Jonathan Gibbs (bishop)

{{Infobox Christian leader

| honorific-prefix = The Rt Revd

| name = Jonathan Gibbs

| title = Bishop of Rochester

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| church = Church of England

| province = Canterbury

| diocese = Diocese of Rochester

| see =

| elected =

| term = 2022–present

| predecessor = James Langstaff

| successor = in office

| other_post = Area Bishop of Huddersfield (2014–2022)

| ordination = 1989 (deacon)
1990 (priest)

| ordained_by =

| consecration = 17 October 2014

| consecrated_by = Archbishop John Sentamu

| birth_name = Jonathan Robert Gibbs

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1961|5|6}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

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| nationality = British

| religion = Anglicanism

| residence =

| parents = Phillip Gibbs

| spouse = Toni née Millsted

| children = 2 sons; 1 dau.

| occupation =

| profession =

| education = The King's School, Chester

| alma_mater = Jesus College, Oxford
Ridley Hall, Cambridge
Jesus College, Cambridge

}}

Jonathan Robert Gibbs (born 6 May 1961), is an Anglican prelate.

Bishop of Rochester since 2022, he serves as the diocesan bishop for the see of Rochester in Kent. Bishop Gibbs was previously the first Bishop of Huddersfield from 2014 to 2022.{{cite news|title=Huddersfield's first ever bishop named as Jonathan Gibbs|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-28935742|access-date=22 November 2014|publisher=BBC News|date=26 August 2014}}

Early life and education

Born in 1961,{{Who's Who | title=Gibbs, Jonathan Robert | id = U282440 | volume = 2016 | edition = November 2015 online | access-date = 24 July 2016 }} Gibbs was educated at King's School Chester, a private school in Cheshire. He then read Philosophy and Politics at Jesus College, Oxford, graduating as Bachelor of Arts (BA) before proceeding, as is customary, MA (Oxon).{{cite web|title=Suffragan Bishop of Huddersfield: Jonathan Robert Gibbs|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/suffragan-bishop-of-huddersfield-jonathan-robert-gibbs|website=News|publisher=Government of the United Kingdom|access-date=4 December 2014|date=26 August 2014}}

In 1984, Gibbs entered Ridley Hall, Cambridge, an Anglican theological college, to train for ordained ministry. He also pursued postgraduate research at Jesus College, Cambridge, taking a doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in 1990.{{Crockford| surname =Gibbs | forenames =Jonathan Robert | id =25763 | accessed = 23 June 2018}} His doctoral thesis was titled "The challenge of transformation: towards a theology of work in the light of the thought of the Revd Dr Richard Niebuhr".{{cite journal|last1=Gibbs|first1=Jonathan Robert|title=The challenge of transformation: towards a theology of work in the light of the thought of H. Richard Niebuhr|url=http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?did=1&uin=uk.bl.ethos.334157|website=E-Thesis Online Service|publisher=The British Library|access-date=16 June 2016|year=1989}}

Ordained ministry

Gibbs was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1989 then as a priest in 1990. He served his curacy at Holy Trinity and Christ Church, Stalybridge in the diocese of Chester. He was the Intercontinental Church Society Chaplain at Basel (Switzerland) and Freiburg-im-Breisgau (Germany) from 1992 until 1998. He was then the incumbent at Heswall on the Wirral from 1998 until his elevation to the episcopate in 2014.

=Episcopal ministry=

In August 2014, it was announced that Gibbs would be the first Bishop of Huddersfield, an area bishop in the newly created diocese of Leeds. On 17 October 2014, he was consecrated a bishop by Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, during a service at York Minster.{{cite web|title=Celebration as the new bishops for Huddersfield and Bradford are consecrated|url=http://www.leeds.anglican.org/content/team-complete-two-new-bishops-consecrated-york-minster|website=Diocese of Leeds|publisher=Church of England|access-date=16 June 2016}}

File:Diocese_of_Rochester_arms.svg

On 31 March 2022, it was announced that Gibbs would succeed James Langstaff as diocesan bishop for the see of Rochester.{{cite web |title=Appointment of Bishop of Rochester: 31 March 2022 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/appointment-of-bishop-of-rochester-31-march-2022 |website=GOV.UK |publisher=Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street |access-date=31 March 2022 |language=en |date=31 March 2022}} He took up the See on 24 May 2022 (at St Mary-le-Bow) upon the confirmation of his election{{cite web |website=St Mary-le-Bow |title=(Section: Forthcoming Events) |url=https://www.stmarylebow.org.uk/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220604233726/https://www.stmarylebow.org.uk/ |archive-date=4 June 2022 |access-date=29 September 2022 }} and was afterwards installed as Bishop of Rochester during a service at Rochester Cathedral on 24 September 2022.{{cite web |title=New Bishop of Rochester announced |url=https://www.rochester.anglican.org/news/new-bishop-of-rochester-announced.php |website=Diocese of Rochester |access-date=31 March 2022 |date=31 March 2022}}

=Views=

In 2023, following the news that the House of Bishops of the Church of England was to introduce proposals for blessing same-sex relationships, he signed an open letter, stating:{{cite web |title=LLF: a paper on the Doctrine of Marriage |url=https://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/llf-a-paper-on-the-doctrine-of-marriage |website=Thinking Anglicans |access-date=31 January 2023 |language=en |date=31 January 2023}}

{{blockquote| many Christians in the Church of England and the Anglican Communion, together with Christians from across the churches of world Christianity, continue to believe that marriage is given by God for the union of a man and woman and that it cannot be extended to those who are of the same sex. [...] Without seeking to diminish the value of many committed same-sex relationships, for which there is much to give thanks, we find ourselves constrained by what we sincerely believe the Scriptures teach which cannot be set aside.}}

Bishop Gibbs voted against introducing "standalone services for same-sex couples" on a trial basis during a meeting of the General Synod in November 2023; the motion passed.{{cite web |title=GENERAL SYNOD NOVEMBER 2023 GROUP OF SESSIONS BUSINESS DONE AT 5 P.M. |url=https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-11/consolidated-business-done.pdf |website=churchofengland.org |publisher=The Church of England |access-date=23 November 2023 |date=13 November 2023 |quote=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.}}{{cite web |title=General Synod 15th November 2023 – Item 007 |url=https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-11/item-7.pdf |website=churchofengland.org |publisher=The Church of England |access-date=23 November 2023 |date=15 November 2023}}

Personal life

Gibbs married Toni Millsted in 1986. Together, they have three children: Harriet, Edward and Thomas.{{cite web|title=The consecration of Bishop Dr Jonathan Gibbs|url=http://www.chester.anglican.org/news.asp?Page=762|website=Diocese of Chester|publisher=Church of England|accessdate=16 June 2016|date=21 October 2014}}