David Walker (bishop of Manchester)

{{short description|British Anglican bishop and Lord Spiritual (born 1957)}}

{{Infobox Christian leader

| type = bishop

| honorific_prefix = The Right Reverend

| name = David Walker

| honorific_suffix = TSSF

| title = Bishop of Manchester

| image = Official portrait of The Lord Bishop of Manchester crop 2, 2025.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = Official portrait, 2025

| church = Church of England

| diocese = Diocese of Manchester

| elected =

| appointed =

| term = 2013–present

| predecessor = Nigel McCulloch

| successor =

| other_post = Bishop of Dudley {{nowrap|(2000–2013;}} {{nowrap|area bishop}} until 2002)[http://www.churchofengland.org/media/1279366/gs1445.pdf GS 1445: Report of the Dioceses Commission, Diocese of Worcester] (Accessed 23 April 2014)

| ordination = 1983 (deacon)
1984 (priest)

| ordained_by = David Lunn

| consecration = 2000

| consecrated_by = George Carey

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1957|5|30}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| buried =

| nationality = British

| religion = Anglican

| residence = Bishopscourt, Broughton

| parents =

| spouse = {{marriage|Susan|1980}}

| children = two

| occupation =

| profession =

| education =

| alma_mater = King's College, Cambridge

| module = {{Infobox officeholder | embed = yes

| office1 = Member of the House of Lords
(Lord Spiritual)

|1blankname =

|1namedata =

| term_start1 = 7 September 2020

|term_end1 =

|office2=Convenor of the Lords Spiritual

|term_start2=1 June 2025

|term_end2=

|predecessor2=Alan Smith

|successor2=}}

}}

David Stuart Walker {{post-nominals|post-noms=TSSF}} (born 30 May 1957) is a British Anglican bishop. Since 2013, he has been the Bishop of Manchester. He had previously been the Bishop of Dudley, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Worcester, from 2000 to 2013.

Early life

Walker was born on 30 May 1957. He was educated at The Manchester Grammar School, then an all-boys direct grant grammar school in Manchester. He competed in the International Mathematical Olympiad in 1975.{{IMO results|id=11077}} Walker studied at King's College, Cambridge, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree: as per tradition, his BA was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Cantab) degree.{{Who's Who | title=Walker, David Stuart| id = U14210 | volume = 2017 | edition = November 2016 online | access-date = 23 June 2017 }} He trained for ministry at Queen's College, Edgbaston, an ecumenical theological college.{{Crockford| surname = Walker | forenames = David Stuart | id = 32473 | accessed = 22 January 2016}} He later studied for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree at Warwick University, which he completed in 2015.{{Crockford| surname = Walker | forenames = David Stuart | id = 32473 | accessed = 22 December 2023}}

Ordained ministry

Walker was ordained in the Church of England: made a deacon at Petertide 1983 (3 July){{Church Times | title = Ordinations | archive = 1983_07_08_015 | issue = 6282 | date = 8 July 1983 | page = 15 | accessed = 23 June 2017 }} and ordained a priest the Petertide following (1 July 1984), both times by David Lunn, Bishop of Sheffield, at Sheffield Cathedral.{{Church Times | title = Petertide ordinations | archive = 1984_07_06_004 | issue = 6334 | date = 6 July 1984 | page = 4 | accessed = 23 June 2017 }} Walker's ordained ministry began as a curate at St Mary Handsworth, after which he was a team vicar at Maltby, then Bramley before ordination to the episcopate.

Walker was consecrated as a bishop on 30 November 2000 by George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury,[http://www.cofe-worcester.org.uk/Press5400.htm Diocese of Worcester — New Bishop of Dudley announced] (Archived at [https://web.archive.org/web/20001209093800/http://www.cofe-worcester.org.uk:80/Press5400.htm archive.org], 9 December 2000. Retrieved 23 June 2017) at St Paul's Cathedral.[http://www.cofe-worcester.org.uk/press7200.htm Diocese of Worcester — Diocese welcomes new Bishop of Dudley] (Archived at [https://web.archive.org/web/20010308224002/http://www.cofe-worcester.org.uk:80/press7200.htm archive.org], 8 March 2001. Retrieved 23 June 2017) During his time as Bishop of Dudley, Walker was Acting Bishop of Worcester (as the sole suffragan of the diocese) during the 2007 interregnum between the retirement of Peter Selby and confirmation of John Inge.{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/7086461.stm|title=Trust chaplaincy service secured|date=9 November 2007}}

Walker's nomination to be the next Bishop of Manchester was announced on 5 June 2013;[https://www.gov.uk/government/news/diocese-of-manchester Press release: Diocese of Manchester]. Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street. his canonical election to the see was confirmed on 7 October 2013;[https://web.archive.org/web/20131207001419/http://www.cofe-worcester.org.uk/news/news_n.php?i441 Diocese of Worcester – David becoming Bishop of Manchester: key dates] (Archived 7 December 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2015) and he was enthroned at Manchester Cathedral on 30 November 2013.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-25169323 Bishop David Walker enthroned as Bishop of Manchester]. BBC News. Walker was awarded a doctorate in 2014 after research, at Warwick University, on how people belong to their churches, particularly in rural Anglicanism.

Since 2014, Walker has been vice-president of Affirming Catholicism.{{Cite web |url=http://www.affirmingcatholicism.org.uk/pages/default.asp?sID=0&mode=news&article=78 |title=Affirming Catholicism |access-date=20 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417174618/http://affirmingcatholicism.org.uk/pages/default.asp?sID=0 |archive-date=17 April 2015 |url-status=dead }} He is a member of the Third Order of the Society of St Francis (TSSF).{{cite web|title=Staff and trustees|url=https://www.cuf.org.uk/about-us/staff-and-trustees|website=Church Urban Fund|access-date=1 November 2015|archive-date=5 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141005005725/http://www.cuf.org.uk/about-us/staff-and-trustees|url-status=dead}}

Walker was introduced into the House of Lords on 7 September 2020.{{cite web |url=https://www.manchester.anglican.org/news/2020/09/04/bishop-david-join-house-lords/ |title=Diocese of Manchester - News - Bishop David to join the House of Lords |website=www.manchester.anglican.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921102441/https://www.manchester.anglican.org/news/2020/09/04/bishop-david-join-house-lords/ |archive-date=2020-09-21}} He was additionally appointed Convenor of the Lords Spiritual in 2025, and has served since 1 June 2025.{{cite web |website=Church of England |title=Bishop of Manchester to be Convenor of the Lords Spiritual |date=23 April 2025 |url=https://www.churchofengland.org/media/press-releases/bishop-manchester-be-convenor-lords-spiritual |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250424103559/https://www.churchofengland.org/media/press-releases/bishop-manchester-be-convenor-lords-spiritual |archive-date=24 April 2025 |access-date=2 June 2025 }}

=Views=

Walker supports the introduction of same-sex marriage in the Church of England: "I would be delighted to serve as bishop in a church that fully celebrated the committed, exclusive and faithful love of two adults, regardless of whether they were of same or different sexes".{{cite web |title=Bishop of Manchester: Living in Love and Faith Letter |url=https://manchester.anglican.org/news/latest-news/bishop-llf-letter.php |website=manchester.anglican.org |access-date=22 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122132036/https://manchester.anglican.org/news/latest-news/bishop-llf-letter.php |archive-date=22 January 2023 |date=19 January 2023}}

In November 2023, he was one of 44 Church of England bishops who signed an open letter supporting the use of the Prayers of Love and Faith (i.e. blessings for same-sex couples) and called for "Guidance being issued without delay that includes the removal of all restrictions on clergy entering same-sex civil marriages, and on bishops ordaining and licensing such clergy".{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Francis |title=Don't delay guidance allowing priests to be in same-sex marriages, say 44 bishops |url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2023/3-november/news/uk/don-t-delay-guidance-allowing-priests-to-be-in-same-sex-marriages-say-44-bishops |access-date=2 November 2023 |work=Church Times |date=1 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102131648/https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2023/3-november/news/uk/don-t-delay-guidance-allowing-priests-to-be-in-same-sex-marriages-say-44-bishops |archive-date=2 November 2023}}

Personal life

Walker is a keen hill walker.Debrett's People of Today London, 2008 Debrett's, {{ISBN|978-1-870520-95-9}} He married Susan in 1980 and together they have two children; he ordained her deacon at Manchester Cathedral on 1 July 2018, to serve as assistant curate in Prestwich.{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2018/6-july/gazette/ordinations/petertide-ordinations|title = Petertide Ordinations}}