Lindsay Goodall Urwin OGS (born 13 March 1956) is an Australian-born bishop of the Church of England (Anglican Communion). Urwin was the suffragan Bishop of Horsham in the Diocese of Chichester, in southern England, from 1993 to 2009 and was also the principal organiser of the annual Caister Conferences. In 2009 he became the Administrator of the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.
Contents |
Urwin was born in Australia and attended Camberwell Grammar School in Melbourne. He came to England and decided he wanted to be a priest."[1] He studied theology at Ripon College Cuddesdon and later received a MA degree in liturgy in 2003 from Heythrop College, University of London.[2]
Urwin was ordained deacon in 1980 and priest in 1981. After being the curate of St Peter's Walworth (1980-83) he was then the vicar of St Faith's North Dulwich (1983-88).
Urwin was a diocesan missioner in the Chichester diocese from 1988 to 1993 before being asked by the then Bishop of Chichester, Eric Kemp, to be the Bishop of Horsham in West Sussex in 1993 at the age of 39. He became a member of the Oratory of the Good Shepherd (OGS) in 1991 and served as its United Kingdom provincial (head) from 1996 to 2005. OGS is an international religious society of priests and laymen bound together by a common rule and discipline, including a requirement of celibacy.
On 14 August 2008 it was announced that Urwin had accepted a new appointment as Administrator of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.[3] As a result, he tendered his resignation as Bishop of Horsham on 28 February 2009.[4] He began his new ministry in early 2009.
In January 2008 Urwin signed a letter of support for the controversial decision by the Bishop of San Joaquin, California, to take his diocese out of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.[5] One of the Bishop of San Joaquin's main objections to the Episcopal Church was its consecration of a gay bishop, Gene Robinson.[6] It is possible that Urwin signed the letter because of his opposition to the ordination of women,[7] but he has given no explanation beyond the letter itself. The letter praised "the courageous decision of the Diocesan Convention of San Joaquin to take leave of The Episcopal Church and to align with the Province of the Southern Cone" as a "decision for the faith once delivered to the saints".[8] In his response, Bishop Schofield said that the realignment was "conditional until such time as The Episcopal Church repents of those decisions and actions that have caused a rift in the wider Anglican Communion".[9] The action in question was the consecration of an openly gay priest as a bishop.[10] Condemnation of homosexual relationships was the key issue emphasised by Bishop Schofield in his pastoral letter of November 2007.[11]
Urwin has stated his personal position on homosexuality as follows:[12]
During a discussion about sexuality at a residential bishop's council meeting of the Chichester diocese in 2005, Urwin, who is theologically conservative, spoke passionately against the homophobia he considered was still evident in the church. He made it clear that vacant parishes in his region in search of a new priest could not state a preference for a married priest and that he did not allow prurient questioning of candidates. The key question he said was to be found in the ordinal, 'Will you model your life, and that of your household according to the mind of Christ?' The response, 'I will do so the Lord being my helper' reflected both the candidates best intentions and his or her clear need for grace. He said that he encouraged single clergy not to live alone but to form a household and develop Godly friendships. He also said that he knew the risks and the raised eyebrows this sometimes raised from his own experience as an unmarried priest and bishop. He went on to say that in the experience of many single priests and bishops, some of whom who are of homosexual orientation, the embracing of celibacy either as a spiritual gift or in obedience to what the church asks of them, still does not seem to be enough.'
Urwin has a particular interest in youth ministry and has encouraged people to remember Jesus as an adolescent, "breaking voice, hormones and all".[13] He was co-presenter of the "Youthful Spirit" youth ministry presentation to the 1998 international Lambeth Conference of bishops, with Bishop (later Archbishop) David Moxon.
Urwin is opposed to the ordination of women, although his sister is a priest.[14]
In 2007 Urwin was reported as criticising the practice of praying while seated instead of kneeling during public services.[15]
Urwin's interview by Ali G was ranked second in Channel 4's "100 Greatest Funny Moments".[16][17] He later said that he realised he was being set up before the end of the interview and used it to his advantage.[18]
Urwin has close ties with the conservative Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth and its bishop, Jack Iker. This has included appearing at conferences organised to promote traditional beliefs (including no ordination of women or active homosexuals),[19][20] leading trainings in youth work for the Diocese of Fort Worth[21] and leading diocesan retreats for the clergy of the diocese.[22]
| Church of England titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Hind |
Bishop of Horsham 1993–2009 |
Succeeded by Mark Sowerby |
|
|||||