The Right Reverend

Tony Robinson

SSC
area Bishop of Wakefield[1]
Robinson in 2012
ChurchChurch of England
DioceseLeeds (2014–present)
Wakefield (2002–2014)
In office2002–present
PredecessorDavid James
Other post(s)Archdeacon of Pontefract (1997–2002)
Bishop of Pontefract (name changed 2015)
Orders
Ordination1982 (deacon)
by Brian Masters
1983 (priest)
Consecration6 December 2002
by David Hope
Personal details
Born (1956-04-25) 25 April 1956 (age 67)
Bedford, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
NationalityBritish
DenominationAnglican
ResidencePontefract House, Wakefield
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1981)​
Childrenthree
Professionformerly teacher

Anthony William Robinson SSC (born 25 April 1956) is a British Anglican bishop. Since 2015, he has been the area Bishop of Wakefield in the Diocese of Leeds.[1][2] From 2002 to 2015, he served as Bishop of Pontefract in the Diocese of Wakefield.

Early life and education

Robinson was educated at Bedford Modern School.[3] He trained for the priesthood at Salisbury and Wells Theological College.

Ordained ministry

Robinson was made a deacon at Petertide 1982 (27 June) by Brian Masters, Bishop of Fulham, at Christ Church, Southgate,[4] and ordained a priest in 1983.[5] His ministry began with a curacy at St Paul's, Tottenham. He was then Rural Dean of North Leicester. He served as the Archdeacon of Pontefract from 1997 to 2002.[6]

Episcopal ministry

Robinson was consecrated to the episcopate on 6 December 2002, by David Hope, Archbishop of York, at York Minster.[7] From 2002 until 2014, Robinson was suffragan Bishop of Pontefract in the Diocese of Wakefield.

In 2014, the Diocese of Leeds was created. Upon the dissolution of the Wakefield diocese and the erection of the Leeds diocese, Robinson became area bishop for the Wakefield area. His title remained Bishop of Pontefract until that see was translated to Wakefield (i.e. the title changed to Bishop of Wakefield) by Order in Council of 19 March 2015.[8] He also provides alternative episcopal oversight under the House of Bishops' Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops and Priests throughout the whole of the Diocese of Leeds.

Robinson is the patron of Street Angels – Christian Nightlife Initiatives, a post held since 2010.

Views

As of late March 2014 he is the only bishop in the Church of England to have voted in his diocesan synod against new legislation which could enable women to become bishops.[9][10] In 2014, he became chairman of Forward in Faith, an Anglican movement that promotes "catholic order and the catholic doctrine of the Sacraments, and in particular the threefold ministry in historic succession, which the Church of England shares with the Church throughout the world and across the ages."[11][12] He also served as chairman of the Council of Bishops of The Society.[13] He stood down from both of these positions on Saint Andrew's Day 2023, to be succeeded by Paul Thomas at Forward in Faith and Jonathan Baker at The Society.[14]

Personal life

Robinson has been married since 1981[3] and has three children.[15]

Styles

References

  1. ^ a b The Transformation Programme – First new diocese for more than 85 years created on April 20 Archived 20 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed 19 April 2014)
  2. ^ Wakefield Diocese — Bishops Archived 31 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ a b "Wakefield, Area Bishop of, (Rt Rev. Anthony William Robinson) (born 25 April 1956)". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U32839. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4.
  4. ^ "Petertide ordinations". Church Times. No. 6229. 2 July 1982. p. 4. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 22 July 2017 – via UK Press Online archives.
  5. ^ "Anthony William Robinson". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  6. ^ Debrett's People of Today London, 2008 Debrett's, ISBN 978-1-870520-95-9
  7. ^ "BBC - Bradford and West Yorkshire - Faith - New Bishop Pontefract". www.bbc.co.uk.
  8. ^ Orders in Council, 19 March 2015 (Accessed 25 March 2015)
  9. ^ "Women in the Episcopate – Results on Voting". Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  10. ^ "Wakefield Diocese voting results". Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  11. ^ "New Chairman of Forward in Faith". News. Forward in Faith. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  12. ^ "Forward in Faith". Forward in Faith. 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  13. ^ "The Council of Bishops". The Society. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  14. ^ "A new Chairman of The Society's Council of Bishops and a new Chairman of Forward in Faith". The Society. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  15. ^ "CV" (PDF). Diocese of Wakefield. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
Church of England titles Preceded byDavid James Bishop of Pontefract 2002–2015 Succeeded byhimselfas area Bishop of Wakefield Preceded byhimselfas Bishop of Pontefract area Bishop of Wakefield 2015–present Incumbent
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