Jonathan Baker (bishop)

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The Right Reverend

Jonathan Baker
Bishop of Fulham
Bishop Jonathan Baker (cropped).jpg
Baker in 2015
ChurchChurch of England
DioceseLondon
PredecessorJohn Broadhurst
Other post(s)Honorary assistant bishop, Southwark (2013–present)
Guild Vicar, St Andrew Holborn (2015-present)
Honorary assistant bishop, Rochester (2013–2015)
Bishop of Ebbsfleet (PEV; 2011–2013)
Principal of Pusey House (2003–2013)
Orders
Ordination1993 (deacon)
1994 (priest)
Consecration16 June 2011[1]
by Rowan Williams
Personal details
Born (1966-10-06) 6 October 1966 (age 54)
NationalityBritish
DenominationAnglican
Children2 sons, 1 daughter
Alma materSt John's College, Oxford
St Stephen's House, Oxford

Jonathan Mark Richard Baker (born 6 October 1966) is a bishop of the Church of England.[2][3] He is currently the suffragan Bishop of Fulham (providing alternative episcopal oversight in Greater London) and was formerly the Bishop of Ebbsfleet (a provincial episcopal visitor).

Early life and education[]

Baker was born on 6 October 1966, and is the son of Sir John William Baker. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood, an all-boys public school in Hertfordshire.[4] He studied at St John's College, Oxford.[5] He trained for ordination at St Stephen's House, Oxford.[6]

Ordained ministry[]

Baker was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1993 and as a priest in 1994.[7] He was an assistant curate at All Saints' Ascot Heath from 1993 to 1996.[8] He was then priest in charge of St Mark's Reading[9] and Vicar of Holy Trinity, Reading.[10] From 2002 until 2013, he was Principal of Pusey House.[11]

Baker has been Guild Vicar of St Andrew Holborn in the City of London since 2015.

Episcopal ministry[]

Following his appointment as the suffragan Bishop of Ebbsfleet, the provincial episcopal visitor for the western half of the Province of Canterbury, Baker was consecrated as a bishop at Southwark Cathedral on 16 June 2011.[1] His appointment as an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Bath and Wells (an honorary role which facilitates his oversight of parishes in that diocese) was announced in September 2011.[12] He was legally translated to the See of Fulham on 13 February 2013, began his episcopal ministry on 15 April and was installed at St Paul's Cathedral on 23 April (St George's Day).

Forward in Faith[]

From 2010 to 2014, Baker was the chairman of Forward in Faith, an Anglican membership organisation which supports and finances the work of The Society under the patronage of S. Wilfrid and S. Hilda.[13] In 2014, he announced that he would not stand for re-election as chairman of Forward in Faith UK.[14] He is a member of the Council of Bishops of The Society.[15]

Personal life[]

Baker was previously a Freemason. While a student at Oxford University, he joined the Apollo University Lodge, a masonic lodge associated with the university, and served as its Worshipful Master. He held the senior position of Deputy Grand Chaplain in the United Grand Lodge of England. After twenty years membership, he left the organisation upon being appointed a bishop, stating that the criticism from some members of General Synod threatened to overshadow the inauguration of his episcopal ministry.[16]

In a letter dated 22 October 2014, Baker wrote to his clergy informing them that he had been given permission by Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, and Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, to remarry following divorce.[17] Until 2010, Church of England clergy who had been divorced and remarried could not become bishops. The American religion commentator George Conger wrote, "They [traditionalist clergy] are at a loss to understand how the bishop dedicated to providing pastoral support for traditionalists can himself adopt a stance at odds with the position of most traditionalists – and at odds with the public position taken by Forward in Faith on divorce and remarriage."[18]

Styles[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Richborough Episcopal Area – New Bishop Consecrated Archived 1 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ The Anglo Catholic
  3. ^ St Cross College Archived 9 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Who's Who 2012 – Ebbsfleet, Bishop Suffragan of
  5. ^ Who's Who 2008: London, A & C Black, 2008, ISBN 978-0-7136-8555-8
  6. ^ Crockfords (London, Church House, 1995) ISBN 0-7151-8088-6
  7. ^ "Jonathan Mark Richard Baker". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  8. ^ All Saints' Church website
  9. ^ Bench Marks website
  10. ^ Church blog
  11. ^ "The Principals of Pusey House". Pusey House. Retrieved 24 July 2021
  12. ^ Church Times, 23 September 2011 – Appointments, p. 26.
  13. ^ https://www.forwardinfaith.com/aboutus.php
  14. ^ Anglican Mainstream website.
  15. ^ "The Council of Bishops". The Society. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  16. ^ Wynne-Jones, Jonathan (14 May 2011). "Archbishop allows freemason to be bishop". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  17. ^ Anglican Ink website.
  18. ^ Gledhill, Ruth (28 October 2014). "Leading CofE bishop Jonathan Baker to remarry after divorce". Christian Today. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
Church of England titles
Preceded by
Andrew Burnham 		Bishop of Ebbsfleet
2011–2013 		Succeeded by
Jonathan Goodall
Preceded by
John Broadhurst 		Bishop of Fulham
2013–present 		Incumbent
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