Tim Stevens

{{Short description|Retired British Anglican bishop (born 1946)}}

{{About|the Anglican bishop|the footballer|Tim Stevens (footballer)|the disc jockey|Tiger Tim Stevens}}

{{Infobox Christian leader

| honorific-prefix = The Right Reverend

| name = Tim Stevens

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE|GCStJ|size=100%}}

| title = Bishop of Leicester

| image = Bishop of Leicester (16563882315) (cropped).jpg

| caption = Stevens in 2011

| church = Church of England

| diocese = Diocese of Leicester

| term = 1999{{snd}}11 July 2015 (retired)

| predecessor = Tom Butler

| successor = Martyn Snow

| ordination = 1976

| consecration = 1995

| other_post = Bishop of Dunwich (1995–1999)
Convenor of the Lords Spiritual (November 2009{{snd}}May 2015)[https://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2015/05/new-convenor-of-the-lords-spiritual-announced.aspx Church of England — New Convenor of the Lords Spiritual announced] (Accessed 16 June 2015)

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1946|12|31}}

| birth_place = Ilford, Essex, {{nowrap|United Kingdom}}

| nationality = British

| religion = Anglican

| residence = Bishop's Lodge, Leicester

| parents = Ralph Stevens & Ursula Plowman

| spouse = Wendi Price (m. 1973)

| children = 1 daughter, Rachel (deceased) & 1 son, Adam{{Cite web|url=http://www.leicester.anglican.org/your-church/subsite/bishop-of-leicester.aspx|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20091015133650/http://www.leicester.anglican.org/your-church/subsite/bishop-of-leicester.aspx|url-status=dead|title=Diocese of Leicester - The Church of England in Leicester and Leicestershire|accessdate=1 June 2021|archivedate=15 October 2009}}

| alma_mater = Selwyn College, Cambridge

}}

Timothy John Stevens, {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE|GCStJ|size=100%|commas=on}} (born 31 December 1946) is a retired British Anglican bishop. He was Bishop of Dunwich from 1995 to 1999 and was Bishop of Leicester from 1999 to 2015. From 2003 to 2015, he was a member of the House of Lords as a Lord Spiritual and served as Convenor of the Lords Spiritual from 2009 to 2015.

Early life

Stevens was born in Ilford, Essex, to Ralph Stevens and Ursula Plowman. He was educated at Chigwell School. He studied classics and English at Selwyn College, Cambridge,{{cite web|title=The Right Reverend Timothy Stevens (Chair of Trustees)|url=http://www.commonpurpose.org.uk/about/governance/the-right-reverend-timothy-stevens-%28chair-of-trustees%29|website=Common Purpose|accessdate=11 August 2015}} and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1968; as per tradition, this was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA (Cantab)) degree in 1972.

From 1968 to 1973, Stevens worked as a senior management trainee for British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC)Who's Who 2008: London, A & C Black, 2008 {{ISBN|978-0-7136-8555-8}} and in 1972 and 1973 as a second secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.Debrett's People of Today London, Debrett's, 2008 {{ISBN|978-1-870520-95-9}}

Ordained ministry

File:Tim Stevens - Prelate of St John 2017OCT21 (cropped).jpg

After Cambridge, Stevens studied at Ripon Hall, Oxford, where he gained a diploma in theology. He was ordained in 1976, becoming a curate in East Ham in the same year. From 1979 to 1980, he was Team Vicar of Upton Park and from 1980 to 1988 Team Rector of Canvey Island. He was the Bishop of Chelmsford's urban officer from 1988 to 1991 and the Archdeacon of West Ham from 1991 and 1995.

Stevens was consecrated a bishop by George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Southwark Cathedral on 17 November 1995;{{Church Times | title = picture caption | archive = 1995_11_24_002 | issue = 6928 | date = 24 November 1995 | page = 2 | accessed = 17 April 2019 }} he became the Bishop suffragan of Dunwich in 1995 and occupied that See until 1999, when he was appointed as the Bishop of Leicester. It was announced on 18 November 2014 that Stevens was to retire in July 2015.[https://archive.today/20141119003056/http://www.leicester.anglican.org/news/details/bishop-tim-announces-retirement Diocese of Leicester – Bishop Tim announces retirement] (Accessed 18 November 2014) On 11 July, he led his last service as Bishop of Leicester at Leicester Cathedral.{{cite web|title=Leicester Bishop Rt Rev Tim Stevens holds last service|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-33480906|work=BBC News|accessdate=12 July 2015|date=11 July 2015}}{{cite web|title=Bishop Tim retirement |url=http://www.leicester.anglican.org/about-us/bishop-of-leicester/bishop-tim-retirement/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712025051/http://www.leicester.anglican.org/about-us/bishop-of-leicester/bishop-tim-retirement/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 July 2015 |website=Diocese of Leicester |accessdate=12 July 2015 |date=30 June 2015 }}

He took a seat in the House of Lords as one of the Lords Spiritual in 2003.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dodonline.co.uk/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061208040252/http://www.dodonline.co.uk/engine.asp?lev1=4&lev2=38&menu=81&biog=y&id=26825|url-status=dead|title=Dod Finance – Top financial news and advice.|archivedate=8 December 2006|accessdate=1 June 2021}} He was the Convenor of the Lords Spiritual from November 2009 until May 2015. On 16 July 2015, he gave his last speech in the House of Lords. He was succeeded by the first female Lord Spiritual, Rachel Treweek, when parliament reconvened in the autumn.{{cite hansard |jurisdiction=United Kingdom |title=Freedom of Religion and Belief |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201516/ldhansrd/text/150716-0003.htm#15071639000933 |house=House of Lords |date=16 July 2015 |column_start=779 |column_end=780 |speaker=The Lord Bishop of Leicester (Valedictory Speech) }}

Stevens was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to the Church of England and the community in Leicestershire.{{London Gazette|issue=61608|supp=y|page=B10|date=11 June 2016}}

On 1 September 2016, he was appointed as the Prelate of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem.{{Cite web | title = Appointment of Great Officers | work = St John International | publisher = stjohninternational.org | date = n.d. | accessdate = 2 September 2016 | url = http://www.stjohninternational.org/blog/appointment-of-great-officers }} On 11 February 2017, Stevens was one of fourteen retired bishops to sign an open letter to the then-serving bishops of the Church of England. In an unprecedented move, they expressed their opposition to the House of Bishops' report to General Synod on sexuality, which recommended no change to the Church's canons or practises around sexuality.[https://retiredbishopsletter.com/letter/ Retired Bishops' Letter — The Letter] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170212093340/https://retiredbishopsletter.com/letter/ |date=12 February 2017 }} (Accessed 11 February 2017; the fourteen bishops were David Atkinson, Michael Doe, Tim Ellis, David Gillett, John Gladwin, Laurie Green, Richard Harries, Stephen Lowe, Stephen Platten, John Pritchard, Peter Selby, Stevens, Martin Wharton, and Roy Williamson.) By 13 February, a serving bishop (Alan Wilson, Bishop of Buckingham) and nine further retired bishops had added their signatures;[https://retiredbishopsletter.com/new-signatures/ Retired Bishops' Letter — New Signatures] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218064226/https://retiredbishopsletter.com/new-signatures/ |date=18 February 2017 }} (Accessed 17 February 2017; the nine bishops were Gordon Bates, Ian Brackley, John Davies, Peter Maurice, David Rossdale, John Saxbee, Martin Shaw, Oliver Simon, and David Stancliffe. on 15 February, the report was rejected by synod.[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/15/church-of-england-in-turmoil-as-synod-rejects-report-on-same-sex-relationships The Guardian — Church of England in turmoil as synod rejects report on same-sex relationships] (Accessed 17 February 2017)

In January 2020, Stevens became interim Principal of Westcott House, Cambridge, where he had previously served as Chair of the Governing Body while a bishop.{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2020/17-january/news/uk/westcott-has-had-to-face-questions-about-its-future|title='Westcott has had to face questions about its future'|website=www.churchtimes.co.uk|accessdate=1 June 2021}} He was succeeded as Principal of Westcott House by Helen Dawes in 2021.{{cite web |title=New Principal for Westcott House Appointed |url=https://www.westcott.cam.ac.uk/new-principal-appointed/ |website=Westcott House |publisher=University of Cambridge |access-date=9 March 2021}}

Stevens is currently Chair of the organization, Common Purpose UK.