The Right Reverend

Robert Innes
Bishop in Europe
ChurchChurch of England
DioceseDiocese in Europe
In office2014–present
PredecessorGeoffrey Rowell
Other post(s)Senior Chaplain and Chancellor of Holy Trinity, Brussels (2005–2014)
Chaplain to the Queen (2012–2022)
Orders
Ordination1995 (deacon)
1996 (priest)
by Michael Turnbull
Consecration20 July 2014
by Justin Welby
Personal details
Born
Robert Neil Innes

1959 (age 64–65)
Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
NationalityBritish
DenominationAnglican
ResidenceWaterloo, Belgium
SpouseHelen Innes
​
​
(m. 1985)​
Children4
ProfessionPreviously engineer; lecturer; systematic theologian
Alma materKing's College, Cambridge

Robert Neil Innes (born 1959) is a British Anglican bishop. Since 2014, he has been the Bishop in Europe.

Early life and education

Innes was born in Wolverhampton. He lived in the Netherlands briefly before moving to Woking, Surrey. He was educated at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford, and studied engineering at King's College Cambridge University, gaining his Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1982. He worked in the electric power industry including Arthur Anderson Management Consultants (now Accenture) until 1989 when he went to train for the priesthood at Cranmer Hall, Durham, whence he gained a further BA (in Theology) in 1991 and his doctorate (Doctor of Philosophy, PhD) from Durham University in 1995.[1] His doctoral thesis was titled "Strategies for securing the unity of the self in Augustine and certain modern psychologists".[2]

Ordained ministry

Church of St Mary Magdalene, Belmont

Innes was made a deacon at Petertide (2 July) 1995, by Michael Turnbull, Bishop of Durham, at Durham Cathedral,[3] and ordained a priest the next year. He then became a lecturer in systematic theology at St John's College, Durham (of which Cranmer Hall is a part), while serving two titles/curacies: he was ordained to the title of St Cuthbert's Church, Durham[3][4] and then served a curacy at Sherburn, Pittington and Shadforth from 1997. He remained in these posts until 1999,[1] when he was appointed as vicar of St Mary Magdalene Church in Belmont.[5]

Europe

He moved to Brussels, taking his first Diocese in Europe post in 2005, as Chancellor and Senior Chaplain (i.e. the priest-in-charge) of Holy Trinity Pro-Cathedral, Brussels; he was additionally appointed a Chaplain to the Queen (an honorary post) in 2012. He was appointed Bishop in Europe in 2014;[1] he was consecrated as a bishop on 20 July 2014 at Canterbury Cathedral by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury (with co-consecrators Richard Chartres, Bishop of London and Tim Dakin, Bishop of Winchester) and installed at Gibraltar Cathedral on 4 September 2014.[6] As Bishop in Europe, his residence is in Waterloo, Belgium.[4]

Views

He abstained during a vote on introducing "standalone services for same-sex couples" on a trial basis during a meeting of the General Synod in November 2023; the motion passed.[7][8]

Personal life

Innes married in 1985 and has four children.[1]

Styles

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Innes, Robert Neil". Who's Who. Vol. 2017 (November 2016 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 25 June 2017. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ Innes, Robert Neil (1995). "Strategies for securing the unity of the self in Augustine and certain modern psychologists". E-Thesis Online Service. The British Library Board. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Petertide ordinations". Church Times. No. 6908. 7 July 1995. p. 7. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 25 June 2017 – via UK Press Online archives.
  4. ^ a b "Robert Neil Innes". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  5. ^ Diocese in Europe – New Diocesan Bishop Appointed (Archived 29 November 2014; accessed 22 December 2015)
  6. ^ The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Gibraltar – Events (Archived 10 August 2014; accessed 22 December 2015)
  7. ^ "GENERAL SYNOD NOVEMBER 2023 GROUP OF SESSIONS BUSINESS DONE AT 5 P.M." (PDF). churchofengland.org. The Church of England. 13 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023. 7. The motion (as amended) 'That this Synod, conscious that the Church is not of one mind on the issues raised by Living in Love and Faith, that we are in a period of uncertainty, and that many in the Church on all sides are being deeply hurt at this time, recognise the progress made by the House of Bishops towards implementing the motion on Living in Love and Faith passed by this Synod in February 2023, as reported in GS 2328, encourage the House to continue its work of implementation, and ask the House to consider whether some standalone services for same-sex couples could be made available for use, possibly on a trial basis, on the timescale envisaged by the motion passed by the Synod in February 2023.' was carried following a counted vote by Houses.
  8. ^ "General Synod 15th November 2023 – Item 007" (PDF). churchofengland.org. The Church of England. 15 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
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