Tony Robinson (bishop)

{{Infobox Christian leader

| name = Tony Robinson

| honorific-suffix = SSC

| image = Bishop Tony Robinson - 2012 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Robinson in 2012

| title = area Bishop of Wakefield[http://www.wyadtransformation.org/?q=content/first-new-diocese-more-85-years-created-april-20 The Transformation Programme – First new diocese for more than 85 years created on April 20] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140420040111/http://www.wyadtransformation.org/?q=content%2Ffirst-new-diocese-more-85-years-created-april-20 |date=20 April 2014 }} (Accessed 19 April 2014)

| church = Church of England

| diocese = Leeds (2014–2024)
Wakefield (2002–2014)

| term = 2002–2024

| predecessor = David James

| other_post = Archdeacon of Pontefract {{nowrap|(1997–2002)}}
Bishop of Pontefract (name changed 2015)

| ordination = 1982 (deacon)
by Brian Masters
1983 (priest)

| consecration = 6 December 2002

| consecrated_by = David Hope

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1956|4|25}}

| birth_place = Bedford, Bedfordshire, {{nowrap|United Kingdom}}

| nationality = British

| religion = Anglican

| residence = Pontefract House, Wakefield

| spouse = {{marriage||1981}}

| children = three

| profession = formerly teacher

}}

Anthony William Robinson {{post-nominals|post-noms=SSC}} (born 25 April 1956) is a British retired Anglican bishop. From 2015 until his 2024 retirement, he has been the area Bishop of Wakefield in the Diocese of Leeds.[http://www.wakefield.anglican.org/people/bishopofwakefield/index.htm Wakefield Diocese — Bishops] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081231124017/http://www.wakefield.anglican.org/people/bishopofwakefield/index.htm |date=31 December 2008 }} From 2002 to 2015, he served as Bishop of Pontefract in the Diocese of Wakefield.

Early life and education

Robinson was educated at Bedford Modern School, then an all-boys independent school.{{Cite web|url-access=subscription|url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-32839|title=Wakefield, Area Bishop of, (Rt Rev. Anthony William Robinson) (born 25 April 1956)|website=WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO|year=2007|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U32839|isbn=978-0-19-954088-4}} He trained as a teacher at Bedford College of Higher Education, and then taught maths and computer science in Chelmsford.{{cite web |title=Bishop Tony to retire this summer after 42 years service - Diocese of Leeds |url=https://www.leeds.anglican.org/who-we-are/news/bishop-tony-to-retire-this-summer-after-42-years-service.php |website=Diocese of Leeds |access-date=4 April 2024 |language=en |date=3 April 2024}}{{cite web |title=✠ The Rt Revd Anthony William ROBINSON |url=https://www.crockford.org.uk/people/w13804/✠_The_Rt_Revd_Anthony_William_ROBINSON |website=The Church of England Year Book |publisher=Church House Publishing |access-date=4 April 2024}} After two years teaching, he left to train for the priesthood at Salisbury and Wells Theological College for the next three years.

Ordained ministry

Robinson was made a deacon at Petertide 1982 (27 June) by Brian Masters, Bishop of Fulham, at Christ Church, Southgate,{{Church Times | title = Petertide ordinations | archive = 1982_07_02_004 | issue = 6229 | date = 2 July 1982 | page = 4 | accessed = 22 July 2017 }} and ordained a priest in 1983.{{Crockford | forenames = Anthony William | surname = Robinson | id = 31913 | accessed = 22 July 2017 }} His ministry began with a curacy at St Paul's, Tottenham. He was then Rural Dean of North Leicester. He served as the Archdeacon of Pontefract from 1997 to 2002.Debrett's People of Today London, 2008 Debrett's, {{ISBN|978-1-870520-95-9}}

=Episcopal ministry=

Robinson was consecrated to the episcopate on 6 December 2002, by David Hope, Archbishop of York, at York Minster.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bradford/lifestyle/faith/news_new_bishop_wakefield.shtml|title=BBC - Bradford and West Yorkshire - Faith - New Bishop Pontefract|website=www.bbc.co.uk}} From 2002 until 2014, Robinson was suffragan Bishop of Pontefract in the Diocese of Wakefield.

In 2014, the Diocese of Leeds was created. Upon the dissolution of the Wakefield diocese and the erection of the Leeds diocese, Robinson became area bishop for the Wakefield area. His title remained Bishop of Pontefract until that see was translated to Wakefield (i.e. the title changed to Bishop of Wakefield) by Order in Council of 19 March 2015.[http://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Orders-at-council-19-march-2015.pdf Orders in Council, 19 March 2015] (Accessed 25 March 2015) He also provides alternative episcopal oversight under the House of Bishops' Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops and Priests throughout the whole of the Diocese of Leeds.

Robinson is the patron of Street Angels – Christian Nightlife Initiatives, a post held since 2010.

On 3 April 2024, it was announced that Robinson intended to retire effective 31 August.{{cite web |website=Diocese of Leeds |title=Bishop Tony to retire this summer after 42 years service |date=3 April 2024 |url=https://www.leeds.anglican.org/who-we-are/news/bishop-tony-to-retire-this-summer-after-42-years-service.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240404134246/https://www.leeds.anglican.org/who-we-are/news/bishop-tony-to-retire-this-summer-after-42-years-service.php |archive-date=4 April 2024 |access-date=4 April 2024 }}

=Views=

As of late March 2014 he is the only bishop in the Church of England to have voted in his diocesan synod against new legislation which could enable women to become bishops.{{cite web|title=Women in the Episcopate – Results on Voting|url=http://peterowen.org.uk/articles/wb-voting2014.html|accessdate=31 March 2014}}{{cite web|title=Wakefield Diocese voting results|url=http://www.wakefield.anglican.org/news/story/yes_to_women_bishops_in_wakefield|accessdate=31 March 2014}} In 2014, he became chairman of Forward in Faith, an Anglican movement that promotes "catholic order and the catholic doctrine of the Sacraments, and in particular the threefold ministry in historic succession, which the Church of England shares with the Church throughout the world and across the ages."{{cite web|title=New Chairman of Forward in Faith|url=http://www.forwardinfaith.com/artman/publish/article_627.shtml|website=News|publisher=Forward in Faith|accessdate=19 November 2014|date=17 November 2014}}{{cite web|title=Forward in Faith|url=http://www.forwardinfaith.com/website=News|publisher=Forward in Faith|accessdate=6 September 2015|year=2015}} He also served as chairman of the Council of Bishops of The Society.{{cite web|title=The Council of Bishops|url=http://www.sswsh.com/bishops.php|website=The Society|accessdate=6 December 2015}} He stood down from both of these positions on Saint Andrew's Day 2023, to be succeeded by Paul Thomas at Forward in Faith and Jonathan Baker at The Society.{{Cite web |title=A new Chairman of The Society's Council of Bishops and a new Chairman of Forward in Faith |url=https://www.sswsh.com/fullposts.php?id=352 |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=The Society}}

Personal life

Robinson has been married since 1981 and has three children.{{cite web|url=http://www.wakefield.anglican.org/people/bishopofwakefield/Tony%20Robinson%20CV%20-%20May%202005.pdf|title=CV|publisher=Diocese of Wakefield|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124220123/http://www.wakefield.anglican.org/people/bishopofwakefield/Tony%20Robinson%20CV%20-%20May%202005.pdf|archive-date=24 January 2011|access-date=22 July 2017}}

Styles

The Reverend Tony Robinson (1983–1994)
The Reverend Canon Tony Robinson (1994–1997)
The Venerable Tony Robinson (1997–2002)
The Right Reverend Tony Robinson (2002–present)

References

Category:1956 births

Category:People educated at Bedford Modern School

Category:21st-century Anglican Church of Canada bishops

Category:Living people

Category:Bishops of Pontefract

Category:Bishops of Wakefield

Category:Archdeacons of Pontefract

Category:Anglican Diocese of Leeds

Category:Anglo-Catholic bishops

Category:English Anglo-Catholics