was used by a variety of groups since then. Over the summer a team from St George’s Leeds led by Revd Hannah have reopened the church as a centre for worship and community, and they held their first service on Sunday, September 6.

Revd Hannah shared the challenges her team face around their building, and also her hopes for this new parish, which will hopefully reach not only current residents but also new people moving into the 3000 new houses being built in the area. Bishop Toby got to meet one of the former Churchwardens of St Luke’s, who has now returned to the church as it reopens, and the visit ended with those gathered praying for the project. The project has been made possible thanks to awarded funds from the Church of England, and is happening as part of Anglican Diocese of Leeds' Barnabas work.

Bishop Toby will be continuing a programme of tours around the diocese over the next few months and beyond, visiting people and parishes in every area to get a full sense of our large and diverse region.