George Browning (bishop)

Ardingly College

George Victor Browning (born 28 September 1942) was the 9th bishop of the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn in the Anglican Church of Australia. He was elected on 31 January 1993 and installed on 30 May 1993.

Browning was born in Brighton, England. His family were dairy farmers in Sussex. He attended Ardingly College and Lewes County Grammar School before moving to Australia in 1960. After working as a jackaroo and stud groom he studied at St John's Theological College, Morpeth, in New South Wales, where he obtained a Licentiate in Theology with first class honours. He was ordained deacon in 1966 and priest in 1967.

He became assistant priest in Inverell in 1966; assistant priest at St Peter's Cathedral, Armidale, in 1968, and Vicar of Warialda in 1969. In 1973 he became Vice-Principal of St John's Theological College, Morpeth, and then Principal in 1974. In 1976 he became Rector of Singleton. He was appointed Archdeacon of the Upper Hunter in 1982. In 1984 he became Rector of Woy Woy and Archdeacon of the Central Coast of New South Wales. He was consecrated as a bishop on 21 September 1985 and served as Bishop of the Northern Region in the Diocese of Brisbane until 1992 when he became responsible for the Coastal Region. From 1988 to 1991 he was also Principal of St Francis' Theological College, Milton, Queensland.

In 2005 he became Convenor of the Anglican Communion Environmental Network. In 2007 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Charles Sturt University. The same year he had a public disagreement with Cardinal George Pell on the topic of radical environmentalism, which Pell had characterised as a form of pagan emptiness.[1]

Browning was elected Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn on 31 January, installed on 30 May 1993 and retired on 2 February 2008. In May 2008 the Bishop of Salisbury, England, licensed him as priest in charge of the Wriggle Valley benefice in the county of Dorset[2][3] where he remained for a year.

Browning and his wife Margaret have three adult sons, Philip, Richard and Timothy and two adopted daughters, Pat and Chris.

References

  1. ↑ Pell out of touch on climate - bishop
  2. ↑ Anglican News "Brownings prepare for England" May 2008. Retrieved on 12 May 2008.
  3. ↑ "Welcome to the Wriggle Valley Benefice", www.wrigglevalleyenefice.com. Retrieved on 12 August 2008.

Sources