THE Bishop of Durham is one of the most popular people in the

hierarchy of the Church of England, and is a well-known international

evangelist.

The immediate support the Right Rev Michael Turnbull received from the

Archbishops of Canterbury and York, after disclosures in the News of the

World that he was convicted of an act of gross indecency 26 years ago,

is proof of the high regard in which he is held.

The bishop devotes much of his time to international evangelism as

chairman of Partnership for World Mission.

Friends were staggered by the ''Bishop of Durham in Gay Sex Scandal''

headline as he has not joined calls for a more liberal attitude towards

homosexuality within the church.

He made it clear that he supported the recent House of Bishops'

statement that homosexual relationships were ''incompatible with a

full-time church ministry''.

He is a keen supporter of women priests.

Bishop Turnbull, 58, married his wife Brenda in 1963, and they have

three grown-up children.

He was born a vicar's son in a Yorkshire mining village, and after

attending Ilkley Grammar School, won a place at Keble College, Oxford,

to study geography.

While at Oxford he decided to follow his father into the church and

went on to read theology at Durham University.

He became a deacon in 1960 and a curate at a church in Middleton,

Manchester, before being ordained as a priest in 1961.

His first church was at Luton, Bedfordshire. He was delighted to be

offered the post of chaplain to the Archbishop of York four years later,

so he could return to his Yorkshire roots.

It was while he was chaplain that he committed the offence, and soon

afterwards took up the post as rector of Heslington.

Seven years later he became chief secretary of the Church Army. From

there he became Archdeacon of Rochester, and then Bishop of Rochester in

1988.