Tim Stratford
{{Short description|British Anglican priest and author}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = Priest
| honorific_prefix = The Very Reverend
| name = Tim Stratford
| honorific_suffix =
| title = Dean of Chester
| image = Deacons in garth (53018127104) (Tim Stratford cropped).jpg
| image_size =
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| caption = Stratford in 2023
| church = Church of England
| province =
| diocese =
| term = 2018 to present
| predecessor = Gordon McPhate
| successor =
| other_post = Archdeacon of Leicester (2012–2018)
| ordination = 1986 (deacon)
1987 (priest)
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| consecrated_by =
| laicized =
| birth_name = Timothy Richard Stratford
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|26 February 1961}}
| baptised = Liverpool, England
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| nationality = British
| religion = Anglicanism
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}}
Timothy Richard Stratford (born 26 February 1961) is an Anglican priest and author.[http://www.stmartinshouse.com/?p=505 St Martin's House]{{Cite web |date=2014-01-05 |title=Sin? People think it's about sex and cream cakes, says Archdeacon in baptism service row |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/10552285/Sin-People-think-its-about-sex-and-cream-cakes-says-Archdeacon-in-baptism-service-row.html |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=The Telegraph |language=en}} Since 2018, he has been Dean of Chester in the Church of England. He was previously Archdeacon of Leicester from 2012 to 2018.
Early life and education
Stratford was born on 26 February 1961 in Liverpool, England. He was educated at Knowsley Hey School, a comprehensive school in Huyton, Merseyside. He studied at the University of Leicester, graduating with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in 1982, and trained for ordination at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford.{{cite web |title=Stratford, Very Rev. Dr Timothy Richard, (born 26 Feb. 1961), Dean of Chester, since 2018 |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U258178 |website=Who's Who 2020 |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=16 May 2021 |language=en |date=1 December 2019}} He later studied for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree at the University of Sheffield, submitting his doctorate in 2008: his thesis was titled "Urban liturgy in the Church of England: a historical, theological and anthropological analysis of the mid-Victorian slum priest ritualists and their legacy".{{cite web |last1=Stratford |first1=Timothy Richard |title=Urban liturgy in the Church of England : a historical, theological and anthropological analysis of the mid-Victorian slum priest ritualists and their legacy |url=https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.489072 |website=E-Thesis Online Service |publisher=The British Library Board |access-date=16 May 2021 |date=2008}}
Ordained ministry
He was ordained deacon in 1986 and priest in 1987.{{Crockford | forenames = Tim | surname = Stratford | id = 26068 | accessed = 5 May 2017 }} After curacies in Mossley Hill and St Helens he was chaplain to David Sheppard, Bishop of Liverpool from 1991 to 1994. He was vicar of West Derby from 1994 to 2003;{{Who's Who | title=Stratford, Timothy Richard | id = U258178 | volume = 2019 | edition = 1 December 2018 online | access-date = 28 January 2019 }} and team rector of Kirkby from 2003 to 2012. He was Archdeacon of Leicester from 2012{{Cite web |date=2012-07-15 |title=New Archdeacon of Leicester – St. Andrew's {{!}} St. Chad's {{!}} St. Martin's |url=https://www.cofekirkby.co.uk/2012/07/15/new-archdeacon-of-leicester/ |access-date=2025-03-26 |language=en-GB}} until his installation as Dean of Chester on 8 September 2018.[http://chester.anglican.org/news/new-dean-of-chester-cathedral-announced.php Diocese of Chester — New Dean of Chester Cathedral announced] (Accessed 10 April 2018)
On 7 June 2024, he officiated the wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster and Olivia Grace Henson.{{cite web | url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a61026400/who-is-olivia-henson-duchess-of-westminster/ | title=Who is Olivia Henson, the New Duchess of Westminster? | date=7 June 2024 }}
Personal life
Selected works
Amongst others he has written:British Library web site accessed 19:18 GMT Monday, 6 July 2009
- Interactive Preaching (1998)
- Liturgy and Technology (1999)
- Liturgy and Urban Mission (2002)
- Using Common Worship: a service of the word (2002)
- Worship Window of the Urban Church (2006)
References
{{Portal|Christianity}}
{{Reflist}}
{{S-start}}
{{S-rel|en}}
{{S-bef|before=Richard Atkinson }}
{{S-ttl|title=Archdeacon of Leicester |years=2012–2018}}
{{S-aft|after=Richard Worsfold}}
{{S-bef|before=Gordon McPhate}}
{{S-ttl|title=Dean of Chester|years=2018–present}}
{{S-inc}}
{{S-end}}
{{Archdeacons of Leicester}}
{{Deans of Chester}}
{{Diocese of Chester}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stratford, Timothy Richard}}
Category:Alumni of the University of York
Category:Alumni of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford
Category:People educated at Lord Derby Academy
Category:Archdeacons of Leicester
Category:Alumni of the University of Sheffield
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