Michael Beasley (bishop)
{{Short description|British Anglican bishop (born 1968)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = bishop
| honorific-prefix = The Right Reverend
| name = Michael Beasley
| honorific-suffix =
| title = Bishop of Bath and Wells
| church =
| diocese = Diocese of Bath and Wells
| predecessor =
| successor =
| other_post = Director of Mission, Diocese of Oxford (2010–2015)
Bishop of Hertford (2015-2022)
| ordination = 1999 (deacon)
2000 (priest)
| ordained_by =
| consecration = 14 May 2015
| consecrated_by = Justin Welby
| birth_name = Noel Michael Roy Beasley
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1968}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| buried =
| nationality =
| religion = Anglicanism
| residence =
| parents =
| spouse = Lizzie
| children = Two
| occupation =
| profession = Epidemiologist
| previous_post =
| education = Sir Graham Balfour School
| alma_mater = Imperial College London
Oriel College, Oxford
Durham University
| elected = 29 June 2022
| enthroned = 12 November 2022
}}
Noel Michael Roy Beasley (born 1968) is a British Church of England bishop and epidemiologist. Since June 2022, he has been the Bishop of Bath and Wells; he was enthroned and started active ministry in that role in November 2022. From May 2015 to June 2022, he was Bishop of Hertford, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of St Albans. From 2003 to 2010, he worked at Westcott House, Cambridge, an Anglican theological college, first as chaplain and then as a tutor and the college's vice-principal. During this time, he was also an academic of Imperial College London. From 2010 to 2015, he was Director of Mission for the Diocese of Oxford.
Early life and education
Beasley was born in 1968,{{Crockford | surname = Beasley | forenames = Noel Michael Ray | id =15579 | accessed = 23 June 2018}} and brought up in rural Staffordshire.{{cite web |title=New Bishop of Bath and Wells announced |url=https://www.bathandwells.org.uk/news/new-bishop-of-bath-and-wells-announced.php |website=Diocese of Bath & Wells |date=28 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220428111332/https://www.bathandwells.org.uk/news/new-bishop-of-bath-and-wells-announced.php |archive-date=28 April 2022 |access-date=30 April 2022 }} From 1983 to 1987, he was educated at Sir Graham Balfour School, a state school in Stafford, Staffordshire.{{cite news|title=Former Stafford pupil becomes a bishop|url=http://www.staffordshirenewsletter.co.uk/Stafford-pupil-bishop/story-26195665-detail/story.html|accessdate=13 August 2015|work=Staffordshire Newsletter|date=19 March 2015}}{{deadlink|reason=no archive found|date=April 2025}} He studied at Imperial College London and graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree. He then undertook post-graduate study at Oriel College, Oxford, completing his Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) degree in 1996. He later became an epidemiologist specialising in child infectious diseases in low-income countries.
After completing his doctorate, Beasley studied theology at St John's College, Durham. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1998. He then trained for the priesthood at Cranmer Hall, the theological college attached to St John's College, which he completed in 1999. Until 2010, he combined scientific work half time with work as a missioner and theology teacher.
Ordained ministry
Beasley was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1999 and as a priest in 2000. From 1999 to 2003, he served as an assistant curate at St Nicholas Church, Newport, Shropshire, in the Diocese of Lichfield.{{cite web|title=Suffragan See of Hertford: Canon Noel Michael Roy Beasley|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/suffragan-see-of-hertford-canon-noel-michael-roy-beasley|website=Press release|publisher=Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street|accessdate=7 March 2015|date=5 March 2015}}
From 2003 to 2007, Beasley was chaplain of Westcott House, Cambridge, an Anglican theological college. Remaining at Westcott House, he was a tutor in mission and the college's vice-principal from 2007 to 2010. His positions at Westcott House were part-time and he combined these with work at Imperial College London.{{cite web|title=Priest and scientist appointed Bishop of Hertford|url=http://www.stalbans.anglican.org/priest-scientist-appointed-bishop-hertford/|website=News|date=5 March 2015|publisher=Diocese of St Albans|accessdate=8 March 2015}} There, he worked as Director of the Partnership for Child Development in the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology. One of his projects was a 2008 film titled Courage and Hope: African Teachers Living Positively With HIV which tried to address the stigma of HIV/AIDS in Africa.{{cite web|title=New HIV film tackles stigma faced by teachers in Africa|url=http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-12/icl-nhf120308.php|website=EurekAlert!|publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science|accessdate=8 March 2015|date=3 December 2008}}
In 2010, Beasley was appointed Director of Mission for the Diocese of Oxford. In this position he worked throughout the diocese with churches across the spectrum of Anglican churchmanship. In 2014, he was appointed an honorary canon of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.
=Episcopate=
In March 2015, it was announced that Beasley would succeed Paul Bayes as Bishop of Hertford, a suffragan bishop of the Diocese of St Albans. On 14 May 2015, he was consecrated as a bishop by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, during a service at Westminster Abbey.{{cite web|title=Westcott Episcopal Double!|url=http://www.westcott.cam.ac.uk/westcott-episcopal-double/|website=Westcott House|publisher=University of Cambridge|accessdate=27 March 2015}} He took up the appointment on 16 May during a service at St Albans Cathedral.{{cite web|title=The Bishop of Hertford|url=http://www.stalbans.anglican.org/diocese/the-bishop-of-hertford/|website=Who's Who|publisher=Diocese of St Albans|accessdate=19 June 2015}}
On 28 April 2022, it was announced that Beasley would be the next Bishop of Bath and Wells, the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Bath and Wells;{{cite web |title=Bishop of Bath and Wells: 28 April 2022 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bishop-of-bath-and-wells-28-april-2022 |website=GOV.UK |publisher=Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street |access-date=28 April 2022 |language=en |date=28 April 2022}} his confirmation of election took place at Lambeth Palace on 29 June 2022.{{Cite tweet |title=Bishop Michael Beasley has officially become the 80th Bishop of Bath and Wells... |author=Diocese of Bath & Wells |author-link=Diocese of Bath and Wells |user=BathWells |number=1542186508207144969 |date=29 June 2022 |access-date=2 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002212416/https://twitter.com/BathWells/status/1542186508207144969 |archive-date=2 October 2022 }} At his installation on 12 November at Wells Cathedral, he gifted 1,000 hazel saplings to guests as a sign of working for change, to offer shelter to birds and creatures, and capture carbon.{{cite news |url=https://www.northsomersettimes.co.uk/news/23123474.rt-rev-michael-beasley-installed-bishop-bath-wells/ |title=Rt Rev Michael Beasley installed as Bishop of Bath & Wells |last=Hill |first=Phil |website=North Somerset Times |date=14 November 2022 |access-date=19 November 2022}}
He took part in the 2023 Coronation as one of the two Bishops Assistant to King Charles III, alongside the Right Reverend Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham.{{cite web |title=Coronation order of service in full |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65503950 |website=BBC News |access-date=6 May 2023}}
=Views=
Beasley voted in favour of the introduction of blessings for same-sex couples by the Church of England in February 2023, https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/how-church-of-england-bishops-voted-same-sex-blessings-during-general-synod and in November of that year voted to approve "standalone services for same-sex couples" on a trial basis.{{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
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Bishops of Hertford}}
{{Bishops of Bath and Wells}}
{{Diocese of Bath and Wells}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beasley, Michael}}
Category:21st-century English Anglican priests
Category:Alumni of Imperial College London
Category:Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford
Category:Alumni of St John's College, Durham
Category:Academics of Imperial College London
Category:British epidemiologists
Category:Staff of Westcott House, Cambridge