Tim Stevens (Bishop)

Tim Stevens (2015)

Timothy John "Tim" Stevens CBE (born December 31, 1946 in Dagenham , Essex ) is a British Anglican clergyman and was Bishop of Leicester from 1999 to 2015 .

life and career

Stevens was born in a rural English church to Ralph Stevens and Ursula Plowman. He attended Chigwell School in Chigwell, Greater London . After finishing school, he spent a year as a development worker in Zambia as part of the Voluntary Service Overseas .

Stevens graduated from Selwyn College at the University of Cambridge . There he did a Bachelor of Arts in 1968 and a Master of Arts in 1972 in Classical Philology and English . He also studied at Ripon Hall College, Cuddesdon , where he earned a degree in theology .

From 1968 to 1973 he worked for five years as a management trainee at British Overseas Airways Corporation . This was followed by two years from 1972 to 1973 as Second Secretary in the South Asia Department in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office .

From 1975 he attended Ripon Hall College to prepare for the priesthood. 1976, he became the deacon ordained in 1977 and for priests . From 1976 to 1980 he served as auxiliary vicar at St. Alban Church in East Ham , in the district of Upton Park in London . From 1980 to 1988 he was Dean ( Team Rector ) of Canvey Island . From 1987 to 1991 he was responsible for urban districts and issues ( Urban Officer ) in the office of the Bishop of Chelmsford .

From 1991 to 1995 he was archdeacon (head of the church district) of West Ham . In 1995 he became a suffragan bishop of Dunwich . He remained in that office until he became Bishop of Leicester in June 1999 .

Stevens is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Westcott House Theological College , Cambridge . He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Montfort University . He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Children's Society .

During his time at Chelmsford, Stevens was involved in the development of community-funded community-funded aid projects. His tasks included the renovation and modernization of the church buildings in order to prepare them for the modern needs of church missions. As a suffragan bishop he worked closely with the local administrative authorities and with voluntary aid organizations and helped to prepare decisions for the regional government.

He has been married to Wendi Kathleen Price since 1973. They have a daughter and a son.

In November 2014 it was announced that he would be stepping down on July 11, 2015. Stevens retired on August 31, 2015. He was succeeded in December 2015 by Martyn Snow .

Membership in the House of Lords

From 2003 to 2015, Stevens was a Spiritual Lord in the House of Lords . He gave his inaugural address on February 9, 2004.

In November 2009 he became Chairman (Convenor) of the Spiritual Lords.

His political interests included children and families , Hinduism and interfaith affairs , pastoral care and counseling, and urban development .

Working in public

Stevens shows a particular interest in interfaith relationships. The city of Leicester has the largest Hindu minority in the United Kingdom , as well as larger Muslim, Sikh and other faith communities. At both the diocese and national levels, Stevens held regular discussions with representatives of other religions , particularly in the field of urban renewal .

In June 2003, Stevens was one of the Bishops of the Church of England who expressly supported the nomination and solidarity of Jeffrey John , an openly gay priest in a committed relationship, as Auxiliary Bishop of Reading by the Archbishop of Canterbury , Rowan Williams manifested with the decision of Williams.

In July 2006, Stevens was part of a group of bishops who warned Tony Blair of the possession of nuclear weapons . These would be vicious and deeply against God.

Stevens was one of the signatories of a declaration on October 7, 2008, calling for the protection of children from emotional and physical violence.

Before the 2009 European elections, Stevens had criticized British National Party posters with the slogan: What would Jesus do? Vote BNP! advertise and refer to Jesus Christ . Stevens said the gospel is open to all people, regardless of their social background , skin color, or religion . The BNP, on the other hand, represented views in its election manifesto that contradict the teaching of the Church. For this reason it is unacceptable to him that the British National Party appear as a Christian party in the election campaign.

Stevens said that he believed that a member of the BNP could not hold a leadership role in the Church.

In November 2009, he reacted to statements by Roger Helmer , who had expressed criticism about the support of climate protection by bishops of the Anglican Church. Stevens said that Helmer had not previously made this position public. Helmer had accused the Church of England of returning to its real mission, the preaching of the gospel, and not instead preaching a new religion of environmental protection . In return, Stevens accused Helmer of having had the opportunity to publicize his criticism of the church during the climate debate in Leicester Cathedral.

On November 11, 2009, he held a memorial service in Leicester Cathedral as part of the Remembrance Day celebrations , which were attended by over 3,000 people .

On March 26, 2015, he held the service for the reburial of King Richard III of England . the sermon in Leicester Cathedral.

Web links

• Timothy Stevens at Hansard (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ The Rt Rev the Lord Bishop of Leicester's Biography Vita by Timothy John Stevens at Debretts (excerpts available online)
2. ↑ Tim Stevens at the Church of England , accessed November 30, 2009
3. ↑ Announcement from the Diocese of Leicester ( Memento of the original dated November 19, 2014 in the web archive archive.today ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
4. ↑ ^{a b} Bishop of Leicester: Martyn James Snow , Official Website 10 Downing Street, December 15, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2016
5. ↑ Timothy John Stevens on the homepage of the House of Lords
6. ↑ Timothy John Stevens on the TheyWorkForYou.com homepage
7. ^ Bishop of Leicester takes key role in House of Lords Religious Intelligence of November 19, 2009
8. ↑ Timothy John Stevens on the website of the Diocese of Leicester ( Memento of the original from October 15, 2009 in the web archive archive.today ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved November 30, 2009 
9. ↑ Letter of Support right. Jeffrey John (PDF; 55 kB) Homepage www.churchsociety.org, accessed December 12, 2009
10. ↑ Bishop's say Trident is 'anti-God' BBC News of July 10, 2006
11. ↑ Churches 'Network for Non-violence (CNNV) (PDF; 21 kB) Anglican Bishops' Statement in support of Equal Protection for Children from October 7, 2008
12. ^ Bishop of Leicester attacks BNP intolerance ( Memento from October 25, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Kirkless Unity from November 20, 2009
13. ↑ Churchwarden resigns over BNP membership ( memento of the original from November 18, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. thisisleicestershire 14 November 2009 
14. ↑ Global warming 'is new CofE religion'  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Anglican Mainstream as of November 30, 2009  
15. ↑ Climate change denial MEP attacks church , The Guardian, November 20, 2009
16. ↑ Thousands turn out in Leicester to remember the war dead ( Memento of the original from November 10, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. thisisleicestershire 9 November 2009 
17. ↑ Reburial of Richard III - As it happened in: The Daily Telegraph , 2015. Accessed March 26 March 26, 2015.

predecessor	Office	successor
Jonathan Bailey	Bishop of Dunwich 1995–1999	Clive Young
Thomas Frederick Butler	Bishop of Leicester 1999-2015	Martyn Snow