On Sunday 1 August, the Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, announced that he will resign his post after nine years to return to the more humble role of a parish priest.

After leaving the Bishopthorpe Palace, his official place near York, Dr Hope will become a priest at St Margaret’s Church in Ilkley near Bradford. That will also mean a pay cut of around £40,000 a year. He will cease to be Archbishop from February to take up his new post in March next year.

Dr Hope has honestly revealed his desire to return to what he has called the “real ministry” of parish practice. He insisted he won’t miss any of the luxuries of a bishop’s life.

Dr Hope said, “I’m very much looking forward to this new appointment. I have always hoped that it might be possible to conclude my ministry as I had begun it as a parish priest and this I believe to be the call of God.” Dr Hope, 64, can continue as a parish priest until the age of 70.

Being the second senior clergyman in the Church of England after the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Hope is a traditionalist. Compared to the more liberal Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Hope has been at odds with the more liberal wing of the Church in the past, particularly on controversial topics like the consecration of women bishops and gay priests.

While debate on the consecration of women bishops goes on within the Church of England, he was one of the traditionalists saying he could not remain in the Church if it consecrated women bishops, as has been done in the Anglican Church outside Britain.

Acknowledging the Archbishop of York’s resignation, Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams described Dr Hope as “one of God's great gifts to the church”.

Dr Williams said, “In every post he has filled he has brought to bear a deep common sense, a complete unpompous attitude, a ready sympathy for all and an irrepressible dead-pan humour. I shall miss him more than I can easily say, as a colleague whose wise advice and constant support have made a huge difference to my own ministry.”

Dr Hope has made great contributions in upholding the truth of Gospel in the debate on gay clergy. Also for the recent prevalence of online churches, he warned that the Internet had a “potential for evil” in limiting levels of human interaction. He has united with the Archbishop of Canterbury, and has sent a letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair criticising the inhumane behavior of U.S. and British troops in Iraq.

Looking forward to the new appointment, Dr Hope said St Margaret's Church in Ilkley, was attractive to him because of the “traditional values” of its people. He has also complimented its worship as one combining the best of the Anglican with lively worship for young people and their families.