Gorick was
ordained by
David Jenkins,
Bishop of Durham in 1987 in
Durham Cathedral. He was
Curate of
Birtley, Tyne and Wear until 1991 when he was appointed
Domestic Chaplain to
Richard Harries,
Bishop of Oxford. He was
Vicar of
Smethwick from 1994, and Area Dean of Warley; Vicar of the
Church of the Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon from 2001 until his appointment as
Archdeacon of Oxford and Canon Residentiary of
Christ Church, Oxford in 2013. Gorick was also Diocesan Inter-Faith Adviser, leads on
Church Planting and
Fresh Expressions and oversees
Chaplaincy in the
Diocese of Oxford.
Episcopal ministry On 4 November 2019, it was announced that Gorick would be the next
Bishop of Dudley, the
suffragan bishop in the
Diocese of Worcester. On 28 January 2020, he was consecrated as a bishop by
Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, during a service at
Southwark Cathedral. Gorick was welcomed into the diocese as the Bishop of Dudley on 22 February 2020. Following
John Inge's retirement the same day, Gorick became Acting
Bishop of Worcester on 9 October 2024.
Views In November 2022, Bishop Martin published a letter alongside his diocesan bishop,
John Inge, that stated "the time has come for the Church to celebrate and honour same sex relations" and supported the introduction of same-sex marriage in the Church of England. In November 2023, he 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". Martin Gorick is co-chair of the Diocese of Worcester's Racial Justice Forum. In 2024, he appeared in the Fifth Biannual report of the Archbishop's Commission on Racial Justice. He also has a commitment to gender equality, recording a film for the Diocese of Worcester's celebration of the 30th anniversary of the ordination of women priests reflecting on the experience of his Mother and Godmother. Martin is a member of the Diocese of Worcester's Climate Crisis Group and has been a vocal supporter on the campaign for sustainable flowers. He championed a motion approved by Diocesan Synod in November 2024 which will be taken to the General Synod. In November 2024 Martin called for properly funded end of life care as part of the debate around ensuring a dignified death and ahead of the Assisted Dying Bill being debated in Parliament. He highlighted a lack of funding for hospices as a key reason why individuals are not able to have a ‘good’ death and are seeking alternative options. At the February 2025 meeting of the General Synod of the Church of England, Bishop Martin spoke on the importance of the Cure of Souls remaining central to all that priests do. ==References==