New Bishop of Brixworth with ‘education in his DNA’ promises emphasis on teaching
The next Bishop of Brixworth will be The Venerable Dr Alex Hughes, Downing Street has announced today (Friday, May 8).
As Bishop of Brixworth, he will hold responsibility for different ministry areas, including education, something that Dr Alex describes as being ‘in my DNA’.
Alex started his new role at The Peterborough Diocese with a Q&A with students at Bishop Stopford School in Kettering.
Welcomed by the Bishop of Peterborough the Right Rev Debbie Sellin, he discussed his hopes and aspirations for the job with pupils.
He said: “I am really drawn to this particular moment in the life of the Diocese of Peterborough. It is a time of change and possibility and I am excited to be part of shaping what comes next.
“I am convinced that this vital work is deeply spiritual: it is about clearing paths and building channels for the Spirit to move.”
Ordained at the age of 24 in the Diocese of Oxford in 2000, Dr Alex served his curacy at Headington Quarry before becoming Chaplain to the Bishop of Portsmouth.
From 2008 to 2014 he was parish priest of St Luke’s and St Peter’s in inner-city Portsmouth and since 2014 has served as Archdeacon of Cambridge.
Both his parents were teachers, and he has held significant governance roles within church schools, including chairing governing bodies at both primary and secondary level and holding the role of chairman of the Diocesan Board of Education in Ely Diocese for 12 years.
Alongside his work in education, Dr Alex has experience of both urban and rural ministry. As Archdeacon of Cambridge he has oversight of a large and diverse area, including the city and its rural surroundings.
He said: “My favourite day of the week is Sunday. I love being out among the parishes, whether it's a big service with hundreds of people or just a tiny little village church with three or four faithful worshippers and a cat.”
Having been born into a Christian household he says did not have a ‘moment’ of conversion but remembers feeling a very strong confirmation of his Christian identity during a camp in Peterborough in the summer before he started secondary school.
He said: “I didn’t have a dramatic conversion experience but at that moment I knew clearly that I was a Christian, and that was the identity I was taking with me into the next stage of my life. It feels quietly significant to be returning to Peterborough many years later in this way.”
Throughout his life and ministry Dr Alex has enjoyed the full range of church traditions giving him ‘an unusually wide appreciation of the Church of England’.
Welcoming him to his new role, Bishop Debbie said: “I am delighted to welcome Alex to the Diocese and look forward to working closely with him. His deep sense of God’s call was clear throughout the process, and I am grateful to everyone who prayed for us. It will be a joy to get to know him better and to discern together God’s will for our life and mission .”
Dr Alex is married to Sarah, a psychotherapist, and they have two sons, Thomas and Joseph. A keen musician, he ‘finds joy’ in listening to live music in all its forms, from rock ‘n’ roll to classical orchestral pieces. An enthusiastic runner, his other favourite mode of transport is his beloved motorbike.
Dr Alex will be consecrated in July at Westminster Abbey and will take up his role in the diocese in the autumn. He will not have a seat in the House of Lords.
Previous incumbent the Right Rev John Holbrook retired from the role after 14 years of service in 2025.
The Diocese of Peterborough is the regional presence of the Church of England in Northamptonshire, Rutland and Peterborough. The diocese is led by The Bishop of Peterborough, assisted by the suffragan Bishop of Brixworth.