The new bishop designate enjoyed lunch with youngsters at St Peter's Church in the town following his appointment to the top Church of England job in Nottinghamshire.

Rt Revd Butler (53) is a University of Nottingham graduate and traces his call to ordination back to his years in the city, when he attended Christ Church in Chilwell.

He has been actively involved in ministry to children throughout his life and in 2005 the Archbishop of Canterbury invited him to become an 'advocate for children' on behalf of the Church of England's bishops – a role he will continue in the new post.

He said: "I long that every child can grow up fulfilling their God-given potential. In being given the enormous honour of becoming the next Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham I greatly look forward to working with both church and community to see this happening.

"I am returning to a county I grew to love in my previous years living here. I will seek to be out and about across the county and city learning what is happening in both church and community amongst every section of the community."

The new bishop designate will be the first bishop to be enthroned under the new title of the diocese when the Rt Revd George Cassidy retires next month.

The bishop enjoyed a bus tour of the diocese last Monday, travelling from Nottingham to Southwell, via Mansfield.

He is married to Rosemary, who is currently an art technician, and has four children.