Robert_Springett

Robert Springett

Robert Springett

British Anglican bishop (born 1962)

Robert Wilfrid Springett (born 15 September 1962) is a British Anglican bishop. He has served as the Bishop of Tewkesbury (a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Gloucester) since his consecration as a bishop on 30 November 2016.[1] He previously served as the Archdeacon of Cheltenham in the same diocese from 2010.

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Early life and education

Springett was born on 15 September 1962.[2] He was educated at Brentwood School, a private school in Brentwood, Essex, and at Chelmsford College, a further education college in Chelmsford, Essex.[3] In 1986, he entered Lincoln Theological College, an Anglican theological college, to train for ordination.[4] During this time, he also studied theology at the University of Nottingham and graduated with a Bachelor of Theology (BTh) degree in 1989.[4][5][6] Following ordination, he undertook postgraduate studies at King's College London,[6] and graduated with a Master of Arts (MA) degree from the University of London in 1992.[4]

Ordained ministry

Springett was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1989 and as a priest in 1990.[4] From 1989 to 1992, he served his curacy at St James the Great, Colchester, an Anglo-Catholic parish in the Diocese of Chelmsford.[4][7] He was then a curate at St Martin of Tours, Basildon, between 1992 and 1994.[4] In 1994, he became priest-in-charge of All Saints, Belhus Park and St Nicholas, South Ockendon.[4] From 1998 to 2001, he was also Rural Dean of Thurrock.[5] In 2001, he was appointed Rector of the Parish of Wanstead.[4][5] During his time as incumbent of the parish, he "led the church into significant growth".[6] From 2008 to 2010, he was also Area Dean of Redbridge.[5][6] In 2008, he was made an Honorary Canon of Chelmsford Cathedral.[4]

In April 2010, Springett moved to the Diocese of Gloucester where he had been appointed the Archdeacon of Cheltenham.[6] As an archdeacon, he was one of the most senior priests in the diocese and was responsible for four deaneries (Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and Winchcombe, Cirencester, and the Cotswolds).[1] He was a member of the Crown Nominations Commission that chose Rachel Treweek as Bishop of Gloucester in 2015 (she became the first woman diocesan bishop in the Church of England).[6]

Episcopal ministry

On 25 July 2016, it was announced Springett was to become the next Bishop of Tewkesbury, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Gloucester.[5] He was consecrated a bishop on 30 November 2016 during a service at Canterbury Cathedral,[1] and was welcomed as the Bishop of Tewkesbury during a service at Gloucester Cathedral on 11 December 2016.[1] He has been chair of the Diocesan Board of Education since 2017, and therefore leads the oversight of the diocese's 116 church schools.[5][6][8]

Views

In January 2023, Springett stated that he supports the celebration and blessing of "faithful monogamous same-sex relationships", but does not support changing the Church of England's doctrine of marriage (i.e. that marriage is the life long union of one man and one woman).[9]

In November 2023, he was one of 44 Church of England bishops who signed an open letter supporting the use of the Prayers of Love and Faith (i.e. blessings for same-sex couples) and called for "Guidance being issued without delay that includes the removal of all restrictions on clergy entering same-sex civil marriages, and on bishops ordaining and licensing such clergy".[10]

Personal life

In 1991, Springett married Helen Bates.[3] Together, they have two daughters; Charlotte and Alice.[5]

References

  1. [1]
    "New Bishop of Tewkesbury". Diocese of Gloucester. Church of England. 25 July 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  2. [2]
    "Springett, Robert Wilfred". Who's Who. Vol. 2013 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 29 December 2012. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  3. [3]
    "TEWKESBURY, Bishop Suffragan of". Who's Who 2017. Oxford University Press. November 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  4. [4]
    "Robert Wilfred Springett". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  5. [5]
    "Suffragan Bishop of Tewkesbury: Robert Wilfrid Springett". Government of the United Kingdom. 25 July 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  6. [6]
    "The Archdeacons". Diocese of Gloucester. Church of England. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  7. [7]
    "Colchester: St James the Great, Colchester". Church Near You. Church of England. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  8. [8]
    "✠ The Rt Revd Robert Wilfred SPRINGETT". The Church of England Year Book. Church House Publishing. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  9. [9]
    Treweek, Rachel; Springett, Robert (18 January 2023). "A message from Bishop Rachel and Bishop Robert". Diocese of Gloucester. Retrieved 20 January 2023. Both of us have longed for the Church of England to celebrate and bless faithful monogamous same-sex relationships, and we are thankful for the goodness and gifts such relationships continue to bring to the Church and wider society. Therefore, we are fully supportive of where we have reached at the end of this Living in Love and Faith process. Neither of us is pushing for a change in the doctrine of marriage, yet both of us are committed to continuing to listen, taking part in conversations and prayerfully reflecting over the coming months and years.
  10. [10]
    Martin, Francis (1 November 2023). "Don't delay guidance allowing priests to be in same-sex marriages, say 44 bishops". Church Times. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
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