Leslie Vining
{{short description|Anglican bishop in Nigeria}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = Bishop
| name = Leslie Gordon Vining
| title = Archbishop of West Africa
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| church = Anglican
| archdiocese =
| diocese =
| see = Diocese of West Africa
| term = 1951 – 1955
| predecessor =
| successor =
| ordination = 1911
| ordinated_by =
| consecration = 1938
| consecrated_by =
| rank =
| birth_date = 5 February 1885
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{dda|1955|||1885|2|5|df=y}}
| death_place =
| previous_post = Bishop of Lagos
Assistant Bishop on the Niger
}}
Leslie Gordon Vining CBE, (1885{{snd}}4 March 1955) was an English Anglican bishop and the first Archbishop of the Church of the Province of West Africa, from 1951 to 1955.
Life
He attended Emmanuel College, Cambridge and completed his studies in 1910. He was made deacon at Michaelmas (24 September) 1911, by Handley Moule, Bishop of Durham, at Auckland Castle Chapel.{{Church Times | title = The Ordinations. On Sunday Last. | archive = 1911_09_29_379 | issue = 2540 | date = 29 September 1911 | page = 379 | accessed = 7 March 2021 }} He started out as an assistant curate at St. Gabriel's, Bishopwearmouth"Ecclesiastical News." Times [London, England] 19 July 1938: 10. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 1 Mar. 2016 and later became chaplain to British forces during World War I. After the war, he was the Vicar of St. Alban's, Westbury Park, Bristol in 1918. He was at the post for the next 20 years.
In 1938, he was migrated to Nigeria as an Assistant Bishop on the Niger succeeding Morris Gelsthorpe. He was consecrated a bishop on All Saints' Day (17 November) 1938, by Cosmo Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Westminster Abbey.{{Church Times | title = Bishops for Ceylon and Africa. Consecration in Westminster Abbey. | archive = 1938_11_04_506 | issue = 3954 | date = 4 November 1938 | page = 506 | accessed = 7 March 2021 }} Vining was appointed the Bishop of Lagos in 1940 after the resignation of Melville Jones"Ecclesiastical News." Times [London, England] 1 Feb. 1940: 11. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 1 Mar. 201 in September 1940;{{Church Times | title = New Bishop of Lagos | archive = 1940_02_01_087 | issue = 4019 | date = 1 February 1940 | page = 87 | accessed = 7 March 2021 }} he returned to England for part of that year.{{Church Times | title = Church News. Personal. | archive = 1940_06_14_433 | issue = 4038 | date = 14 June 1940 | page = 433 | accessed = 7 March 2021 }} While in Nigeria, he established a training school for religious teachers. He also tried to be a bridge builder, reaching out to the Lagos Islamic community.
He was elected the first Archbishop of the newly created Church of the Province of West Africa (remaining diocesan Bishop of Lagos), on the afternoon of the province's inauguration on 17 April 1951; he was duly enthroned as such that evening.{{Church Times | title = Dr Fisher visits West Africa. Inauguration of new province. | archive = 1951_04_20_261 | issue = 4062 | date = 20 April 1951 | page = 261 | accessed = 7 March 2021 }} He was still in both posts when he died{{Church Times | title = Obituary: Leslie Gordon Vining | archive = 1955_03_11_017 | issue = 4805 | date = 11 March 1955 | page = 17 | accessed = 7 March 2021 }} at sea on his way to England on 4 March 1955. He was buried in Freetown, Sierra Leone.Gerald Harry Anderson. Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1999. p 705. {{ISBN|0-8028-4680-7}}[http://www.dioceseoflagos.org/?/page/bishop-leslie-gordon-vining/ Bishop Leslie Gordon Vining Biography at the Diocese of Lagos Official Website]
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.dioceseoflagos.org/?/page/bishop-leslie-gordon-vining/ Leslie Vining Biography at the Diocese of Lagos Official Website]
{{Archbishops of West Africa}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vining, Leslie Gordon}}
Category:20th-century Anglican bishops in Nigeria
Category:20th-century Anglican archbishops
Category:Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Category:Anglican bishops of Lagos
Category:British expatriates in Nigeria
Category:People from colonial Nigeria