The Right Reverend

Alwyn Warren

CMG MC ChStJ
Bishop of Christchurch
Warren in 1953
ChurchAnglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia
DioceseChristchurch
Installed1951
PredecessorCampbell West-Watson
SuccessorAllan Pyatt
Orders
Ordination1926
Personal details
Born
Alwyn Keith Warren

23 September 1900
Wellington, New Zealand
Died27 May 1988(1988-05-27) (aged 87)
Christchurch, New Zealand
DenominationAnglican
ResidenceBishopscourt, Christchurch
SpouseDoreen
Alma materMagdalen College, Oxford

Alwyn Keith Warren CMG MC ChStJ (23 September 1900 – 27 May 1988)[1] was Bishop of Christchurch in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia from 1951 until 1966 and Chancellor of the University of Canterbury from 1965 to 1968.[1]

Biography

Ministry

He was born in Wellington, New Zealand, and educated at Huntley School, Marton, then in England at Marlborough and Magdalen College, Oxford.[2][3] He trained at Cuddesdon College and was ordained priest in 1925.[4]

After a curacy at Ashford, Kent, he returned to New Zealand where he was Vicar of Ross and South Westland and then Waimate. While at Cuddesdon he had met Doreen Eda Laws when she was visiting the college; they married on 3 October 1928. From 1937 he was successively Archdeacon (1937–1944),[5] Dean (1940–1951) and Bishop (1951–1966)[6] of Christchurch.

His period of office as dean was interrupted by war service as a Chaplain to the Forces (Fourth Class) in the New Zealand Military Forces in 1944–45 during the Italian Campaign of World War II. On 13 December 1945 he was awarded the Military Cross for sustained gallantry in ministering to the men of the 2nd New Zealand Division Cavalry Battalion and particularly for arranging and assisting in the evacuation of many casualties (under fire) on 17 April 1945 during the crossing of the Gaiana River.[7][8] He was later wounded in the foot by German shellfire; this wound would trouble him for the rest of his life.[1][7] In Christchurch, in addition to improving the decoration of the cathedral, he was involved in the civic life of the city, particularly the Rotary Club and the Order of Saint John. In 1956 he was appointed officer of the order,[9] and in 1961 he was promoted to chaplain.[10] In 1953, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.[11]

Later life and death

Warren's retirement as bishop was precipitated by Doreen suffering a stroke in 1964 which left her paralysed and unable to speak. He cared for her for the rest of her life.[1] In the 1967 New Year Honours, he was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George.[12] He died on 27 May 1988 in Christchurch.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Brown, Colin (22 June 2007). "Warren, Alwyn Keith 1900 – 1988". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
  2. ^ Who was Who 1897–2007 London, A & C Black, 1991 ISBN 978-0-19-954087-7
  3. ^ Alumni web-site
  4. ^ Crockford's Clerical Directory1940–41 Oxford, OUP,1941
  5. ^ Christchurch City Libraries
  6. ^ "Diocesan Web site". Archived from the original on 22 May 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
  7. ^ a b "Recommendations for Honours and Awards (Army)—Image details—Warren, Alwyn Keith" (fee may be required to view full pdf of original recommendation). DocumentsOnline. The National Archives. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  8. ^ "No. 37386". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 December 1945. p. 6076.
  9. ^ "No. 40679". The London Gazette. 6 January 1956. pp. 142–143.
  10. ^ "No. 42409". The London Gazette. 11 July 1961. p. 5106.
  11. ^ "Coronation Medal" (PDF). Supplement to the New Zealand Gazette. No. 37. 3 July 1953. pp. 1021–1035. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  12. ^ "No. 44212". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1966. p. 43.

External links

Anglican Communion titles Preceded byCampbell West-Watson Bishop of Christchurch 1951–1966 Succeeded byAllan Pyatt Academic offices Preceded byCarleton Hunter Perkins Chancellors of the University of Canterbury 1965–1968 Succeeded byTerry McCombs
Anglican Bishops of Christchurch
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