Michael Lewis (bishop)

Lewis was born on 8 June 1953.[2] He was educated at King Edward VI School, Southampton[3] and Merton College, Oxford, where he read Oriental Studies (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Syriac)[4] taking a BA in 1974 and MA in 1979. He was formed for the priesthood at Cuddesdon Theological College, taking his second Oxford degree in the Final Honour School of Theology in 1977.[2]

Lewis was ordained deacon in 1978 and priest in 1979. After a curacy at Christ the King, Salfords, Surrey, in the Diocese of Southwark he became Chaplain of Thames Polytechnic in 1980.[5] He was Vicar of St Mary the Virgin, Welling, Southwark from 1984 to 1991 when he became Team Rector of Worcester South East and later Rural Dean of Worcester and Canon of Worcester Cathedral.

Consecration to the episcopate followed in 1999 when he was appointed to the suffragan bishopric of Middleton. In 2007 he was translated to Cyprus and the Gulf[6]

On 5 June 2011, he ordained the first female priest in the Middle East in Saint Christopher's Cathedral, Manama.[7]

He is a member and currently co-chair of the International Commission for Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue. He is a former member of the Anglican Consultative Council and a former consultant to the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith, and Order. For many years he has been Bishop-Visitor of the Community of the Sisters of the Love of God, Convent of the Incarnation, Fairacres, Oxford. Since 2021 he has been a Honorary Fellow of Merton College, Oxford.

He took office as President Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East on 17 November 2019, in a ceremony held at St. Andrew Church, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. His term as President Bishop ended on 12 May 2023, when he was succeeded by Hosam Naoum). He retired as diocesan bishop of Cyprus and the Gulf on 8 June 2023.[8]