Church Church of England Name Michael Ipgrave Consecration March 21, 2012 Denomination Anglican Predecessor Christopher Chessun | Nationality British Alma mater Oriel College, Oxford Installed 21 March 2012 Role Bishop of Woolwich | |
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Other posts Archdeacon of Southwark (2004–2012) Ordination 1982 (deacon); 1983 (priest) Born 19 April 1958 (age 66) ( 1958-04-19 ) Diocese Anglican Diocese of Southwark Books Trinity and inter faith dialogue | ||
Introducing the 99th Bishop of Lichfield
Michael Geoffrey Ipgrave, (born 18 April 1958) is a British Anglican bishop. Since 2016, he has been the Bishop of Lichfield, the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Lichfield. He was the Bishop of Woolwich, an area bishop in the Diocese of Southwark, from 2012 to 2016. He served as Archdeacon of Southwark between 2004 and 2012.
Contents
- Introducing the 99th Bishop of Lichfield
- Early life and education
- Ordained ministry
- Episcopal ministry
- Personal life
- Honours
- Selected works
- References
Early life and education
Ipgrave was born on 19 April 1958 in Northampton, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom. He was educated at Magdalen College School, Brackley, a state school in South Northamptonshire. From 1975 to 1978, he studied mathematics at Oriel College, Oxford, and graduated from the University of Oxford with a first class Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. From 1979 to 1982, he trained for ordination at Ripon College Cuddesdon, an Anglican theological college near Oxford. During that period he also studied theology at the University of Oxford, and graduated with an additional first class BA.
Ordained ministry
Ipgrave was ordained in the Church of England: made a deacon at Petertide 1982 (27 June) and ordained a priest in the Petertide following (26 June 1983) — both times by Douglas Feaver, Bishop of Peterborough, at Peterborough Cathedral. After a curacy in Oakham followed by time in Japan, he was a team vicar in two separate Leicester parishes.
In Leicester, in 1991, he was appointed diocesan chaplain for relations with people of other faiths, and bishops' domestic chaplain in 1992. He was appointed Archdeacon of Southwark in 2004. In 2010 he also became Canon Missioner of Southwark Cathedral. He was co-chair of Southwark and London Housing Association (now Amicus Horizon)
He was formerly Inter Faith Relations Advisor to the Archbishops' Council and secretary of the Churches' Commission on Inter-Faith Relations.
Episcopal ministry
On 3 February 2012, Ipgrave was announced as the next Bishop of Woolwich, an area bishop in the Diocese of Southwark. On 21 March 2012, he was consecrated a bishop, by Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, during a service in Southwark Cathedral. He also served as Warden of Readers for the diocese. In May 2013, he read bidding prayers at a Mass for Lee Rigby who was murdered by Islamists in the 2013 Woolwich attack.
On 2 March 2016, it was announced that Ipgrave is to become the next diocesan Bishop of Lichfield. His canonical election to that See was confirmed on 10 June 2016; his installation at Lichfield Cathedral took place on 24 September 2016.
Personal life
In 1981, Ipgrave married; together they have three adult children.
Honours
In the 2011 New Year Honours, Ipgrave was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) "for services to inter-faith relations in London".
Selected works
He has edited six volumes on Christian and Muslim relations. He is author of Trinity and Inter Faith Dialogue (Peter Lang, 2003) and has contributed to journal articles and book chapters on inter-faith matters.