ANGLICANS at Dubbo will have a new spiritual leader when the 10th Bishop of Bathurst is consecrated in February.
Bishop-elect Ian Palmer is expected to take up his duties in the Anglican Diocese of Bathurst soon after.
His election followed the May announcement by Bishop Richard Hurford of impending retirement.
Presently the rector of the parish of Queanbeyan and team leader for Queanbeyan and District Anglican Church, the bishop-elect also serves as archdeacon for chaplaincy ministries in the diocese of Canberra and Goulburn.
Bishop-elect Palmer, 62, a married father of two adult daughters, was born in the United Kingdom where he gained a theology degree from King's College in London and post-graduate qualifications at Durham University.
Currently he sits on the management board of Anglicare NSW South, NSW West and ACT, the welfare arm of the church operating as an alliance across the dioceses of Canberra-Goulburn, the Riverina and Bathurst, which cover almost three-quarters of NSW.
The diocese of Bathurst stretches from Oberon in the south-east to the Queensland border, encompassing an area of 215,000 square kilometres.
The consecration will take place in All Saints' Cathedral, Bathurst.