Ronald Gordon (bishop)
{{Short description|British Anglican bishop}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| honorific-prefix = The Rt Revd
| name = Ronald Gordon
| honorific-suffix =
| title = Bishop at Lambeth
| church = Church of England
| term = 1984–1991
| successor = John Yates
| other_post = Sub-Dean at Christ Church, Oxford (1991–1996)
Honorary assistant bishop in Oxford (1996–2015)
Bishop to the Forces (1985–1990)
Honorary assistant bishop in Southwark (1984–1991)
Bishop of Portsmouth (1975–1984)
| ordination = 1952 (deacon)
1953 (priest)
| consecration = 23 September 1975
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1927|3|19}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2015|8|8|1927|3|19}}
| religion = Anglican
| parents = Sir Archibald and Lady Dorothy Gordon
| occupation =
| profession =
| alma_mater = Balliol College, Oxford
}}
Archibald Ronald McDonald Gordon (19 March 1927 – 8 August 2015) was a British Anglican bishop. He was the Bishop of Portsmouth from 1975 to 1984. He was the Bishop at Lambeth from 1984 and, additionally, the Bishop to the Forces from 1985. He ended his career as sub-dean at Christ Church, Oxford, from 1991 to 1996.
Early years
Gordon was the son of the diplomat"Obituary", The Times, 29 November 1974, p. 20. Sir Archibald Gordon CMG and his wife Dorothy, the daughter of Charles Silvester Horne,Who's Who 1971 {{ISBN|0-7136-1140-5}} p. 1224 MP:and father of the humorous broadcaster Kenneth Horne his great-grandfather, Herbert Cozens-Hardy, 1st Baron Cozens-Hardy, was Master of the Rolls from 1907 until 1918. He was educated at Rugby School and Balliol College, Oxford (organ scholar)Who's Who, 19920713635142 BA 1950, MA 1952Crockford's Clerical Directory (2002/03), p. 289 before studying for ordination at Cuddesdon College.
Ordained ministry
After a curacy in the East End of London,Who's Who(Ibid) Gordon returned to Ripon College Cuddesdon as chaplain in 1955. After four years he moved to Birmingham, firstly as a parish priest and then as a canon residentiary at the cathedral.{{London Gazette|issue=44426|page=10909|date=10 October 1967}} After 12 years in Birmingham he returned to Oxford as vicar of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin.{{London Gazette|issue=46654|page=10135|date=8 August 1975}}
Gordon was consecrated as a bishop on 23 September 1975 by Donald Coggan, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Westminster Abbey.{{Church Times | title = New bishops told: 'It's lonely at the top' | archive = 1975_09_26_003 | issue = 5876 | date = 26 September 1975 | page = 3 | accessed = 16 May 2019 }} In 1975 he was appointed to be Bishop of Portsmouth, a role he was to hold for nine years with appointment to the House of Lords coming in 1981; he resigned on 31 May 1984.{{cite book |editor1-last=Fryde |editor1-first=E. B. |editor2-last=Greenway |editor2-first=D. E. |editor3-last=Porter |editor3-first=S. |editor4-last=Roy |editor4-first=I. |title=Handbook of British Chronology |edition=3rd, reprinted 2003 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |year=1986 |page=266 |isbn=0-521-56350-X}} He was head of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s staff as Bishop at Lambeth from 1984 until 1991 and additionally, Bishop to the Forces from 1985 to 1990. From 1991 until 1996 he was Sub-Dean of Christ Church, Oxford.
Later life
After retiring in 1991 he returned to Oxford where he continued to minister[https://web.archive.org/web/20070704141226/http://163.1.0.45/gazette/1996-7/weekly/160197/notc.htm Christ Church Sermon] and served on a variety of Church of England committees: namely the Advisory Board for Redundant Churches and the Oxford Mission.Crockfords, (London, Church House 1995) {{ISBN|0-7151-8088-6}} He was also formerly a member of the Court of Ecclesiastical Causes Reserved.{{London Gazette|issue=52828|page=2231|date=10 February 1992}}
Gordon died on 8 August 2015.{{cite web|url=http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/193526/gordon|title=Telegraph Announcements – Ronald Gordon |work=The Daily Telegraph}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{S-start}}
{{S-rel|en}}
{{S-bef|before=John Phillips}}
{{S-ttl|title=Bishop of Portsmouth|years=1975–1984}}
{{S-aft|after=Timothy Bavin}}
{{s-new|title}}
{{S-ttl|title=Bishop at Lambeth|years=1984–1991}}
{{S-aft|after=John Yates}}
{{S-bef|before=Stuart Snell}}
{{S-ttl|title=Bishop to the Forces|years=1985–1990}}
{{S-aft|after=David Smith}}
{{S-end}}
{{Bishops of Portsmouth}}
{{Bishop at Lambeth}}
{{Bishops to the Forces}}
{{Portal|Christianity}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Ronald}}
Category:People educated at Rugby School
Category:Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford
Category:Bishops of Portsmouth (Anglican)
Category:Bishops to the Forces