Installed 9 May 2009 Name Steven Croft Ordination 1983 Nationality British Consecration January 25, 2009 | Spouse Ann | |
Other posts Warden, Cranmer Hall (1996–2004)Archbishops' Missioner and Fresh Expressions Team Leader (2004–2009) Children 4 children: Paul, Andy, Amy, Sarah Books Moving on in a Mission‑s, Jesus' People: What the, Evangelism in a Spiritual, The Advent Calendar, Travelling Well: A Compani | ||
Bishop steven croft welcome sermon
Steven John Lindsey Croft (born 29 May 1957) is a Church of England bishop and theologian specialising in mission. He is the Bishop of Oxford since the confirmation of his election on 6 July 2016. He was the Bishop of Sheffield from 2008 until 2016; previously he was Archbishops’ Missioner and Team Leader of Fresh Expressions, a joint Church of England and Methodist initiative. He falls within the open evangelical tradition of Anglicanism.
Contents
- Bishop steven croft welcome sermon
- Education
- Ministry
- Personal life
- Protest at his enthronement
- Styles
- Works
- References
Education
Croft attended Heath Grammar School in Halifax and studied classics and theology at Worcester College, Oxford, graduating in 1980. He trained for ordination at Cranmer Hall, Durham, earning a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 1984 with his thesis The identity of the Individual in the Psalms.
Ministry
Croft was ordained as deacon in the Diocese of London, on 25 September 1983 by Bill Westwood, Bishop of Edmonton, at St Andrew's Enfield (his title church). The following year, he was ordained as priest by Graham Leonard, Bishop of London, at St Paul's Cathedral on 23 September 1984. From 1983 to 1987 he was the curate of the parish church of St Andrew's Enfield. After that, he became vicar of Ovenden, an Urban Priority Area parish in the Diocese of Wakefield, from 1987 to 1996. In 1997, Croft was made a member of the Church of England Evangelical Council, which he was a part of until 2000.
1996–2004: Warden (i.e. head) of Cranmer Hall
2004–2008: Archbishops' Missioner and first Team Leader of Fresh Expressions
Croft was appointed by the archbishops of Canterbury and York to help found Fresh Expressions, a joint Church of England and Methodist initiative "to help Christians of any denomination think about ways of starting and growing fresh expressions of church in their area" where a fresh expression is defined as "a form of church for our changing culture, established primarily for the benefit of people who are not yet members of any church". In recognition of this work he was awarded the silver Cross of St Augustine by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Croft was nominated as the next Bishop of Sheffield, succeeding Jack Nicholls who retired in July 2008, and formally elected by the Chapter of Sheffield Cathedral in November 2008 (and that election having been confirmed in the interim), he was consecrated as a bishop by John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, on 25 January 2009, and started work in the diocese following his formal enthronement on 9 May 2009. This was followed by three Welcome Eucharists celebrated in various locations around the diocese to allow more people to meet the new bishop.
In 2012, Croft was nominated by Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, to be the Anglican fraternal delegate to the Synod of Bishops in Rome.
Croft became a member of the House of Lords on 15 July 2013. On 12 April 2016, it was announced that he was to be translated to become Bishop of Oxford in "autumn" 2016; he was duly elected to that See and that election was confirmed at Lambeth Palace on 6 July 2016, at which point Croft became the Bishop of Oxford. He was (re-)introduced to the Upper House as Bishop of Oxford on 19 July 2016.
Personal life
Croft was born in Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire, in 1957. He is married to Ann and has four children.
Protest at his enthronement
Two survivors of clerical child sexual abuse staged a peaceful protest outside Croft's inauguration as Bishop of Oxford on 30 September 2016. One of them claimed he had told Croft three times in 2012 and 2013 when Croft was formerly Bishop of Sheffield of his rape by a serving priest, but the bishop and other senior figures had failed to respond or take action despite the abuser still being alive. The protest flier handed out to the public pictured all six bishops who the survivor claimed had failed to respond, including John Sentamu, Archbishop of York. The survivor commented to Church Times that he was angry that the C of E had the “nerve” to enthrone bishops after safeguarding complaints had been made against them. “This is absolute proof that the Church of England does not truly recognise the profound and long-lasting impact such abuse has on survivors at all” he said. The protest was shown on ITV and the BBC. Croft met with one of the survivors in front of the news cameras.