Background
He was born in Aldershot, the son of an officer in the Royal Artillery. As a result of his father"s army postings, he spent time in Malta and Germany during his childhood.
He was born in Aldershot, the son of an officer in the Royal Artillery. As a result of his father"s army postings, he spent time in Malta and Germany during his childhood.
He then attended Marlborough College from 1966 to 1971, where he was Senior Prefect, and worked for Community Service Volunteers in children"s homes in Nottinghamshire. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Bachelor) degree in 1974. His Bachelor was promoted to Master of Arts (Master of Arts Oxfordshire) degree in 1978.
From 1975, he studied at the University of Cambridge, where he read theology at Selwyn College, Cambridge, whilst also preparing for ordination at Ridley Hall, Cambridge.
Since 2009, he has been the Bishop of Carlisle, the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Carlisle. From 2002 to 2009, he was the Bishop of Penrith, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Carlisle. In 1971, he matriculated into Trinity College, Oxford to study modern history.
He was commissioned as a second lieutenant on the General List of the Territorial Army on 23 May 1974.
He then spent a year working as an ambulance driver in Stevenage. He later resigned his TA commission on 8 July 1977.
He graduated Bachelor of Arts in 1977. This was promoted to Master of Arts (Master of Arts Cantab) in 1981.
Newcome was ordained a deacon in 1978.
His ordained ministry began as a curate at All Saints" Leavesden in the Diocese of Street Albans. He was ordained a priest in 1979 and remained at All Saints until 1982. Newcome was then appointed Vicar of Bar Hill and Dry Drayton in the Diocese of Ely in 1982.
He also became a tutor and lecturer in Pastoral Theology, Ethics and Integrating Theology at the Cambridge Federation of Theological Colleges from 1983 to 1988.
He was Rural Dean of the North Stowe Deanery from 1988 to 1994. In 1994 he was appointed a canon residentiary at Chester Cathedral also holding the Diocesan posts of Director of Ordinands from 1994 to 2000 and Director of Ministry, Education and Training from 1996 to 2002.
Episcopal ministry
In March 2002, Newcome was appointed Bishop of Penrith, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Carlisle. In in May 2009, he was announced as the next Bishop of Carlisle, the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Carlisle.
He was enthroned at Carlisle Cathedral on 10 October 2009.
On 3 October 2013, Newcome joined the House of Lords as a Lord Spiritual. On 17 November 2014, it was announced that Newcome had been appointed Clerk of the Closet. As such, he is head of the College of Chaplains of the Ecclesiastical Household and he undertakes a number of ceremonial roles such as presenting new diocesan bishops to the monarch.
The Reverend James Newcome (1978–1994)
The Reverend Canon James Newcome (1994–2002)
The Right Reverend James Newcome (2002—2013)
The Right Reverend James Newcome Doctor of Laws (2013–present).
He has been a member of the House of Lords as a Lord Spiritual since October 2013.