The Anglican Bishop of Bermuda yesterday preached his last Sunday sermon on the Island.

For the Rt. Rev. William Down will leave Bermuda on Thursday after more than five years as the senior cleric in the Anglican Church of Bermuda.

And he and wife Sally will return to England, where Bishop Down will take up a new post as Bishop of Leicester.

Bishop Down admitted: "I have mixed feelings about leaving -- you always think of the good things you enjoyed.

"But I am looking forward very much to the challenges ahead.'' He added that he had been working towards a better system of electing the Anglican Bishop of the Island.

At present, the Primate is elected by majority votes in Parliament. Bishop Down said a new system would soon be in place -- but declined to reveal details.

Yesterday morning, Bishop Down and his wife were presented with an engraved crystal decanter and glasses in appreciation of their work on the Island.

During a packed service last night, Bishop Down told worshippers at Hamilton's Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity: "The Anglican Bishop of Bermuda has a challenging task.

"He lives in a small community -- a community where everybody knows everybody and one in which any straying from the straight and narrow path is quickly noted, and equally quickly known by all and sundry. It can be like living in a goldfish bowl.'' "The Bishop's task is to is to give a clear and positive moral lead on issues currently of concern to the whole community -- issues like drug abuse, homosexuality and AIDS.'' Bishop Down said that when he took on the task of heading the Island's Anglican congregation, he spoke of "the Church's calling to promote reconciliation -- reconciliation between people and God and God and people, reconciliation between hostile sections of the community and reconciliation between nations in conflict.'' He added: "I spoke of the Church's calling to be involved at every level in the total life of the community -- a calling to welcome and minister to strangers visiting our island and to minister to those involved in making decisions which have far-reaching implications both here and beyond our shores.'' Bishop Down said: "Five years and more along the road I see no reason for thinking any differently -- they were right and proper principles and objectives and I have done my best to fulfill them.'' He added that the role of the Island's Anglican Bishop was made more difficult by the Island's isolation and by not being part of a larger Province of the Anglican Church.