Smitha Prasadam

Madhu Smitha Prasadam (born 1964) is an Anglican bishop. Since 2023 she has served as Bishop of Huddersfield in the Diocese of Leeds. From 2018 to 2023, she served as Chaplain of St. Alban's Church, Copenhagen.^[1]

The Right Reverend Smitha Prasadam
Bishop of Huddersfield
Church	Church of England
Province	Province of York
Diocese	Anglican Diocese of Leeds
In office	2023–present
Predecessor	Jonathan Gibbs
Other post(s)	Chaplain, St. Alban's Church, Copenhagen (2018–2023)
Orders
Ordination	2003 (deacon) 2004 (priest) by John Sentamu
Consecration	22 June 2023 by Stephen Cottrell
Personal details
Born	South India
Spouse	Peter Prasadam
Children	1
Education	The Queen's Foundation

Early life

Prasadam was born in South India in 1964.^[2] Her parents worked for the Church Mission Society. They moved to Wales; and her mother became the first Indian woman ordained in the UK.^{[citation needed]}

Ordained ministry

She trained for ordained ministry at The Queen's Foundation.^[2] After a curacy at Blackheath in the West Midlands,^[3] she became vicar of St Paul's Church, Hamstead in 2007. In 2018 she moved to Denmark to be Anglican Chaplain in Copenhagen. She was also the Bishop in Europe's racial justice adviser, vocations adviser and chair of the House of Clergy.^[4] She is a member of the College Council of St John's College, Durham.^[5]

On 8 March 2023, Prasadam was announced as the next Bishop of Huddersfield, an area bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Leeds.^[6] On 22 June 2023, she was consecrated a bishop by Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, during a service at York Minster.^[4]

Views

In November 2023, she was one of 44 Church of England bishops who signed an open letter supporting the use of the Prayers of Love and Faith (i.e. blessings for same-sex couples) and called for "Guidance being issued without delay that includes the removal of all restrictions on clergy entering same-sex civil marriages, and on bishops ordaining and licensing such clergy".^[7]

Personal life

Prasadam is married to Peter Prasadam: they have one daughter, Esther.

References

1. "Canon Prasadam announced as next Bishop of Huddersfield". Anglican Diocese of Leeds. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
2. "Madhu Smitha Prasadam". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
3. "Pastures new for popular curate". Halesowen News. 26 January 2007. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
4. "A view from the pew: The consecration of Bishop Smitha Prasadam". Diocese in Europe. 23 June 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
5. "Appointment of Revd Canon Smitha Prasadam as Bishop of Huddersfield - Durham University". Durham University. 8 March 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
6. "New Bishop of Huddersfield announced". Diocese of Leeds. 8 March 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
7. Martin, Francis (1 November 2023). "Don't delay guidance allowing priests to be in same-sex marriages, say 44 bishops". Church Times. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.

Church of England titles
Preceded by Jonathan Gibbs	Bishop of Huddersfield 2023 to present	Incumbent