Installed 1 November 2008 Name Christopher Cocksworth Consecration July 3, 2008 Spouse Charlotte Ordination 1984 | Nationality British | |
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Born 12 January 1959 (age 65) ( 1959-01-12 ) Residence The Bishop's House, Coventry Books Being a Priest Today, Common worship daily pray, Holding Together: Gospel - C, Evangelical Eucharistic Thought i, Seeing Jesus: And Being Se | ||
Bishop christopher cocksworth sermon at commissioning of philip mounstephen
Christopher John Cocksworth (born 12 January 1959) is a Church of England bishop in the open evangelical tradition. He is the current (9th) Bishop of Coventry; prior to becoming bishop he was the Principal of Ridley Hall, Cambridge.
Contents
- Bishop christopher cocksworth sermon at commissioning of philip mounstephen
- YMCAYOLO Celebrating our 125th anniversary at The Bishops House
- Early life and education
- Ordained ministry
- Episcopal ministry
- Personal life
- Honours
- Publications
- Styles
- References
#YMCAYOLO Celebrating our 125th anniversary at The Bishop's House
Early life and education
He was brought up in Horsham and attended Forest School for Boys and Collyer's Sixth form College, then the University of Manchester where he earned a first class Bachelor of Arts (BA Hons) degree in theology and later was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) under the supervision of Richard Bauckham (1989). He studied for ordination at St John's College, Nottingham.
Ordained ministry
He was made a deacon at Petertide 1988 (3 July) by Michael Adie, Bishop of Guildford, and ordained a priest the following Petertide (2 July 1989) by David Wilcox, Bishop of Dorking — both times at Guildford Cathedral, and served as curate at Christ Church, Epsom Common in the Diocese of Guildford. In 1992, he moved to become chaplain of Royal Holloway, University of London until 1997. He then became director of the Southern Theological Education and Training Scheme; a position he relinquished in 2001. He had been made an honorary canon of Guildford Cathedral in 1999. He was later the principal of Ridley Hall, Cambridge.
He was a member of the Church of England Liturgical Commission from 1999 to 2006, and was involved in revising the ordination services and the Common Worship daily prayer compilation. He is the current chair of the Faith and Order Commission of the General Synod.
Episcopal ministry
His nomination for the appointment as Bishop of Coventry on the retirement of Colin Bennetts was announced on 3 March 2008. He was formally elected by the cathedral chapter in May 2008, following the issue of a congé d'elire by Elizabeth II on 6 May 2008. He was consecrated as a bishop on 3 July 2008 in Southwark Cathedral and was enthroned on 1 November 2008. He was the youngest serving diocesan bishop at the time of his appointment, and retained that distinction until late 2014.
Personal life
He is married to Charlotte, daughter of David Pytches (former diocesan Bishop of Chile, Bolivia & Peru), and they have five sons.
Honours
On 15 July 2009, Cocksworth was awarded the degree of Doctor of Divinity, Honoris Causa, of the University of London. The award was conferred by Royal Holloway, University of London, at a ceremony held in the college’s chapel. The University of London awards honorary degrees to those of conspicuous merit, outstanding in their field, or those who have given exceptional service to the university. Cocksworth was honoured for his services to education – particularly higher education – and to the church as well as for his service to Royal Holloway.
Publications
Cocksworth has written widely on theological matters, with some of his books including: