| The Rt Revd Stephen Venner DL HonDD DUniv |
|
|---|---|
| Bishop to the Forces | |
| Church | Church of England |
| Enthroned | 2009 |
| Predecessor | David Conner |
| Other posts | Bishop of Middleton (1994–1999) Bishop of Dover (1999–2009) Bishop for the Falkland Islands (2007—) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1968 |
| Consecration | 1994 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 June 1944 Chatteris, Cambridgeshire[1] |
| Nationality | British |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Spouse | Judy[2] |
| Profession | formerly teacher |
| Alma mater | University of Birmingham |
Stephen Venner DL (born 19 June 1944[1]) is the present Bishop to the Forces and Bishop for the Falkland Islands in the Church of England.
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Venner studied English at the University of Birmingham and is a qualified teacher.[2] He later studied theology at St Stephen's House, Oxford and Linacre College, Oxford (since St Stephen's House did not at the time have the status of a Permanent Private Hall), before spending 26 years as a priest across various parishes in the dioceses of Southwark and Salisbury. In 1989, Venner was appointed canon and prebendary at Salisbury Cathedral.[1]
Venner was consecrated as a bishop in 1994 and installed as Bishop of Middleton in the Diocese of Manchester. He served in this position until 1999 when he became the Bishop of Dover in the Diocese of Canterbury. As Bishop of Dover, Venner was also, in practice, the acting diocesan bishop for the Diocese of Canterbury, acting on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury — this role was recognised in his additional title of "Bishop in Canterbury".
While Bishop of Dover, Venner was also appointed the Archbishop of Canterbury's "Episcopal Commissary for the Falkland Islands" or "Bishop for the Falkland Islands" on 16 January 2007 — he remains in this separate appointment despite his departure from Canterbury. In 2008, the University of Birmingham (his alma mater) awarded him his first honorary doctorate — a Doctor of Divinity degree.[3] Venner was also the first[3] Pro-Chancellor of Canterbury Christ Church University from 2005[2] (while he was Bishop in Canterbury) and, in 2010, that university bestowed an honorary doctorate (Doctor of the University) upon him.[4]
It was announced in early 2009 that Venner would retire in November that year.[2] It was then announced in July 2009 that Venner would take up an appointment as Bishop to the Forces (who has pastoral oversight over and responsibility for the church's work in the British Armed Forces) while retaining his additional role as Bishop for the Falklands.
In an interview[5] published on 14 December 2009, Venner was quoted as saying some of the methods of combat used by the Taliban in Afghanistan (potentially including those to kill British troops) are not honourable or acceptable. He also said "there’s a large number of things that the Taliban say and stand for which none of us in the West could approve, but simply to say therefore that everything they do is bad is not helping the situation. The Taliban can perhaps be admired for their conviction to their faith and their sense of loyalty to each other". After receiving criticism, Venner issued a qualifying statement,[6][7] in which he repudiated any respect for Taliban tactics.
| Church of England titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Donald Tytler |
Bishop of Middleton 1994–1999 |
Succeeded by Michael Lewis |
| Preceded by Richard Llewellin |
Bishop of Dover 1999–2009 |
Succeeded by Trevor Willmott |
| New title | Bishop for the Falkland Islands 2007— |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by David Conner |
Bishop to the Forces 2009— |
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