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Ian Gregory Bishop (born 13 November 1962) is a British Anglican bishop. Since September 2023, he has been Bishop of Thetford, a suffragan bishop in the Church of England's Diocese of Norwich. He was Archdeacon of Macclesfield in the Diocese of Chester from 2011 to 2023.

Early life and education

Bishop was born on 13 November 1962 in Devizes, Wiltshire, England. He was educated at Devizes School, a comprehensive school in the town. He studied urban and land administration at Portsmouth Polytechnic, graduating with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in 1984. He worked as a chartered surveyor, and became a Professional Associate of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (ARICS) in 1986 or 1987. He was a surveyor for Croydon Council from 1984 to 1986 and an estate manager at Gatwick Airport from 1986 to 1988. He then trained for ordination at Oak Hill College, a conservative evangelical theological college, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1991.

Ordained ministry

Bishop was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon at Petertide 1991 (on 30 June, by Ronald Bowlby, Bishop of Southwark, at Southwark Cathedral) and as a priest the next Petertide (5 July 1992, by Roy Williamson, Bishop of Southwark, at Croydon Parish Church). From 1991 to 1995, he served his curacy at Christ Church, Purley, in the Diocese of Southwark. He then became priest-in-charge of St Mary the Virgin, Saxlingham Nethergate and Shotesham in the Diocese of Norwich. After pastoral reorganisation, he was rector of the newly created Tas Valley Team Ministry from 1998 to 2001. He moved to the Diocese of Chester, and was he was Rector of St Michael and All Angels, Middlewich and St John the Evangelist's Church, Byley from 2001 to 2011. He was additionally rural dean of Middlewich from 2005 to 2010. He left parish ministry and became the Archdeacon of Macclesfield in January 2011.

He is a director of the Simeon Trustees, a trust established in the nineteenth century by Charles Simeon to purchase advowsons for Anglican ministers aligned with the Evangelical Anglicanism.

Episcopal ministry

On 14 June 2023, it was announced that he would be the next Bishop of Thetford, a suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Norwich. On 29 September 2023, he was consecrated as a bishop by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, during a service at Westminster Abbey. He will then be welcomed into the Diocese of Norwich as Bishop of Thetford on 30 September during a service at Norwich Cathedral.

Views

Bishop supports the introduction of blessings for committed same-sex relationships: "I personally intend to support the agenda of inclusion. I find myself unconvinced that committed same sex relationships should be categorized as sinful."

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".

Personal life

In 1986, Bishop married Sue. Together they have three sons.

References

1. "Appointment of Suffragan Bishop of Thetford: 14 June 2023". GOV.UK. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
2. "Diocesan Who's Who". Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
3. ^ Who's Who 2012 – BISHOP, Ian Gregory
4. ^ "Bishop, Ven. Ian Gregory, (born 13 Nov. 1962), Archdeacon of Macclesfield, since 2011". Who's Who 2020. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
5. ^ "Archdeacons: The Archdeacon of Macclesfield - The Venerable Ian Bishop". Diocese of Chester. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
6. ^ "Ian Gregory Bishop". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
7. ^ "The Ven Ian Gregory BISHOP". The Church of England Year Book. Church House Publishing. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
8. "Petertide ordinations". Church Times. No. 6700. 12 July 1991. p. 6. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 17 April 2024 – via UK Press Online archives.
9. "Ordinations at Petertide". Church Times. No. 6700. 7 July 1992. p. 4. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 17 April 2024 – via UK Press Online archives.
10. Crockford's Clerical Directory 2012-2013: A Directory of the Clergy of the Church of England, the Church in Wales, the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Church of Ireland
11. ^ Limbach, Katherine (14 June 2023). "New Bishop of Thetford announced". Diocese of Norwich. Archived from the original on 14 June 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
12. "Simeon's Trustees - Officers". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Companies House. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
13. "Appointment of Suffragan Bishop of Thetford: 14 June 2023". GOV.UK. Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street. 14 June 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
14. "Eucharist with Ordination and Consecration". Westminster Abbey. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
15. Limbach, Katherine (29 September 2023). "New Bishop of Thetford consecrated at Westminster Abbey". Diocese of Norwich. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
16. "General Synod Election Address: Venerable Ian Bishop Archdeacon of Macclesfield" (PDF). Diocese of Chester. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
17. Martin, Francis (1 November 2023). "Don't delay guidance allowing priests to be in same-sex marriages, say 44 bishops". Church Times. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.

• v
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• e

• 1962 births
• People from Devizes
• Alumni of the University of Portsmouth
• Archdeacons of Macclesfield
• Living people
• Chartered Surveyors
• Alumni of Oak Hill College
• 20th-century British Anglican priests
• 21st-century British Anglican priests
• Province of York archdeacon stubs