The Bishop of Barking is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Chelmsford, in the Province of Canterbury.[1]
The current bishop is the Rt Revd David Hawkins, former Rector of St George's Church in Leeds. He was consecrated as a bishop on 17 October 2002 and began his public ministry as the Bishop of Barking in January 2003.
The Barking area comprises the east London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge and Waltham Forest, together with the Epping Forest and Harlow districts of west Essex. The population is 1.3 million and includes a wide mix of ethnicity and culture. The area comprises 166 churches, 60 of which are set in urban priority area parishes. The Barking area also includes the main site for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.[2] Initially, the see was suffragan to the Bishop of St Albans – the Diocese of Chelmsford was not created until 1914.[3]
Canon David Hawkins said: "It is an immense privilege to be invited to provide support and leadership to clergy and residents in this area of such variety and opportunity. The work that I have done with the people in Leeds has been some preparation for the challenge ahead in the rapid regeneration region of East London and Essex".[4]
| No. | Incumbent | From | Until | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thomas Stevens | 1901 | 1919 | (1841–1920) Also Archdeacon of Essex (1895–1920) |
| 2 | James Inskip | 1919 | 1948 | (1868–1949) Also Archdeacon of Essex (1920–1922); Archdeacon of West Ham (1922–1948) |
| 3 | Hugh Gough | 1948 | 1959 | (1905–1997) Also Archdeacon of West Ham (1948–1958); translated to Sydney |
| 4 | William Chadwick | 1959 | 1975 | (1905–1991) |
| 5 | James Adams | 1975 | 1983 | (1915–1999) |
| 6 | James Roxburgh | 1983 | 1990 | (b.1921) |
| 7 | Roger Sainsbury | 1991 | 2002 | (b.1936) |
| 8 | David Hawkins | 2002 | present | (b.1949) |
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