From the Number 10 website
Diocese of Winchester
Tuesday 6 September 2011The Queen has approved the nomination of the Reverend Canon Timothy John Dakin for election as Bishop of Winchester.
The Queen has approved the nomination of the Reverend Canon Timothy John Dakin, BA, MTh, General Secretary of the Church Mission Society, Associate Priest of Ruscombe and Twyford in Oxford Diocese and Honorary Canon Theologian at Coventry Cathedral, for election as Bishop of Winchester in succession to the Right Reverend Michael Charles Scott-Joynt, MA, on his resignation on the 31st May 2011.
Notes for editors
Canon Tim Dakin (aged 53) was born to missionary parents in Tanzania and grew up partly in East Africa and partly in vicarages in the UK.
He studied at the University College of Saint Mark and St John, Plymouth, and at King’s College, London, and did further research at Christ Church, Oxford. From 1993 to 2000 he was the Principal of Carlile College, Kenya (a Church Army college which includes a Theology School and a Business School), and a Curate at Nairobi Cathedral. Since 2000 he has been the General Secretary of the Church Mission Society (with the South American Mission Society since 2009), and an Associate Priest in the Parish of Ruscombe and Twyford, near Reading. Tim is an elected member of the General Synod from the Oxford Diocese. From 2001 he has been an Honorary Canon Theologian of Coventry Cathedral, taking a special interest in mission theology.
Under Tim’s leadership CMS has seen a number of changes. In 2008 the Church of England recognised CMS as a mission community; it has about 2,500 members and follows a simple rule of life. During the last ten years CMS has also been committed to establishing CMS Africa and Asia CMS within a new mission network called Interchange. Alongside this it has contributed to the mission-shaped church initiative in England and elsewhere, and to the development of pioneer ministry and training. Historically, CMS is known for its holistic world-wide mission, and was involved in planting or supporting up to two-thirds of the Provinces of the Anglican Communion. CMS currently works in over 40 countries and supports more than 200 people in full-time mission. In 2007 CMS moved to Oxford, bringing together its administration, conference centre, library and mission house.
Tim is married to Sally, who is also ordained (and a midwife), and they have two children, Anna (20) and Johnny (16). Tim’s interests include reading, walking, films and non-Western Christianity. The Dakins like to take their family holidays on a farm in Kenya.
The Diocese of Winchester has this: The next Bishop of Winchester announced.
The Church Mission Society has this: Tim Dakin to be next Bishop of Winchester.
Dare one say – a breath of fresh air for the historic Diocese of Winchester and the Church of England? Whatever the new bishop’s attitude towards the LGBT community – at least it will be founded on a pretty sound knowledge and experience of the Church overseas as well as at ‘home’.
One can but pray for him and wish him well in his new ministry. At least, the Church will have to adjust to a different provenance – away from the Old Boy’s Club – in its newest recruit to the episcopate.
Probably good news for women bishops but bad news for those of us who oppose the Covenant
Jean
Everyone speaks highly of his personal qualities. However, I am concerned to learn that he spoke in favour of the Anglican Covenant at the General Synod in February 2008, ie even before it had been watered down. He would thus appear to be another conservative evangelical, a stance which he shares with the suffragan Bishop of Basingstoke, Peter Hancock. My understanding was that the Church attempted to alternate bishops from different ‘wings’ of the Church: Winchester has broken this mould by appointing someone very similar to his predecessor, and with no obvious check or balance elsewhere in the diocese. Please… Read more »
Congratulations, Tim.
OK, Ignorant Yank here. I can see the obvious: CMS, Africa (I also see his wife is ordained). Is (+)Dakin part of the problem, or part of the solution?
Jean is probably more or less right. However, as I have just commented elsewhere, Tim has much to commend him – and I think Winchester have got themselves a very good diocesan bishop. He has both a sense of humour and a sense of irony, for a start, and I have always found him willing to engage with and attempt to understand opinions different to his own. Considering the title of the this site, Tim is definitely an Anglican, and he definitely thinks! The thoughts might have led him to different conclusions from many of us who hang out here,… Read more »
Another fundamentalist?
I agree with you Justin. I spent nearly 4 years working with Tim as a trustee at CMS UK: he has a huge brain with a great capacity to absorb and engage with conflicting theological writings and arguments. He has led CMS through a period of massive change and re-focussing. He has limited parish experience though and has not been an incumbent.
Things could get confusing in Winchester Diocese: They already have a Revd Tim Dakin, who is a team vicar in Southampton and presents BBC Radio Solent’s Sunday morning show. Presumably this Sunday he will be interviewing the Revd Tim Daykin?
He heads a mission agency. Of course he is a conservative. People like that always believe the plain meaning of scripture — what liberals call a fundamentalist and what conservatives call a converted believer.
Remember the previous Bishop of Winchester was totally liberal on divorce and re-marriage..but the Church of England has now reduced “orthodoxy” to , how the episcopal candidate holds the line on homosexuality.
Those are the hard facts….you LBGT folk are still out in the cold!
It is a bit hard to put his cv together. What was the ‘further research’ at Christ Church? What was he working on? It looks like he also had no pre-ordination theological education (no course or college listed any where). Just curious.
Anyone who heads an organisation that comes up with ‘Sharing Jesus, Changing Lives’ as their strap-line deserves to be taken seriously. One of the best strap-lines going. His CV doesn’t include being vicar any where – that always makes me cautious but it’s not an exact science.
Jonny Baker of CMS UK blogs about the qualities of his boss here:
http://jonnybaker.blogs.com/jonnybaker/2011/09/time-for-change-at-cms-and-winchester.html
“He has limited parish experience though and has not been an incumbent.” Simon
Like a Regional Sales Manager who’s never worked in one of the shops.
Like GHCW I had also noted the apparent absence of any ministerial formation course.
Apart from that it has been interesting – if not illuminating – to read some of the rush to judgement in other posts above.
For once (I never thought the day would come!!) I find myself agreeing with Jean Mayland. I listened to him on the Covenant -very high minded, but short on substance to my mind. Still, we can’t all agree. My main concern is that Winchester will now have two conservative evangelicals and one other bishop who certainly isn’t a catholic. Many in the diocese are disappointed that the balance wasn’t addressed in this appointment, whatever the merits of the bishop designate may be. Not surprising though, given that all the vacancy in see reps on the CAC were evangelicals, that they… Read more »
Regarding doubts about his theological formation; how come he became head of an African theological College? Or is that a silly question?
‘He heads a mission agency. Of course he is a conservative. People like that always believe the plain meaning of scripture.’
Apart from the above quotation, someone else describes the bishop-designte as a ‘conservative evangelical’. Since when has the Gen Sec of CMS been a conservative evangelical (not to mention with with a wife who is a priest)?
Having jumped to conclusions about this man, are we then to dismiss him as ‘people like that’?
Although Laura Sykes says “He would thus appear to be another conservative evangelical”; Jean Mayland also observes that Tim Dakin is “good news for women bishops”. Conservative Evangelicals (certainly in the UK) generally don’t support the ordain ministry of women as priests, or certainly bishops, so would not really consider Tim to be conservative. Evangelicals who support women’s ordained ministry would probably more likely call themselves Open Evangelicals; for example those at Fulcrum http://www.fulcrum-anglican.org.uk/. The phrase ‘liberal evangelical’ is sometimes used (perhaps somewhat disparagingly by some) of those with more open views. The term was used occasionally five or six… Read more »
With the announcement of the next bishop of Winchester that makes Timothy the second most popular name for diocesan bishops with three bearing that biblical and saintly handle – along with three called Nicholas and Michael. The most popular names for diocesans with four each – are John, Christopher and Stephen (if you include Sheffield with the variant spelling of the proto-martyr).
The most popular names for diocesan bishops are indeed all saintly but apart from wondering when I’m going to get a life I also wonder why we have no bishops bearing street-cred names like Darren, Tyson and Wayne?
Fr David,
Tyson? Darren? Wayne?
Next you’ll be saying you want a bishop who went to a bog standard comprehensive school and then to a university that used to be a polytechnic.
Yet in England at least we dont seem to have any? churches dedicated to St Timothy…I have often wondered why? Any enlightenment?
Looking forward to the day when Darren, Tyson and Wayne are joined by Karen, Samantha and Kirsty.
“…no bishops bearing street-cred names like Darren, Tyson and Wayne…” Father David
But surely a Bishop John Waine scores double points? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Waine
//shows age//
In Bristol, it was Barry for many years, who was then succeeded by “Mike”. Mike’s current suffragan is Lee.
Tim Dakin is a former vice chair of Fulcrum if that helps you pigeon hole him. where does Fulcrum stand is an interesting question. It may see itself at the centre of evangelical Anglicanism, at the centre of Anglicanism as a whole or simply as a group for Open evangelicals. Open may means an attitude to other strands of Anglicanism or a set of beliefs.
Those of us who are old enough will remember a former and much loved Bishop of Winchester, John V Taylor, who was also General Sec. of CMS and had never held a living. Sounds familiar? I well remember clergy, upon the announcement of his appointment,having severe doubts as to his episcopal abilities. They were proved wrong and many had good cause to be thankful for his pastoral care. Like Lister, I agree that we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. However it’s likely to be a steep learning curve for Tim, and he deserves our support and prayers. He is certainly not… Read more »
I do believe that the current bishop of Bristol + Mike – engaged in pugilism in his younger days – so I’ve no reason whatsoever to doubt his Street-cred.
“Tim Dakin is a former vice chair of Fulcrum if that helps you pigeon hole him.”
It does. (i.e., he could only be “liberal” by Taliban standards!)
I pity the Church of England. Prayers!
Mr. Black looks forward to the day when bishops Darren, Tyson and Wayne are joined by “Karen, Samantha and Kirsty” (hasn’t Samantha recently gone a bit more upmarket now that it is surely primarily associated with the current Prime Minister’s spouse – Sam Cam – rather than a page three glamour model?. What about poor Sharon and Tracey? Although, of course, we’ve already had a Bishop Treacy – + Eric of Wakefield who had a great interest in that manly traditional clerical passion – steam trains!
I apologise for attempting to label Tim Dakin.
So far as his views on women bishops are concerned, we may not immediately know this as, according to WATCH, Winchester are due to vote on 15 October and Canon Dakin is not to take up his appointment until 2012.
My concern derives from his support for the Anglican Covenant which, in the podcast at http://www.churchofengland.org/media/746870/feb0814.mp3 he describes as ‘a splendid reaffirmation of why we are God’s people’ (GS Feb 2008).
It is an interesting appointment, putting global mission onto the front rank of the bishops. And Tim is a good person. But we should also pause and hold one minute’s silence to mark the premature death of the relatively new CNC process for selecting bishops. All six of the local delegates from Winchester on the CNC were evangelicals, which contravenes the Church of England’s own guidelines. And with Tim replacing Colin Slee as an elected General Synod member on the CNC, we have a situation in which one of the interviewers became an interviewee. So yes, he shortlisted himself. It… Read more »