Christopher Chessun

Last updated

The Right Reverend

Christopher Chessun
Bishop of Southwark
Official portrait of The Lord Bishop of Southwark crop 2.jpg
Official portrait, 2019
Church Church of England
Diocese Diocese of Southwark
In office2011–present
Predecessor Tom Butler
Other post(s) Bishop for Urban Life and Faith (2009–present)
area Bishop of Woolwich (2005–2011)
Orders
Ordination3 July 1983 (deacon)
by Conrad Meyer
1 July 1984 (priest)
by Patrick Rodger
Consecration21 April 2005
by  Rowan Williams
Personal details
Born (1956-08-05) 5 August 1956 (age 68)
Hampton, Middlesex, United Kingdom
NationalityBritish
Denomination Anglican
ResidenceBishop's House, Streatham
Alma mater University College, Oxford
Member of the House of Lords
( Lord Spiritual )
Incumbent
Assumed office
15 December 2014

Christopher Thomas James Chessun (born 5 August 1956) is a British Anglican bishop. Since 2011, he has been Bishop of Southwark in the Church of England. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Chessun is a twin and was born on 5 August 1956. [2] He was educated at Hampton School, an all-boys private school in London. [3] He studied modern history at University College, Oxford, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1978: as per tradition, his BA was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Oxon) degree in 1982. [2] He trained for ordination at Westcott House, Cambridge, a liberal catholic theological college, while also studying theology at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. [4] He graduated from the University of Cambridge with a BA degree in 1982, having completed part II of the Theological Tripos. [2]

Ordained ministry

Made a deacon at Petertide 1983 (3 July) by Conrad Meyer, Bishop of Dorchester, at Dorchester Abbey [5] and ordained a priest the following Petertide (1 July 1984) by Patrick Rodger, Bishop of Oxford, at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, [6] he served curacies at St Michael and All Angels Sandhurst and St Mary's Portsea [7] and was then successively a chaplain at St Paul's Cathedral, London, rector of St Dunstan's, Stepney, Archdeacon of Northolt (2001–2005).

Episcopal ministry

In 2005, he was appointed Bishop of Woolwich, an area bishop of the Diocese of Southwark. He was consecrated a bishop on 21 April 2005. [8] He is a passionate advocate of overseas church links. [9]

Having served as an area bishop for over five years, his appointment as Bishop of Southwark was confirmed before a congregation at St Mary-le-Bow, Cheapside on 17 January 2011. [10] His enthronement at Southwark Cathedral took place on 6 March 2011. [10]

In March 2011 he began public ministry as the 10th Bishop of Southwark. He is a strong advocate for the parish system as the most effective means of church presence and engagement in the life of local communities, including the need to proclaim the Gospel afresh amid the rapid changes in church and community life. As Bishop of Southwark, his residence is Bishop's House, Streatham. [4]

Chessun is also the lead Bishop for Urban Life and Faith for the Church of England. This offers him an opportunity to contribute to debates and discussions on the importance of the churches' contribution to urban and public policy within society. In 2012, a number of Evangelicals criticised him for the appointment of Liberal Catholics to his leadership team. [11]

In May 2011, the Church of England declared that three members of the diocese participating in the Anglican Mission in England, ordained in Kenya, were in an impaired state of communion with Chessun due to a conflict of views on homosexuality. These "irregular" clergy would have to seek other bishops to ordain their candidates. His views are similar to those of his predecessor, Tom Butler, [12] who appointed Chessun as Bishop of Woolwich.

Views

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". [13]

Styles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglican Bishop of Southwark</span> Diocesan bishop in the Church of England

The Bishop of Southwark is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Southwark in the Province of Canterbury.

John Ronald Angus Stroyan is a retired Anglican bishop who served as the Bishop of Warwick, the suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Coventry, from 2005 until his retirement in 2023.

Alan Thomas Lawrence Wilson was a British Anglican bishop. He served as the area Bishop of Buckingham in the Diocese of Oxford from October 2003 until his death in February 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clive Gregory</span> British Anglican bishop (born 1961)

Clive Malcolm Gregory is a British retired Anglican bishop. He served as the Bishop of Wolverhampton, an area bishop in the Diocese of Lichfield from 2007 until he retired in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Thornton (bishop)</span> British Anglican bishop (born 1957)

Timothy Martin Thornton is a retired British Anglican bishop. His final post was as Bishop at Lambeth, Bishop to the Forces, and Bishop for the Falkland Islands (2017–2021). He was previously the area Bishop of Sherborne from 2001 to 2008, the diocesan Bishop of Truro (2009–2017), and a Member of the House of Lords (2013–2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Cheetham</span>

Richard Ian Cheetham is a retired Church of England bishop and former teacher. He served as the area Bishop of Kingston in the Diocese of Southwark, 2002–2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Walker (bishop of Manchester)</span> British Anglican bishop and Lord Spiritual (born 1957)

David Stuart Walker is a British Anglican bishop. Since 2013, he has been the Bishop of Manchester. He had previously been the Bishop of Dudley, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Worcester, from 2000 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Langstaff (bishop)</span> British Anglican bishop (born 1956)

James Henry Langstaff is a British retired Anglican bishop. He served as Bishop of Rochester from 2010 until 2021; he was previously the Bishop of Lynn, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Norwich, from 2004 to 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Winton</span> British Anglican bishop

Alan Peter Winton is a retired bishop who served as Bishop of Thetford in the Church of England Diocese of Norwich.

Geoffrey Peter Annas is a British retired Anglican bishop who served as the area Bishop of Stafford in the Church of England.

Richard Finn Blackburn is a British retired Anglican bishop. From 2009 until 2018, he served as the Bishop of Warrington — the sole suffragan bishop in the Church of England Diocese of Liverpool; he was also temporarily the acting Bishop of Sodor and Man, 2016–2017.

Andrew John Proud is a retired British Anglican bishop. He was area Bishop of Reading in the Church of England and previously the area bishop for the Horn of Africa in the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East.

John Edward Holbrook is a Church of England bishop. He is the Bishop of Brixworth in the Diocese of Peterborough. He also is currently serving as acting diocesan Bishop of Peterborough. He had been Rural Dean of Wimborne in the Diocese of Salisbury and served as Acting Bishop of Leicester.

Ian Gregory Bishop 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.

Michael Geoffrey Ipgrave is a British Anglican bishop. Since 2016, he has been the 99th Bishop of Lichfield, the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Lichfield. He was the Bishop of Woolwich, an area bishop in the Diocese of Southwark, from 2012 to 2016. He served as Archdeacon of Southwark between 2004 and 2012.

Andrew Peter Nunn is a British retired Anglican priest. Before retirement, he served as Dean of Southwark in the Church of England.

Richard Charles Jackson is a British Anglican bishop. He is the current Bishop of Hereford and Clerk of the Closet in the Church of England and a former Bishop suffragan of Lewes.

Ian Jagger is a retired British Anglican priest. From 2006 until retirement, he served as the archdeacon of Durham, a senior priest in the Diocese of Durham, Church of England. After parish ministry in the Diocese of London, the Diocese of Oxford, and the Diocese of Portsmouth, he was Archdeacon of Auckland from 2001 to 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karowei Dorgu</span> Nigerian bishop (1958–2023)

Woyin Karowei Dorgu was a Nigerian-born Church of England bishop and medical doctor. He was the Bishop of Woolwich, an area bishop in the Diocese of Southwark from his consecration on 17 March 2017 until his death.

Andrew Paul Rumsey is a British Anglican bishop. Since January 2019, he has served as the Bishop of Ramsbury in the Church of England.

References

  1. ↑ "Tenth Bishop of Southwark is Announced". Diocese of Southwark. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 "Southwark, Bishop of, (Rt Rev. Christopher Thomas James Chessun)". Who's Who 2020 . Oxford University Press. 1 December 2019. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U42116. ISBN   978-0-19-954088-4.
  3. ↑ "Chessun, Christopher Thomas James" . Who's Who . Vol. 2017 (November 2016 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 10 June 2017.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  4. 1 2 "Christopher Thomas James Chessun" . Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing . Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  5. ↑ "Ordinations" . Church Times . No. 6282. 8 July 1983. p. 15. ISSN   0009-658X . Retrieved 10 June 2017– via UK Press Online archives.
  6. ↑ "Petertide ordinations" . Church Times . No. 6334. 6 July 1984. p. 4. ISSN   0009-658X . Retrieved 10 June 2017– via UK Press Online archives.
  7. ↑ Debrett's People of Today London, Debrett's, 2008 ISBN   978-1-870520-95-9
  8. ↑ "(picture caption)" . Church Times . No. 7402. 21 January 2005. p. 4. ISSN   0009-658X . Retrieved 10 June 2017– via UK Press Online archives.
  9. ↑ Diocese of Southwark — Bishops' biographical notes (Accessed 10 June 2017)
  10. 1 2 "Election confirmed of Tenth Bishop of Southwark". Diocese of Southwark. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  11. ↑ "Evangelicals in Uproar Over Southwark Liberal Appointments". Anglican Mainstream. Archived from the original on 21 February 2013.
  12. ↑ "Co-Mission – Reaching London for Christ". Co-mission.org.uk. 24 April 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  13. ↑ 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.
  14. ↑ "New Bishop of Woolwich". Diocese of Southwark. Archived from the original on 4 February 2005.
Church of England titles
Preceded by Bishop of Woolwich
2005–2011		Succeeded by
Preceded by Bishop of Southwark
2011–present		Incumbent
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.