John Neill

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The Most Reverend John Robert Winder Neill (born December 17, 1945) is Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, Bishop of Glendalough, Primate of Ireland, and Metropolitan.

The fourth generation of his family to become a clergyman, John Neill was educated at Avoca School, Blackrock, County Dublin, Sandford Park School, Ranelagh, Dublin, University of Dublin, Jesus College and Ridley Hall, Cambridge, England. He became a deacon in 1969; a priest in 1970 and a bishop in 1986.

He has served as a member of the Governing Body of University College Galway (1986-97) and on the Academic Council of the Irish School of Ecumenics. He has been prominent in promoting ecumenical relations as President of the Council of Churches for Britain and Ireland (1990-94), President of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (1999-2002) and Anglican Chairman of Porvoo Contact Group from 1998. He is a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches.

At the Lambeth Conference in 1988 he proposed all the approved resolutions in respect of Women in the Episcopate and was chairman of the Church of Ireland General Synod Committee on Ordination of Women (1988-91).

He has served on many central committees of the Church of Ireland covering issues such as liturgical reform, education, communications, ministry, Christian unity and synodical structures. He was co-founder and chairman of the Church of Ireland/Methodist Church Joint Theological Working Party.

John is married to Betty. They have three sons, the Reverend Canon Stephen Neill, Rector of Cloughjordan, County Tipperary, Andrew Neill, a member of an Garda Síochána (the Irish police force), and Peter Neill, an IT consultant.

[edit] Pastoral career highlights

1969 - 1971 Curate of St Paul's, Glenageary, Dublin
1971 - 1974 Bishop's Vicar, Diocesan Registrar and Librarian, St Canice's Cathedral, Ossory
1974 - 1978 Incumbent of Abbeystrewry Union (Ross)
1978 - 1984 St Bartholomew's with Christ Church, Leeson Park (Dublin)
1984 - 1986 Archdeacon of Waterford
January 6, 1986 Bishop of Tuam, Killalla and Achonry
April 23, 1997 Bishop of Cashel, Waterford, Lismore, Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin
August 29, 2002 Archbishop of Dublin, Bishop of Glendalough, Primate of Ireland, and Metropolitan