Paul Ferguson (bishop)

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The Right Reverend

Paul Ferguson

FRCO
Bishop of Whitby
Paul Ferguson (53825448838) (cropped).jpg
Ferguson in 2024
Church Church of England
Diocese Diocese of York
In office2014 to 2024
Predecessor Martin Warner
Other post(s) Archdeacon of Cleveland (2001–2014)
Orders
Ordination1985 (deacon)
1986 (priest)
Consecration3 July 2014
by  John Sentamu
Personal details
Born (1955-07-13) 13 July 1955 (age 70)
OccupationOrganist and
Alma mater

Paul John Ferguson FRCO (born 13 July 1955) [1] is a British retired Anglican bishop. From 2014 to 2024, he was the Bishop of Whitby, a suffragan bishop in the Church of England's Diocese of York. [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Ferguson was born on 13 July 1955. He was educated at Birkenhead School, an independent school in Merseyside. [3] Having been awarded an organ scholarship, he studied music at New College, Oxford, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1976: [3] [4] as per tradition, his BA was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Oxon) degree in 1980. He undertook teacher training at Westminster College, Oxford completing a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). [3] He returned to his former school as a teacher and organ player. [4] He then returned to university, and studied theology at King's College, Cambridge while training for ordination at Westcott House, Cambridge, a Liberal Anglo-Catholic theological college. [3] He graduated with a further BA in 1984. [1]

Ordained ministry

Ferguson was made a deacon at Petertide 1985 (30 June), by Ronald Brown, Bishop of Birkenhead, at St Mary-without-the-Walls, Chester, [5] and ordained a priest the Petertide following (29 June 1986), by Michael Baughen, Bishop of Chester, at Chester Cathedral. [6] After a curacy at St Mary, Chester he was Curate, Chaplain, Sacrist and Precentor at Westminster Abbey from 1988 to 1995. After this he was Precentor and a Residentiary Canon at York Minster until his appointment as Archdeacon of Cleveland in 2001. [7]

Episcopal ministry

He was consecrated at York Minster on 3 July 2014 by John Sentamu, Archbishop of York. [8] In the vacancy in See between the retirement of Sentamu and the confirmation of Stephen Cottrell, Ferguson was acting diocesan bishop. [9] He retired in July 2024. [10]

Since his retirement, Ferguson has functioned as honorary assistant priest, both at Mass and Evensong at St Lawrence's Church, York, a traditional anglo-catholic and Prayer Book parish church. [11] [12]

Personal life

In 1982, Ferguson married Penelope Hewitt-Jones, cousin of the composer Thomas Hewitt Jones. Together they had one daughter and two sons. His wife predeceased him in 2022. In 2024 he married Bridget Gillespie. [13]

References

  1. 1 2 "Paul John Ferguson" . Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing . Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  2. ↑ WHITBY, Bishop Suffragan of’, Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016; online edn, Nov 2016 accessed 12 March 2017
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Whitby, Bishop Suffragan of, (Rt Rev. Paul John Ferguson) (born 13 July 1955)". Who's Who 2023 . Oxford University Press. 1 December 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  4. 1 2 "The Rt Revd Paul Ferguson: Bishop of Whitby". Diocese of York. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  5. ↑ "Petertide ordinations" . Church Times . No. 6386. 5 July 1985. p. 16. ISSN   0009-658X . Retrieved 7 May 2019– via UK Press Online archives.
  6. ↑ "Petertide ordinations" . Church Times . No. 6438. 4 July 1986. p. 15. ISSN   0009-658X . Retrieved 7 May 2019– via UK Press Online archives.
  7. ↑ "Suffragan Bishop of Whitby: Paul John Ferguson". News. GOV.UK. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  8. ↑ "Consecrations of two new North Yorkshire bishops". BBC News. 3 July 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  9. ↑ "A pastoral letter to the Diocese of York from the Bishop of Whitby".
  10. ↑ "Two Bishops in the Diocese of York to retire in mid-2024". Diocese of York. 27 July 2023. Archived from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  11. ↑ Connell, Dylan. "VE Day service held at St. Lawrence Parish Church, York". Gazette & Herald. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
  12. ↑ "The Last Liberators". Facebook. The Last Liberators. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
  13. ↑ "Whitby, Bishop Suffragan of, (Rt Rev. Paul John Ferguson) (born 13 July 1955)". Who's Who 2024 . Oxford University Press. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
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