Tim Dakin

The Right Reverend Tim Dakin
Bishop of Winchester (on leave)
Dakin in 2019
Church	Church of England
Diocese	Winchester
In office	2011–2021
Predecessor	Michael Scott-Joynt
Other post(s)	Bishop for Higher and Further Education (2013–present) General Secretary, CMS (2000–2011)
Orders
Ordination	1993 (deacon) 1994 (priest)
Consecration	25 January 2012 by Rowan Williams
Personal details
Born	(1958-02-06) 6 February 1958 (age 63) Kongwa, Tanganyika[1]
Denomination	Anglican
Residence	Wolvesey, Winchester
Spouse	Sally[2]
Children	2[2]
Occupation	Bishop
Alma mater	University College of St Mark and St John King's College London

Timothy John Dakin (born 6 February 1958) is an Anglican bishop. He was the general secretary of the Church Mission Society (CMS) and the South American Missionary Society (SAMS) prior to his consecration. He was the Bishop of Winchester from 2011 - 2022 and, as such, an ex officio a member of the House of Lords. From 2013 he served as the Bishop for Higher and Further Education.

Early life and education[]

Dakin was born in Kongwa, Tanganyika (modern Tanzania),^[1] where his parents were church missionaries working in Tanzania and Kenya. He attended kindergarten and primary school at St Mary's School, Nairobi, Kenya, but was otherwise educated in England. He studied theology and philosophy at the University College of St Mark and St John in Plymouth, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1986.^[3][4] He then studied at King's College London, graduating with a Master of Theology (MTh) degree in 1987.^[3]

Ordained ministry[]

His autobiographical details refer to ordinations in 1993 and 1994; and to an appointment as Principal of the Church Army training college in Nairobi, during which time he was also an assistant curate at All Saints' Cathedral, Nairobi.^[5] He took up his appointment as General Secretary of the Church Mission Society (CMS) in 2000. During this time, he was also an honorary curate of St James the Great, Ruscombe in the Diocese of Oxford, Church of England.^[3] He was appointed honorary Canon theologian at Coventry Cathedral in 2001.^[2]

Episcopal ministry[]

His appointment as Bishop of Winchester was announced on 6 September 2011^[2] and he legally became bishop with the confirmation of his election on 20 December 2011,^[6] ahead of his 25 January consecration by Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, at St Paul's Cathedral.^[7] His installation at Winchester Cathedral was on 21 April and he was introduced in the House of Lords on 26 March.^[8] After John Taylor in 1974, he was only the second priest to be consecrated directly to the See of Winchester since 1595. In May 2013, Dakin was additionally appointed the Bishop for Higher and Further Education, a national spokesperson role.^[9]

As Bishop of Winchester, he is the visitor to five Oxford colleges including Magdalen College, Oxford, New College, Oxford, and St John's College, Oxford. He also holds ex officio the position of Prelate of the Order of the Garter.

No confidence motion and retirement announcement[]

On 20 May 2021, it was reported that Dakin had "stepped back" as diocesan bishop for six weeks, in light of the threat of a diocesan synod motion of no confidence in his leadership. The motion stated "We do not have confidence in the diocesan bishop ... to lead by example, due to allegations of poor behaviour and mistreatment on his part of a number of individuals."^[10] The motion was not tabled, following Dakin's decision to "step back". The motion additionally described administrative and financial management in the diocese as "unfit for purpose".^[10]

David Williams, Bishop of Basingstoke, also "stepped back", having been amongst those representing complaints to Lambeth Palace.^[10] Debbie Sellin, Bishop of Southampton, is serving temporarily as acting diocesan bishop.^[11]

No decision had been made by 29 June, and the period of "stepping back" was extended to the end of August.^[12] The Church Times reported on 29 June that the facilitated conversations, or commentary upon them, had led to a wider discussion concerning "the culture of the diocese".^[10]

On 16 July 2021, he announced his forthcoming retirement as bishop of the diocese effective February 2022. He stated that he would be "handing over his responsibilities to others" until his retirement formally takes effect. The reference to "early February" suggests that he is proposing to remain in office until his 64th birthday.^[13]

Channel Islands controversy[]

In January 2014, it was announced that the Channel Islands would be temporarily removed^{[14][citation needed]} from the oversight of the Bishop of Winchester for the first time for 500 years, after relations between Dakin and the Deanery of Jersey broke down^[15] over the handling of alleged abuse, and the suspension of the Dean of Jersey.^[16] The deaneries of Jersey and Guernsey were transferred to the direct oversight of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Dean of Jersey was reinstated, with Archbishop Justin Welby subsequently issuing an apology to the dean and his wife "for the hurt and the treatment that they had received".^[17]

Dakin commissioned a report (the Steel Report) in 2013, which found that there should be no disciplinary action against any Channel Islands clergy. The full content of the report has never been published.^[17] In the face of continued poor relations, the Archbishop of Canterbury formed a special commission in June 2018, under the chairmanship of a former Bishop of London, Richard Chartres,^[15] to decide on a way forward.^[17] The commission issued conclusions in October 2019, stating of Dakin's original handling of the case that "The suspension of the Dean came as a seismic shock to the civic authorities and churchpeople in Jersey, and triggered a breakdown in trust between the Church and people in both Islands, and Winchester. Questions were immediately raised as to the propriety, and indeed legality, of the Bishop's actions."^[17] The final decision of the commission was that the Channel Islands should not return to the episcopal oversight of the Bishop of Winchester, but should instead be incorporated into the neighbouring Diocese of Salisbury, as a new permanent arrangement for episcopal care.^[17] The new arrangement is for both Jersey and Guernsey deaneries, as relations had broken down across all the Channel Islands. In a report prepared for a visiting delegation during the commission process, the Standing Committee of the Deanery of Guernsey wrote of its relationship with Dakin: "While the handling of the Jersey safeguarding issue may have been the trigger for the current position, it is not the only matter which has so seriously strained the relationship."^[17]

Views[]

Dakin is a committee member of the Evangelical Group of the General Synod of the Church of England.^[18] In March 2014, the group sent an email to its members about the introduction of same-sex marriage in England and Wales, saying that the committee members believed that "appropriate sacramental discipline should apply to those who choose to enter into any sexual relationship other than within marriage between a man and a woman".^[19] He has been described as having a "conservative theology".^[20]

Personal life[]

He is married to the Reverend Sally Dakin and they have two children.^[2] She holds a diocesan appointment as the Bishop's Adviser on Spirituality.^[21]

Styles[]

• Tim Dakin (1958–1993)
• The Reverend Tim Dakin (1993–2001)
• The Reverend Canon Tim Dakin (2001–2012)^[2]
• The Right Reverend Tim Dakin (2012–present)
• The Right Reverend The Lord Bishop of Winchester (2012–present)

References[]