Nick Baines (bishop)

Nicholas "Nick" Baines (born 13 November 1957) is a British Anglican bishop. He has been the Bishop of Leeds since 8 June 2014. He is a former Bishop of Bradford, the diocesan bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Bradford (from 1 April 2011 until 20 April 2014).

Baines was educated at Holt Comprehensive School, Liverpool, before gaining a Bachelor of Arts honours degree (BAHons) in German and French at the University of Bradford. He worked as a linguist at GCHQ for four years prior to training for ordination at Trinity College, Bristol, where he gained a BA(Hons) in theological studies.

Baines was ordained as a deacon in 1987 and a priest in 1988. His first appointments were as assistant curate at St Thomas' Church, Kendal and St Catherine's Crook. He then moved to Leicester, becoming briefly associate minister of Holy Trinity, Leicester, and then Vicar of Rothley (1992-2000), during which time he was also chaplain to an adult mental health unit, before becoming Rural Dean of Goscote in 1995. In 2000, Baines became the Archdeacon of Lambeth in the Diocese of Southwark. He also oversaw the diocese's children and youth policies and was a member of the General Synod of the Church of England from 1995 until 2005.

Episcopal ministry

Baines was then appointed area Bishop of Croydon in 2003, succeeding Wilfred Wood. He was consecrated by Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, at St Paul's Cathedral and installed in Southwark Cathedral on 8 May 2003.

The confirmation of Baines' election to the see of Bradford was on 1 April 2011 and he was enthroned at Bradford Cathedral on 21 May 2011. On 29 May 2013, he consecrated Nick Dill as Bishop of Bermuda on behalf of Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury.

On 4 February 2014, it was announced that Baines would become the diocesan and area Bishop of Leeds upon the confirmation of his election on 8 June; he was acting diocesan and area bishop from 22 April 2014 (he was licensed as an honorary assistant bishop of the Diocese of York to facilitate the acting role.)

Baines is an experienced broadcaster, regularly appearing on Pause for Thought on BBC Radio 2. While in Leicester he used to broadcast regularly on BBC Radio Leicester and Leicester Sound and twice received a commendation in the Andrew Cross Awards for religious broadcasting.

He has written six books: Hungry for Hope (1991, DLT), Speedbumps & Potholes (2004, St Andrew Press), Jesus & People Like Us (2004, St Andrew Press, later revised and republished in 2008 as Scandal of Grace), Marking Time (2005, St Andrew Press), Finding Faith (2008, St Andrew Press), Why Wish You a Merry Christmas (Church House Publishing 2009). Speedbumps & Potholes and Finding Faith have been translated into German (Am Rande bemerkt and In hoechsten Toenen, respectively).

Baines married his wife, Linda, in 1980. They have three children; Richard (1981), Melanie (1984) and Andrew (1988).

• The Reverend Nick Baines (1987–2000)
• The Venerable Nick Baines (2000–2003)
• The Right Reverend Nick Baines (2003–present)