The Bishop of London has spoken of the inspiration that Holy Trinity Brompton has given his ministry saying it has ‘changed the way in which I have behaved and worked as a bishop’.

In a moving tribute during his visit to HTB’s Home Focus week last month, he told the assembly:

‘I just want to say that you have been and you are the greatest encouragement and refreshment to me, and thank you.

‘As you know... people’s temperaments are very different and I am high and I am dry and I go around repressing enthusiasm wherever I find it.

‘But all I can say is that one of my few spiritual gifts is I do have a nose for spiritual reality and there is a lot of reality here.

‘There’s a lot of authenticity and even though we differ very much in temperament, I love you and I think you have been an enormous encouragement in my ministry.

‘You have changed the way in which I have behaved and worked as a bishop and I just want to say thank you.’

The bishop’s words came at the end of an evening session interview with Nicky Gumbel on the stage in the main ballroom.

It concluded a day in which the bishop installed HTB curates Paul Cowley and Jamie Haith as ‘Alpha missioner’ and ‘Alpha chaplain’ respectively, giving diocesan blessing to their roles in Alpha.

More than 1,850 people attended the Home Focus week at Pakefield, Suffolk last month – the largest number ever.

Guest speakers included Brother Andrew, missionary author of God’s Smuggler; Pastor Agu Irukwu; Jo Saxton; Pete Greig; Bishop Sandy Millar; and Mike Pilavachi.

As well as main session talks, there were also a wide variety of seminars.

Brother Andrew referred to the special community atmosphere at the event, saying, ‘The family sense is so strong here. I have experienced it every time when I walk here in the grounds. It is tremendous. I am so impressed.’