Keith Rayner (bishop)

{{Infobox Christian leader

| type = Archbishop

| honorific-prefix = {{pre-nominal styles|size=100%|RRevd}}

| name = Keith Rayner

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AO}}

| title = {{ubl|Primate of Australia|Archbishop of Melbourne}}

| image = Bishop_Keith_Rayner.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| church = Anglican Church of Australia

| province = Victoria

| diocese = Melbourne

| term = {{ubl|1991–1999 (as primate)|1990–1999 (as archbishop)}}

| predecessor = {{ubl|John Grindrod|(as primate)|David Penman|(as archbishop)}}

| successor = {{ubl|Peter Carnley|(as primate)|Peter Watson|(as archbishop)}}

| ordination = {{Start date|1953}} (as priest)

| ordinated_by =

| consecration = {{Start date|1969|6|24|df=y}}

| consecrated_by =

| rank =

| birth_name = Keith Rayner

| birth_date = {{birth date|1929|11|22|df=y}}

| birth_place =

| death_date = {{death date and age|2025|1|12|1929|11|22|df=y}}

| death_place =

| nationality = Australian

| previous_post = {{ubl|Acting Primate|(1989–1991)|Archbishop of Adelaide|(1975–1990)|Bishop of Wangaratta|(1969–1975)}}

| spouse = Audrey Rayner

| education =

| alma_mater = University of Queensland

}}

Keith Rayner {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AO}} (22 November 1929 – 12 January 2025) was an Australian Anglican bishop and an Anglican Primate of Australia.{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Jenan |date=2025-01-13 |title=Significant Anglican and 'instrument of God': Bishop Keith Rayner dies |url=https://tma.melbourneanglican.org.au/2025/01/significant-anglican-and-instrument-of-god-bishop-keith-rayner-dies/ |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=The Melbourne Anglican |language=en-AU}} He served as Archbishop of Melbourne from 1990 to 1999, Archbishop of Adelaide from 1975 to 1990 and Bishop of Wangaratta from 1969 to 1975.

Life and career

Rayner was educated at the Church of England Grammar School, Brisbane, Queensland (now known as the Anglican Church Grammar School and popularly called "Churchie").{{cite book|last=Mason|first=James|title=Churchie: The Centenary Register|year=2011|publisher=The Anglican Church Grammar School|location=Brisbane, Australia|isbn=978-0-646-55807-3}} and the University of Queensland.Who's Who 2007 London: AC Black, 2006 {{ISBN|978-0-7136-7527-6}} He was ordained priest in 1953.{{Cite news |date=24 November 1999 |title=Archbishop Keith Rayner retires after almost half a century of ministry |work=Anglican Communion News Service |publisher=Anglican Communion Office |url=https://www.anglicannews.org/news/1999/11/archbishop-keith-rayner-retires-after-almost-half-a-century-of-ministry.aspx |access-date=19 July 2023}}

His first post was as chaplain at St Francis' Theological College, Brisbane, followed by Queensland incumbencies in Sunnybank and Wynnum, during which time he completed his doctoral thesis on the history of Anglicanism within the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane.{{Cite web|url=http://www.anglicanarchives.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/raynerthesis.pdf|title=The History of the Church of England in Queensland: A Thesis Submitted to The University of Queensland for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy|last=Rayner|first=Keith|year=1962|website=Anglican Archives}}

In 1969, Rayner became the Bishop of Wangaratta, Victoria:Crockford's Clerical Directory 1975-76 London: Oxford University Press, 1976 {{ISBN|0-19-200008-X}} he was consecrated a bishop on 24 June at St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne.[http://www.anglicanarchives.org.au/HDMS-HTML/SPSES257.htm Anglican Archives] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130410114708/http://anglicanarchives.org.au/HDMS-HTML/SPSES257.htm |date=10 April 2013 }} In 1975 he was translated to the see of Adelaide, South Australia as its archbishop. During his time in Adelaide he was appointed to be an officer of the Order of Australia.The Times, 16 June 1977, p. 10, "Court Circular".

From 1990 to 1999, he was Archbishop of Melbourne. He was widely appreciated for his "masterly presidential style"[http://www.anglican.org.au/generalsynod2001/presynod/book%203/appreciation.pdf Appreciation of leadership] and as a preacher. From 1989 to 1991, he served as Acting Primate of Australia, and between 1991 and 1999 he was the Primate of Australia.{{cite news |last1=Brolly |first1=Mark |title=Vote for Archbishop Freier's successor as Primate deadlocked |url=http://tma.melbourneanglican.org.au/news/Vote-Freier's-successor-Primate-deadlocked-170320 |access-date=15 March 2021 |work=The Melbourne Anglican |date=17 March 2020}} While archbishop and primate he supported the ordination of women to the priesthood and ordained the first women priests in the Diocese of Melbourne in 1992.{{Cite journal |last=Rayner |first=Keith |date=April 1992 |title=Melbourne Synod March '92 |journal=SEE |page=11}}{{Cite journal |last=Nelson |first=Janet |date=18 April 1994 |title=Melbourne celebrates as the first twelve women are ordained: Rejoice greatly daughters of Zion! |url=https://jstor.org/stable/community.35218468 |journal=Movement for the Ordination of Women Newsletter |pages=30, 33 |via=University of Divinity Digital Collections}}

Rayner died on 12 January 2025, at the age of 95.{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Jenan |title=Significant Anglican and ‘instrument of God’: Bishop Keith Rayner dies |url=https://tma.melbourneanglican.org.au/2025/01/significant-anglican-and-instrument-of-god-bishop-keith-rayner-dies/ |access-date=13 January 2025 |publisher=The Melbourne Anglican |date=13 January 2025}}