Press release today from Number 10.
Suffragan Bishop of Lewes: Richard Charles Jackson
The Queen has approved the nomination of the Reverend Richard Charles Jackson to the Suffragan See of Lewes.
The Queen has approved the nomination of the Reverend Richard Charles Jackson, MA (Oxon) MSc, Diocesan Advisor for Mission and Renewal, in the Diocese of Chichester, to the Suffragan See of Lewes, in the Diocese of Chichester, in succession to the Right Reverend Wallace Parke Benn, BA, on his resignation on 31 August 2012.
Reverend Richard Charles Jackson
The Reverend Richard Jackson (aged 53), studied first at Christ Church, Oxford and then at Cranfield Institute of Technology. He studied for his ordination at Trinity College, Bristol. From 1994 to 1998 he served his first curacy at Lindfield in Chichester diocese. From 1998 to 2009 he was Vicar at Rudgwick, in Chichester diocese, and was also Rural Dean for Horsham from 2005 to 2009. Since 2009 he has been Diocesan Advisor for Mission and Renewal.
Richard Jackson is married to Deborah and they have 3 children. His interests include hill walking, carpentry and motorcycling.
The Chichester diocesan website has more about the new bishop: New Bishop of Lewes Appointed.
Wonderful news for Chichester Diocese. Richard is a warm, wise, gracious and godly priest who will make a fine Bishop in the Diocese and in the wider church.
Will he ordain women as priests?
Can we have a judgement from Richard as to whether this guy ordains women?
Thank you, Tim. It is very encouraging to hear that.
I never quite know what to make of adjectives like “wise, warm, gracious and godly”. They may turn out to describe someone exactly as advertised, but sometimes they seem to turn out to mean “feeble, spineless and cowardly, but says all the right things”. Two quick questions: what does he think about men and women in ministry? and where does he stand on human sexuality? I guess I am looking for someone who will give justice and inclusion a priority (no surprises there) – but if he hides behind the collective view, rather than telling us what he thinks and… Read more »
Whatever he does as regards women’s ordination, you can rest assured he will hold the line on homosexual marriage.
I believe being willing to ordain women was one of the requirements set out in the job description.
I also note that the citation for the appointment of one of the new hon Canons in the diocese last month was ‘in recognition of her pastoral work in recent years within this diocese, and prior to that, in her promotion of the cause of admission to ordination the full range of people whose lives and circumstances reflect the reality of human experience’.
Peter Mullins is right.
Peter Mullins is right. The job specification for the new appointment included a requirement that he would ordain women as priests (as had been promised by the Diocesan) and it is expected that he will do this for the first time in mid June after he has been consecrated Bishop in Westminster Abbey on may 14th. The track record on lgbt issues in the Diocese is very mixed. The job spec for the Diocesan included the requirement that he adhered to the teachings of the CofE as set out in ‘Issues’. Martin Warner has made a point of welcoming both… Read more »
Robert –
Thee is no such thing as “homosexual marriage”. There is equal marriage – which has been introduced by the Marriage (Same-sex Couples) Act 2013. The bracket tells us the category of people who will be affected by the new law. But the Act is a Marriage Act. So let’s hear no more about something called “homosexual marriage” – there is just marriage for everyone.
Oh dear, a new bishop is appointed in the footsteps of St. Matthias and the first question is not Does he have a passion for Church Growth? Is he a good Evangelist? Does he have a heart for mission and a great desire and longing to extend Christ’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven? But “Will he ordain women as priests?” The answer to that question is yes he will. The Bishop of Chichester ensured that this was part of the job description? Contrary wise how many diocesan bishops who do ordain women as priests appoint suffragans now… Read more »
IN reply to Father David, of course, ordaining women is not the only thing that is important but in a diocese where bishops have not ordained women in the past and where it was supposed to be a requirement, I am surprised that it was not given even a passing mention in the diocesan publicity. Are they ashamed of it? I think timing of Philip North’s appointment was unfortunate. If the vote had gone through in November 2012, the protest may not have happened or not been so loud. I doubt whether ordaining women will be a major issue in… Read more »
The role description and person specification for the Bishop of Lewes is available here:
http://www.chichester.anglican.org/media/documents/document/2013/11/RDPS_1st_Final_1.pdf
To someone from outside the Diocese of Chichester Father David’s cri de coeur would seem reasonable enough. To those of us who live here, and who have fought for years against previous regimes’ opposition to women’s ordination, this is, unfortunately, the first question which comes to mind. Anything short of readiness to ordain women and to support women priests in their ministry (and positive enthusiasm would be rather nicer) would probably have sent me out of the C of E despite constant active membership throughout my life of 69 years.
I tire of the meme “why focus on women’s ordination/LGBT equality, instead of The Things That Really Matter?” (lots of pious talk) It’s precisely where a Christian stands on the dignity of ALL the Imago Dei that *measures* whether they are a “good Evangelist”, have “a heart for mission” and “a great desire and longing to extend Christ’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven”. Loving your brothers & sisters—in EQUALITY—is the standard: 1 John 4:20 Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or… Read more »
Jeremy….”Equal marriage” does not exist in the Church of England and is in fact still illegal.
Let’s be clear. The game is up for non-ordainers. There will be no future appointment of a diocesan who will not ordain women as priests (but the central members of the CNC would not admit to that) and most diocesans (male, and certainly female) will not appoint a suffragan who will not ordain women. It is good on balance (in my view) that the PEVs survive the new Measure. That raises the question as to whether ++Cantuar would be well advised to create a new PEV see and appoint a conservative evangelical. I would rather it was not necessary, but… Read more »
JCF, Your argument appears to imply that the priest who was to be Bishop of Whitby is a poor evangelist, has no heart for mission, has no desire to extend Christ’s kingdom, hates his brothers and sisters and therefore hates God.
I appreciate that I am biased since I am tainted with the same evil as he, but I have not observed those traits in him myself and presumably neither did the Archbishop of York.
“The stipend for 2011-2012 is in the range of £31,830 – £32,520”. No doubt a bit more in 2014-2015, and a house on top – but even so, the C of E is not a place to get rich.
Robert – from 29th March, marriage in England will include opposite sex and same sex couples. It will be legal for pretty much anyone in the country to be married or not to be married as they choose. You may not have noticed, but the Church of England is a church by law established, and therefore the law of the land applies to it. The Church may choose not to celebrate the marriages of same sex couples – but it can’t and won’t stop lots of its own Christians entering into them. It can’t declare them illegal, because it is… Read more »
Anthony, “There will be no future appointment of a diocesan who will not ordain women as priests” & “The game is up for non-ordainers”. What happened to ” mutual flourishing”, that idea which was all the rage not so very long ago? Judging by some of the comments on this thread this concept seems to have had a very short shelf life. Have Traditionalists had the wool pulled over their eyes? I hardly regard irrevocably changing 2000 years of our great Christian heritage as a “game “! As for JCF’s scandalous comment with its unworthy assertions, he is hardly shewing… Read more »
The appointment means that conservative evangelicals of the Reform persuasion remain unrepresented in the episcopate of the Church of England. For how much longer are they to be excluded?
” Have Traditionalists had the wool pulled over their eyes?” – Father David –
Dear Father David, the condition of myopia may be the real cause of people not seeing what is going on in front of them. It does not require blanket obfuscation.
The issue regarding both Whitby and Lewes is that these sees have been occupied by non-ordainers of women. In the case of Whitby, over four incumbents and in Lewes in the context of a diocese where no bishop has ordained women. A change was therefore at least appropriate if not necessary (and most thought it was necessary).
It has been hard to appoint a headship believing evangelical to a bishopric because candidates either change their minds on headship or are not able to work with the diversity of the CofE.
Thinking about Whitby, it is now some considerable time since Dr. Warner moved to the south coast thus leaving the suffragan see vacant. Is the somewhat autocratic Archbishop of York shewing his displeasure at the people of North Yorkshire in delaying making an appointment because of their rejection of one who would have made a first rate pastoral bishop or, as in the case of Hereford, is the pool of acceptable “company men” simply drying up?
Father David – your cynicism is showing…
Apparently Selby and Whitby are being considered together.
Following the withdrawal of Philip North, the archbishop was unable to proceed with the Whitby vacancy until the Dioceses Commission had completed its review of the York episcopal arrangements. Only when it had done that, was he able to proceed with the Whitby vacancy, now joined by the Selby one.
“Apparently Selby and Whitby are being considered together” Does that mean that there will only be one bishop instead of two? If so, what a good idea, as it will save a bob or two, for bishops cost the Church of England a vast amount of money not only in stipends but also in expenses. Lincoln has already led the way by culling the position of Bishop of Grantham, it would set a good example if York were to follow suit by reducing the number of bishops within the diocese. After all they already have the Bishop of Hull, why… Read more »
No, the two vacant sees are intended to be filled by two separate persons, though a single advertisement was used to request comments from the public.
The Dioceses Commission evidently was persuaded by the evidence that three suffragan sees were still justified, though it did recommend changes to the terms of reference for these posts.
The Archbishop of York does spend a large part of his time on matters outside his own diocese.
I wonder, has it occurred to JCF or others that that verse also condemns liberals who hate conservatives? Unfortunately in so much of the church today disagreement=hate. There is no such thing as tolerance. That’s not good enough. It’s full approval or nothing. Anyone who is of a different mind can’t be a Christian. In TEC I think it’s probably true that gay marriage and women’s ordination have become the first order doctrinal beliefs, much more important than Christ’s divinity, resurrection, salvation, etc. Apparently that is true in the CoE too now. The question of who should be bishop doesn’t… Read more »
Thank you Chris H for such a perceptive comment on what has now become the new “orthodoxy”. Even so sage a commentator as Anthony Archer admits as much with his claim that no non-ordainer of women will ever become a diocesan bishop in future. For anyone seeking to be a future Diocesan in the Church of England a new clause must be added to the ancient creed, namely -” I believe in the ordination of women to both the priesthood and the episcopacy. Amen!” I recall an episode of Rev (soon joyfully returning to our tv screens to entertain and… Read more »
“In TEC I think it’s probably true that gay marriage and women’s ordination have become the first order doctrinal beliefs, much more important than Christ’s divinity, resurrection, salvation, etc.” False, false, false, absolutely false. The doctrine that includes women and LGBT is that Jesus’s love and salvation is for ALL people, not the white, male, status quo that’s been oppressing us for so long. Inclusion is a result of doctrine, it is a result of listening to the Radical Jesus who defended the oppressed from the powerful and treated women like people. The sooner that “traditionalists” recognize that the liberal… Read more »
Cynthia’s illustrated the heart of the problem: it’s a theological battle between ongoing revelation (living Christ) and closed revelation (the Bible). Personally, I’ve no horse in this race, treating, as I do, all revelation claims with skepticism. It’s sufficient for me that the equality of all, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, is right. Justice is central to the spirit of Jesus’ Kingdom preaching. Even if the historical Jesus considered homosexuality to be a sin (since it was condemned by the Mosaic law, he almost certainly did) the spirit of his message can overcome the specifics, just as the spirit… Read more »
Nay, Cynthia, what Chris H writes is True, true, absolutely true.
Your own comment reminds me of nothing more than Albert Schweitzer’s conclusion to his “Quest for the Historical Jesus” in that it was like people peering down a deep well looking for Jesus and seeing their own faces reflected in the water.
The sooner that “traditionalists” recognize that the liberal position has powerful support in the Living Christ, the sooner we might have a real conversation.
Or to put it another way.
As soon as you acknowledge I’m right and you’re wrong,I’ll have a conversation with you!
“The stipend for 2011-2012 is in the range of £31,830 – £32,520”. No doubt a bit more in 2014-2015, and a house on top – but even so, the C of E is not a place to get rich.
Nice cover up…no mention of all the untaxed perks..no rates, utility bills, transport, even scholarships for the kids etc…actually double the stipend in value.
Women bishops will be voted in precisely because there will be provisions to ensure that those opposing them will always have a bishop they can happily serve under. It is therefore wishful thinking to suggest that no conservative bishops should ever be installed again. But there is no doubt that within another decade or two anti gay sentiments will be seen to be as immoral as racism is now. We do not tolerate racists who are racist on theological grounds, and for the same reason the church will eventually no longer tolerate homophobes, whatever theological reasons they claim. As always… Read more »
Father David, I’m a little confused. You appear to be wholly in favour of Jeffrey John becoming a bishop; and wholly against any woman even being a priest? Presumably you have sound theological justification for both these stances? Although I am very aware that being a supporter of women’s ministry does not always go hand in hand with being a campaigner for LGBT rights. When i was in the ministry there were more than a few male gay clergy who abhorred the idea of women’s ministry; and I knew women clergy who felt most of the antipathy towards them was… Read more »
The type of priests that Stephen refers to tend not to be out and proud supporters of LGBT rights, but closeted so deep you’d need the ‘Alvin’ to find them. Homophobic pronouncements are often used as cover.
It’s hard to think of any *supporter* of gay rights who opposes the ordination of women.
I think I must have heard Jeffrey John lecture on at least three occasions and each time I have been deeply impressed by the way in which this brilliant teacher presents the Good News of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I am sure that the congregation at St. Albans cathedral benefit greatly from having such a talented and gifted Dean but those self same gifts are much needed by the wider Church and if he were to be consecrated a bishop could be used on a much bigger platform. The current situation at Hereford shews us just how difficult… Read more »
but closeted so deep you’d need the ‘Alvin’ to find them.
I may seem like the judge who said “and what is a Beatle?”…. What is the ‘Alvin’?
May I take the thread back a little? Bishops aren’t a focus of unity but a source of unity. You don’t have to agree with them but you do derive the reassurance of sacramental ministry through them.
Father David says “Nay, Cynthia, what Chris H writes is True, true, absolutely true. Your own comment reminds me of nothing more than Albert Schweitzer’s conclusion to his “Quest for the Historical Jesus” in that it was like people peering down a deep well looking for Jesus and seeing their own faces reflected in the water.” Cynthia says: Intriguing comment. Because as I see it, the “traditionalists” go a long way towards creating God in their image, rather than seeing ALL people in God’s Image. Ian quotes me: “The sooner that “traditionalists” recognize that the liberal position has powerful support… Read more »
“Some of the recent posts on TA seem to assume that being a supporter of LGBT rights must make one an advocate for women’s ministry. Unfortunately, that is not always the case!” Fundamentally, the issues of WO, WB, and LGBT inclusion all come down to whether or not one believes that ALL people are created in the Image of God. 1. If ALL, then that has important implications as to how we treat one another, women, LGBT people, people of all races, the poor, etc. It has implications about our polity, and it strongly points to inclusion. 2. If some… Read more »
Glad to see, Chris H and Father David, that you have become liberal pluralists. Of course, the reason you have done so is the fact that you are losing numerically. Others among us, Erika,* for example, and myself are liberal pluralists because (a) we have compassion; and (b) we have a better grasp of reality, that is, the inevitable compromises members of the Body of Christ have to make if it is to exist at all. Makes you think – at least I hope so.
*Erika, hope I haven’t misrepresented you.
John.
As I have said on a previous thread, women’s ordination and lgbt issues are inextricably linked because it’s all about male domination of women, the supposed inferiority of women and the fear that homosexual men are thus less than manly. That is why women themselves don’t feature very highly in the obsessions of homophobes, because they don’t matter unless they are bringing up male children who might thus be one less than ‘manly’.
Cynthia: Thank you for insightful comments about our human image in relation to God and the implications for issues relating to sexuality and ministry that are dominating the Anglican Church and consequentially its credibility in God’s world.
“Some of the recent posts on TA seem to assume that being a supporter of LGBT rights must make one an advocate for women’s ministry. Unfortunately, that is not always the case!” – Steven Morgan – Sad but true, Steven. It seems that some of the very same Anglo-Catholics prone to bury their homosexuality are sometimes fierce opponents of women in ministry. I don’t think is an intrinsic fear of women but it may be distrust. It seems the more open one is able to be about one’s innate homosexuality, the more accepting one can be of other mistreated members… Read more »
Methinks that this blog is having more and more to do with sociology and psychology and less and less to do with theology and Christology. At least that’s what this well known liberal pluralist finks anyway!
Fr David,
that’s probably because we don’t seem to be getting anywhere when conservatives simply ignore liberal theology instead of engaging with it.
And any theology worth having takes psychology into account.
We’ve been given a brain and we’ve not been asked to leave it at the church door.
Where science and psychology plainly contradict theology, it is theology that needs to be reconsidered.
Not because God got it wrong but because it indicates that we got our theology wrong.