In office 2007–present Children 3 children Education Christ Church, Oxford Diocese Diocese of Chester Spouse Rosie Role Bishop of Birkenhead Consecration March 8, 2007 | Denomination Anglican Name Keith Sinclair Ordination 1984 Nationality British Alma mater Christ Church, Oxford Predecessor David Urquhart Siblings Malcolm Sinclair | |
Born 3 December 1952 (age 71) ( 1952-12-03 ) | ||
Gordon Keith Sinclair (born 3 December 1952) is a British Anglican bishop. Since 2007, he has served as the Bishop of Birkenhead, one of two suffragan bishops in the Church of England Diocese of Chester.
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Early life and education
Sinclair was born on 3 December 1952 to Donald and Joyce Sinclair. He studied at Christ Church, Oxford, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree; as per tradition, his BA was later promoted to an Oxford Master of Arts (MA Oxon) degree. He then worked as a solicitor.
Sinclair entered Cranmer Hall, Durham, an Evangelical Anglican theological college, to train for the ministry. During this time he studied theology and graduated with BA degree from Durham University in 1984.
Ordained ministry
Sinclair was ordained in the Church of England: made a deacon at Petertide (1 July) 1984 and ordained a priest the Petertide following (30 June 1985) — both times by Hugh Montefiore, Bishop of Birmingham, at Birmingham Cathedral. From 1984 to 1988, he served his curacy at Christ Church, Summerfield in the Diocese of Birmingham. He was additionally a part-time chaplain at the Birmingham Children's Hospital. Then, from 1988 to 2001, he was vicar of the Church of SS Peter & Paul, Aston. He was also the area dean of Aston and an honorary canon of Birmingham Cathedral between 2000 and 2001. He moved to the Diocese of Coventry, and served as vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Coventry from 2001 to 2007.
Episcopal ministry
On 8 March 2007, Sinclair was consecrated a bishop by John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, during a service at York Minster. Since then, he has served as the Bishop of Birkenhead, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Chester.
Sinclair was one of the bishops selected to be a member of the Church of England working group on human sexuality which in 2013 produced the Pilling Report. However, he did not agree with the majority of the group and wrote a dissenting statement and part of the appendix. His dissenting statement and the full appendix constitute a quarter of the published report.
Views
Sinclair is on the council of reference of the True Freedom Trust (and is opposed to same-sex-marriage), which supports people who "choose to live by biblical principles" (as interpreted by the Trust), believing that God "allows" people to have "gay feelings" because "we are living in a fallen world".
Personal life
Sinclair has been married since 1989 and they have three children. He is a keen walker and his brother is the actor Malcolm Sinclair.