Nigerian man becomes first black bishop in Church of England

> A Nigerian man, Woyin Karowei Dorgu has been appointed by the Church of England as a bishop. This makes Dorgu the first black bishop to be appointed.

Dorgu will be the 13tth bishop of Woolwich and will be consecrated on March 17.

Dorgu was born and brought up in Nigeria and ordained in the UK. Woolwich, in south-east London, which has a significant Nigerian population.

Woyin Karowei Dorgu trained as a medical doctor in Lagos before being ordained.

At a press conference, Dorgy said one of his priorities as bishop would be to

celebrate the racial diversity of the Woolwich area. He said he intended to “encourage BAME [black and minority ethnic] vocations and more participation in ministry.”

He added that his appointment was “a small step in the right direction. Quite a lot of Nigerian Christians [in the Woolwich area] are from an Anglican background. I hope my appointment will be a model. Seeing someone from a similar background could be a catalyst for dialogue between the C of E and black majority churches and Nigerians looking for a spiritual home.”

Dorgu was trained as a medical doctor in Lagos before being ordained. He moved to the UK in1987 and was ordained as a priest in 1996.

Last year, the Church of England also ordained its first female bishop. Watch the video below.