From 1995 to 2011, Holtam was the vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields, in the Trafalgar Square area of the Diocese of London, where he initiated and led a £36 million buildings renewal.[citation needed] While in this position, he was a regular broadcaster and published articles and two books, A Room with a View: Ministry with the World at Your Door (SPCK, 2008); The Art of Worship: Paintings, Prayers and Readings for Meditation (National Gallery London with Yale University Press, 2011).[citation needed].
Holtam was a trustee of the National Churches Trust (2008–16),[11] and now serves as a Vice President, and chaired the Church of England Ministry Division's Committee for Ministry with and among Deaf and Disabled People (2013–18).[12] He is a vice-president of the Royal School of Church Music[13] and in 2013 was made an Honorary Fellow of the Guild of Church Musicians.[14] From 2014 until June 2021 he was Chair of the C of E's Environmental Working Group and lead bishop for the Environment. From 9 February 2015 until his retirement he was a member of the House of Lords as a Lord Spiritual.[15] He made his maiden speech on 2 June 2015, during the Lords debate on the Queen's Speech.[16]
In February 2021, it was announced that he would step down as Bishop of Salisbury on 3 July 2021, retiring one month short of his 67th birthday.[4] He duly retired on that date.[17]
Views
In February 2012, Holtam became the first Church of England bishop to publicly support same-sex marriage.[18][19][20][21] In June 2013, Holtam wrote in response to a request from Waheed Alli asking him to clarify his views on same-sex marriage and explain why he differs from the official statements made by the Church of England.[22] Acknowledging that members of the Church of England hold varied views, Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, said in the House of Lords that this was a "strong and welcome contribution".[23] In 2017, speaking on same-sex marriage, Holtam stated that "the Church will come to see the goodness of supporting people in a fruitful relationship that is permanent, faithful and stable."[24]
In 2022 he wrote a third book, Sleepers Wake: Getting Serious About Climate Change, The Archbishop of York’s Advent Book 2022 (SPCK, 2022).
He is Patron of the Museum of Homelessness.
Personal life
Holtam is married to Helen (née Harris), a mathematicsteacher, and they have four adult children.[5]
^ abc"Diocese of Salisbury". Number10.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 12 April 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^"Guild of Church Musicians celebrates 125 years". The Church Times. 24 May 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2013. The following were made Hon. Fellows of the Guild: the Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam, Bishop of Salisbury.
^Riazat Butt, religious affairs correspondent (5 February 2012). "Church of England failing gay Christian couples, says bishop". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 7 February 2012. In remarks that reveal deep divisions in the church hierarchy, the Right Rev Nicholas Holtam said there were gay couples who were living faithfully and lovingly for life and that the quality and nature of their relationships meant it was appropriate to use the language of marriage.{{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
^Gledhill, Ruth (3 February 2012). "I've changed my mind, says bishop, and I now support gay marriage". The Times. p. 4. I think same-sex couples that I know who have formed a partnership have in many respects a relationship which is similar to a marriage and which I now think of as marriage. And of course now you can't really say that a marriage is defined by the possibility of having children.
^The Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam (30 May 2013). "A letter from the Bishop of Salisbury to Lord Alli of Norbury". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 18 July 2013. Thank you for asking me to set out why I am sympathetic to the possibility of equal marriage and have a different view from that stated in the Church of England's response to the Equal Civil Marriage consultation.