Kanishka Raffel

Raffel was born on 6 November 1964 in London, England, to Sri Lankan parents, father, Lorenz a tea plantation supervisor and mother, Lilamani, a doctor.{{Cite web |last=Baker |first=Jordan |date=2022-08-05 |title=Charming and unapologetic: Sydney's Anglican archbishop isn't afraid to be out of step with the times |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/charming-and-unapologetic-sydney-s-anglican-archbishop-isn-t-afraid-to-be-out-of-step-with-the-times-20220803-p5b6z0.html |access-date=2022-08-05 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}} They moved to Canada for a brief period but found it too cold and emigrated to Australia in 1972.

Raised a Buddhist,{{cite web |title=A very surprised Christian |url=https://www.cms.org.au/2018/05/testimony-kanishka-raffel/ |website=CMS Australia |access-date=14 April 2021 |language=en-AU |date=5 May 2018 |archive-date=27 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027005958/https://www.cms.org.au/2018/05/testimony-kanishka-raffel/ |url-status=dead }} Raffel was given a copy of the Gospel of John when in his third year of his arts-law degree at university by a friend, Andrew Shead. At the age of 21, Raffel was convinced by the words of Jesus in John's Gospel: "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day" (John 6:44).

Raffel graduated from the University of Sydney with English honours in 1986{{cite journal |editor1-last=Earngey |editor1-first=Mark E. |title=Nominee Snapshot: Kanishka Raffel |journal=Australian Church Record |date=2021 |volume=Autumn 2021 |issue=1925 |page=34 |url=https://www.australianchurchrecord.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ACR065-ACR-Autumn-2021-WEB3.pdf |access-date=8 May 2021}} and in Law, in 1989.{{cite book |editor1-last=Mackinolty |editor1-first=John |editor2-last=Mackinolty |editor2-first=Judy |title=A Century Downtown : Sydney University Law School's first hundred years |date=1991 |publisher=Sydney University Law School |location=Sydney |isbn=0909777225 |page=253 |url=https://www.sydney.edu.au/content/dam/corporate/documents/sydney-law-school/about/a-century-downtown-sydney-law-school.pdf}} After graduation Raffel practised law at Blake Dawson Waldron (which became Ashurst) for two and a half years.{{cite news |last1=Sheridan |first1=Greg |author1-link=Greg Sheridan |title=Sydney Archbishop Kanishka Raffel's devotion to peace |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/sydney-archbishop-kanishka-raffels-devotion-to-peace/news-story/bb5f018844a3865e899975d33e3987ec |access-date=12 June 2021 |work=The Australian |publisher=News Corp Australia |date=15 May 2021}}{{Cite journal |date=2016 |editor-last=Collins |editor-first=Melanie |title=Get to know your school council member |url=https://www.sacs.nsw.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/1.8.1_SACS-2016-Inspired-Magazine-FA.pdf |journal=Inspire |issue=4 |pages=6}} He then trained at Moore Theological College, graduating with a Bachelor of Divinity (BD) and Diploma of Ministry in 1996.

Raffel was ordained deacon in 1996 in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, and priest in 1996 in the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn. He served at St Matthew's Church, Wanniassa from 1996 to 1999, and then moved to the Anglican Diocese of Perth where he served for 16 years (1999-2016) as rector of St Matthew's Church, Shenton Park. He obtained a Master of Arts in Theology from Moore Theological College in 2010.

Raffel was appointed Dean of St Andrew's Cathedral in 2016 and installed in that position on 4 February 2016. He was the first person from a non-European background to hold the position.

As dean, Raffel was an active spokesman for Christianity, appearing on ABC radio{{cite news |title=The Interview: Rev Kanishka Raffel - Interview from Sunday Nights NLR - (ABC) |url=https://www.abc.net.au/sundaynights/stories/s4424108.htm |access-date=15 April 2021 |work=Sunday Nights |date=13 March 2016 |language=en-AU}}{{cite news |last1=Kohn |first1=Rachel |title=The Dean's Story |url=https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/archived/spiritofthings/the-deans-story/7192472 |access-date=27 April 2021 |work=ABC Radio National |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=28 February 2016}} and on ABC TV's The Drum.{{cite news |title=The Drum: Wednesday 16th of October |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-16/the-drum:-wednesday-16th-of-october/11609652 |access-date=15 April 2021 |work=www.abc.net.au |language=en-AU}} In 2021 he led the Sydney diocese's service commemorating the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

As early as 2019, the Sydney Morning Herald had described Raffel as one of the "leading contenders" for the position of Anglican Archbishop of Sydney.{{cite news |last1=Koziol |first1=Michael |title='Crisis point': the Anglican church is riven by worse divisions than ever before |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/crisis-point-the-anglican-church-is-riven-by-worse-divisions-than-ever-before-20191018-p531ym.html |access-date=27 April 2021 |work=Sydney Morning Herald |publisher=Nine Entertainment Co. |date=20 October 2019}} In 2021, he was announced as one of four nominees to replace Glenn Davies, alongside three bishops: the Bishop of North Sydney Chris Edwards, the Bishop of Wollongong Peter Hayward, and the Bishop of South Sydney Michael Stead.{{cite news |last1=Powell |first1=Russell |title=Four in line for Archbishop's election |url=https://sydneyanglicans.net/news/four-in-line-for-archbishops-election/51130 |access-date=15 November 2023 |work=Sydney Anglicans |publisher=Sydney Anglicans |date=24 March 2021}} On 6 May 2021, Raffel was elected to the position, at a special election synod.{{cite web |title=As Nominee for the Office of Archbishop of Sydney |url=https://introducingkr.org/ |website=Introducing Kanishka Raffel |access-date=14 April 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=22 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422104202/https://introducingkr.org/ |url-status=dead }}

On 28 May 2021, Raffel was consecrated a bishop by Geoffrey Smith, and installed as archbishop in Sydney's St Andrew's Cathedral.{{cite news |last1=Jensen |first1=Michael |author1-link=Michael Jensen (theologian) |title=Sydney's new Anglican Archbishop faces an enormous task |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-s-new-anglican-archbishop-faces-an-enormous-task-20210508-p57q4l.html |access-date=28 May 2021 |work=Sydney Morning Herald |publisher=Nine Entertainment Co. |date=9 May 2021}}{{cite web |last1=Powell |first1=Russell |title=Historic consecration of Sydney Archbishop – Ozlanka |url=https://www.ozlanka.com/2021/05/30/historic-consecration-of-sydney-archbishop/ |website=Ozlanka |access-date=13 May 2022 |language=en-AU}} He is the first person from a non-European background to hold the diocesan bishop's position.{{cite news |last1=Koziol |first1=Michael |title=Anglicans elect migrant, former-Buddhist, person of colour as Archbishop of Sydney |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/anglicans-elect-migrant-former-buddhist-person-of-colour-as-archbishop-of-sydney-20210507-p57pzj.html |access-date=28 May 2021 |work=Sydney Morning Herald |publisher=Nine Entertainment Co. |date=9 May 2021}}

Raffel holds a number of other roles, including:

• Member of the General Synod Standing Committee.{{Cite web|title=Standing Committee {{!}} Anglican Church of Australia|url=https://anglican.org.au/governance/standing-committee/|access-date=2021-03-29|website=anglican.org.au}}
• Board Member of GAFCON Australia.{{Cite web|title=Board – Gafcon Australia|url=http://www.gafconaustralia.org/about-2/board/|access-date=2021-03-29|language=en}}
• Council Member of [https://www.cms.org.au/2018/05/testimony-kanishka-raffel/ The Gospel Coalition Australia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027005958/https://www.cms.org.au/2018/05/testimony-kanishka-raffel/ |date=27 October 2021 }}.{{Cite web|title=Council|url=https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/about/council/|access-date=2021-03-29|website=The Gospel Coalition {{!}} Australia|language=en-AU}}
• Trustee of the Anglican Relief and Development Fund.{{Cite web|url=https://ardfa.org.au/about|title=About|access-date=2021-03-29|website=ardfa.org.au}}
• Trustee of Trinity Theological College, Perth.{{Cite web|last=pwd|title=Governance|url=https://ttc.wa.edu.au/about/governance/|access-date=2021-03-29|language=en-AU}}
• President of the Church Missionary Society - Australia {{Cite web |last=Kernebone |first=Elspeth |date=2024-01-19 |title=Victorians gather to lift their eyes at Summer Under the Son |url=https://tma.melbourneanglican.org.au/2024/01/victorians-gather-to-lift-their-eyes-at-summer-under-the-son/ |access-date=2024-10-03 |website=The Melbourne Anglican |language=en-AU}}

Raffel is married to Cailey, and has two daughters.

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Category:Living people

Category:Deans of Sydney

Category:Anglican clergy from London

Category:Australian people of Sri Lankan descent

Category:University of Sydney alumni

Category:Moore Theological College alumni

Category:Converts to Anglicanism from Buddhism

Category:Converts to Protestantism from Buddhism

Category:British emigrants to Australia

Category:Sydney Law School alumni

Category:21st-century Anglican archbishops

Category:Anglican archbishops of Sydney

Category:Evangelical Anglican bishops

Category:1964 births