Peter Eagles

{{Infobox Christian leader

| type = bishop

| honorific-prefix = The Right Reverend

| name = Peter Eagles

| honorific-suffix = QHC

| title = Bishop of Sodor and Man

| image = New Army Chaplains (Peter Eagles cropped).jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = Eagles in 2013

| church = Church of England

| archdiocese =

| province =

| metropolis =

| diocese = Diocese of Sodor and Man

| see =

| elected =

| term = 2017 to 2023

| predecessor = Robert Paterson

| successor = TBA

| other_post = Archdeacon for the Army {{nowrap|(2011–2017)}}
Royal Army Chaplains' Department {{nowrap|(2014–2017)}}

| ordination = 1989 (deacon)
by Graham Leonard
1990 (priest)
by Tom Butler

| consecration = 22 June 2017

| consecrated_by = John Sentamu

| birth_name = Peter Andrew Eagles

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1959|7|6}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| buried =

| resting_place_coordinates =

| nationality = British

| religion =

| residence = Thie yn Aspick, Douglas

| parents =

| spouse = {{marriage|Gail|1992}}

| children = One

| occupation =

| profession =

| education = Royal Grammar School, Guildford

| alma_mater = {{plainlist|

}}

| module = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes

| allegiance = United Kingdom

| branch = British Army

| serviceyears = 1990{{ndash}}2017

| rank = Deputy Chaplain General (equivalent to brigadier)

| servicenumber = 539182

| unit = Royal Army Chaplains' Department

| commands =

| battles_label =

| battles = }}

}}

Peter Andrew Eagles, {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|QHC}} (born 6 July 1959) is a British retired Anglican bishop. From 2017 to 2023, he was the Bishop of Sodor and Man; he was consecrated a bishop in the Church of England in June 2017, and he was installed in September 2017. He is a former chaplain of the British Army, serving as Archdeacon for the Army (2011–2017) and the Deputy Chaplain-General of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department (2014–2017).

Early life and education

Eagles was born on 6 July 1959.{{Who's Who | title=Eagles, Peter Andrew | id = U255571 | volume = 2017 | edition = November 2016 online | access-date = 22 June 2017 }} He was educated at the Royal Grammar School, an all-boys private school in Guildford, Surrey. He studied German and Russian at King's College, London, and he graduated in 1982 with a first class Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree and the Associateship of King's College (AKC).{{Crockford| surname = Peter Andrew | forenames = Eagles | id = 24771 | accessed = 26 September 2016}}

Between 1982 and 1986, Eagles was an assistant master at Tonbridge School, an independent school in Tonbridge, Kent, and also worked as a freelance translator. In 1986, he entered St Stephen's House, Oxford, an Anglo-Catholic theological college, to train for holy orders and study theology. He graduated with a further BA in 1988.

Ordained ministry

Eagles was ordained in the Church of England: made a deacon at Petertide 1989 (1 July), by Graham Leonard, Bishop of London, at St Paul's Cathedral{{Church Times | title = Petertide ordinations | archive = 1989_07_07_004 | issue = 6595 | date = 7 July 1989 | page = 4 | accessed = 6 July 2017 }} and ordained a priest the Petertide following (1 July 1990), by Tom Butler, Bishop of Willesden, at his title church.{{Church Times | title = Ordinations at Petertide | archive = 1990_07_13_005 | issue = 6648 | date = 13 July 1990 | page = 5 | accessed = 6 July 2017 }} From 1989 to 1992, he served his curacy at St Martin's Church, Ruislip, an Anglo-Catholic church in the Diocese of London.

=Military service=

On 27 January 1990, Eagles was commissioned into the Royal Army Chaplains' Department of the British Army as a Chaplain to the Forces 4th Class (equivalent in rank to captain).{{London Gazette |issue= 60932 |date= 3 February 1992 |page=1842 |supp= y }} He was promoted to Chaplain to the Forces 3rd Class (equivalent in rank to major) on 27 January 1998,{{London Gazette |issue= 55032 |date= 2 February 1998 |page=1250 |supp= y }} and to Chaplain to the Forces 2nd Class on 5 September 2005 (equivalent in rank to lieutenant colonel).{{London Gazette |issue= 57747 |date= 6 September 2005 |page=11453 |supp= y }} From 2007 to 2008, he was Chaplain of the Royal Military Chapel (Guards Chapel) at Wellington Barracks in London.

On 28 January 2008, Eagles was promoted to Chaplain to the Forces 1st Class (equivalent in rank to colonel) and appointed an Assistant Chaplain General.{{London Gazette |issue= 58707 |date= 27 May 2008 |page=7940 |supp= y }} On 28 July 2011, he was collated and licensed as the Archdeacon for the Army, the most senior Anglican chaplain in the British Army, during a service at Lambeth Palace Chapel;{{cite web|title=Collation service for new Archdeacon for the Army |url=http://rowanwilliams.archbishopofcanterbury.org/diary.php/69/collation-service-for-new-archdeacon-for-the-army |website=rowanwilliams.archbishopofcanterbury.org |publisher=Church of England |accessdate=26 September 2016 |date=28 July 2011}} as such he was a member of the General Synod of the Church of England.{{cite web|title=Synod Elections 2015: Results |url=https://www.churchofengland.org/about-us/structure/general-synod/synod-elections-2015/results.aspx |website=churchofengland.org |publisher=Church of England |accessdate=26 September 2016}} From 2013 to 2014, he attended the Royal College of Defence Studies to prepare for further promotion. On 14 July 2014, he was appointed the Deputy Chaplain General (equivalent in rank to brigadier), thereby becoming the second most senior chaplain in the British Army.{{London Gazette |issue= 60932 |date= 15 July 2014 |page=3 |supp= y }}

During his military career, Eagles undertook multiple tours of duty. These included postings to Northern Ireland during The Troubles, with the United Nations in Kosovo, to Iraq as senior chaplain to the 12 Mechanised Brigade and to Helmand Province, Afghanistan as senior chaplain to the 16 Air Assault Brigade.{{cite web |title=The Right Reverend Peter Andrew Eagles, Bishop of Sodor and Man |url=https://www.sodorandman.im/the-right-reverend-peter-andrew-eagles-bishop-of-sodor-and-man/ |website=The Diocese of Sodor and Man |access-date=20 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230720162702/https://www.sodorandman.im/the-right-reverend-peter-andrew-eagles-bishop-of-sodor-and-man/ |archive-date=20 July 2023}}

Eagles officially retired from the British Army on 6 July 2017.{{London Gazette |issue= 61991 |date= 11 July 2017 |page= 13119 |supp= y }}

=Episcopal ministry=

File:Licensing of Rev William Mackay.jpg

On 4 May 2017, it was announced that Eagles would be the next Bishop of Sodor and Man.{{cite web|title=Peter Eagles appointed new Isle of Man bishop|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-39806155|work=BBC News|accessdate=4 May 2017|date=4 May 2017}}{{cite web|title=Bishop of Sodor and Man: Peter Eagles|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bishop-of-sodor-and-man-peter-eagles|publisher=Government of the United Kingdom|accessdate=4 May 2017|date=4 May 2017}} He was consecrated a bishop on 22 June 2017 during a service at York Minster,{{cite web|title=The Consecration of the Venerable Peter Eagles, 22 June 2017|url=http://www.sodorandman.im/diocesan-blog/title/The-Consecration-of-the-Venerable-Peter-Eagles,-22-June-2017/post/9437|website=Diocese of Sodor and Man|accessdate=5 June 2017|date=9 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001214943/http://www.sodorandman.im/diocesan-blog/title/The-Consecration-of-the-Venerable-Peter-Eagles,-22-June-2017/post/9437|archive-date=1 October 2017}} by John Sentamu, Archbishop of York. He was installed at the Cathedral Church of St German in Peel, Isle of Man on 30 September 2017.{{cite web|title=Peter Eagles: New bishop of Sodor and Man installed at Peel Cathedral|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-41442184|work=BBC News|accessdate=2 October 2017|date=30 September 2017}} As Bishop of Sodor and Man, he has an ex-officio seat on the Legislative Council of the Isle of Man which he took up upon his installation as bishop.{{cite web|title=The Lord Bishop|url=http://www.tynwald.org.im/about/tynday/TD2017/Documents/TD2017%20Prog.pdf|website=Tynwald Day 2017|accessdate=2 October 2017|page=10|date=5 July 2017}}

In March 2023, it was announced that Eagles would retire as Bishop of Sodor and Man after six years in the post in October 2023.{{cite web |last1=Coldwell |first1=John |title=Bishop Peter announces his plans to retire |url=https://www.sodorandman.im/bishop-peter-announces-his-plans-to-retire/ |website=The Diocese of Sodor and Man |access-date=9 March 2023 |date=9 March 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Eagles |first1=PA |title=Announcement of Resignation |url=https://www.sodorandman.im/wp-content/uploads/Announcement-of-Resignation-for-website-09.pdf |website=The Diocese of Sodor and Man |access-date=9 March 2023 |date=9 March 2023}} His farewell service was held on 28 October followed by the laying down of his crozier, symbolically ending his time as bishop.{{cite web |last1=Coldwell |first1=John |title=Bishop Peter's Farewell Service |url=https://www.sodorandman.im/bishop-peters-farewell-service/ |website=The Diocese of Sodor and Man |access-date=30 October 2023 |date=30 October 2023}} He retirement was effective 31 October 2023.{{cite web |website=The Diocese of Sodor and Man |title=Crown Nominations Commission |date=7 September 2023 |url=https://www.sodorandman.im/crown-nominations-commission/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101205752/https://www.sodorandman.im/crown-nominations-commission/ |archive-date=1 November 2023 |access-date=1 November 2023 }}

=Views=

Eagles belongs to the Anglo-Catholic wing of the Church of England.{{cite news|last1=Wyatt|first1=Tim|title=Catholic Group army padre Peter Eagles to be Bishop of Sodor & Man|url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2017/5-may/news/uk/catholic-group-army-padre-to-be-bishop-of-sodor-man|accessdate=4 May 2017|work=Church Times|date=4 May 2017}} Though he has a traditionalist background, due to the circumstances of the Diocese of Sodor and Man (only having one bishop), he plans to "ordain all who are called to be deacons and priests".{{cite web|title=Bishop of Sodor and Man Announced|url=http://www.sodorandman.im/diocesan-blog/title/Bishop-of-Sodor-and-Man-Announced/post/9410|website=Diocese of Sodor and Man|accessdate=4 May 2017|date=4 May 2017|archive-date=13 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170513195952/http://www.sodorandman.im/diocesan-blog/title/Bishop-of-Sodor-and-Man-Announced/post/9410|url-status=dead}} As such, he has ordained women to the priesthood.{{cite web |title=The Ordination as Priest of The Reverend Ruth Walker at the Cathedral |url=https://www.sodorandman.im/the-ordination-as-priest-of-the-reverend-ruth-walker-at-the-cathedral/ |website=The Diocese of Sodor and Man |access-date=20 July 2023 |date=5 October 2020}}

Personal life

In 1992, Eagles married Gail Seager. Together they have one son.

Honours

On 17 October 2013, Eagles was appointed an Honorary Chaplain to the Queen (QHC).{{London Gazette |issue= 60745 |date= 7 January 2014 |page=194 |supp= y }} On 15 October 2015, he was installed as an honorary canon of Salisbury Cathedral.{{cite web|last1=Thomas|first1=Marie|title=Four canons installed – to the sound of new music!|url=http://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/news/four-canons-installed-sound-new-music|website=Salisbury Cathedral|publisher=Church of England|accessdate=27 September 2016|date=20 October 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Tollast|first1=Oscar|title=Four new Canons set to join Salisbury Cathedral|url=http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/communitynews/churchnews/13717976.Four_new_Canons_set_to_join_Salisbury_Cathedral/|accessdate=4 May 2017|work=Dorset Echo|date=14 September 2015}}