The Right Reverend

Christopher Lowson
Bishop of Lincoln
Lowson in 2019
ChurchChurch of England
DioceseDiocese of Lincoln
In office2011–2021
PredecessorJohn Saxbee
Other post(s)Archdeacon of Portsmouth/of Portsdown (1999–2006; title changed November 1999)
Director of Ministry Division (2006–2011)
Orders
Ordination1977 (deacon)
1978 (priest)
by Mervyn Stockwood
Consecration2011
Personal details
Born (1953-02-03) 3 February 1953
Consett, County Durham, United Kingdom
NationalityBritish
DenominationAnglican
SpouseSusan Lowson
Children2
Alma materKing's College London

Christopher Lowson (born 3 February 1953)[1] is a British retired Anglican bishop. He was Bishop of Lincoln from 2011 to 2021.[2]

Education and ordination

Lowson was educated at Newcastle Cathedral School, Consett Grammar School and King's College London where he was awarded an Associateship of King's College qualification in theology in 1975.[3][4] He then studied at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, (as a World Council of Churches' scholar), where he received a Master of Sacred Theology degree in theology before being ordained in 1977.[5][6][7][8] During his work Lowson studied part-time at Heythrop College, University of London, where he obtained a Master of Theology degree in pastoral theology in 1996 and, in 2003, he completed a Master of Laws degree in canon law at Cardiff Law School.[6][8]

Ordained ministry

Lowson was made a deacon at Petertide on 3 July 1977[9] and was ordained as a priest the following year, both times by Mervyn Stockwood, Bishop of Southwark, at Southwark Cathedral.[10] He began his ordained ministry as an assistant curate in Richmond, Surrey. He was successively priest in charge (1982 to 1983) and vicar (1983 to 1991) at Holy Trinity, Eltham. From 1982 to 1985 he was also a chaplain at Avery Hill College and then of Thames Polytechnic until 1991. That year, he became vicar of Petersfield and rector of Buriton.[11] He held this appointment for eight years, during the last four of which he was also rural dean of Petersfield. In 1999 he became Archdeacon of Portsmouth, which soon after was divided into the archdeaconries of The Meon and of Portsdown. After the split, Lowson became the Archdeacon of Portsdown and held this position until 2006. In that year he was appointed director of the Ministry Division of the Archbishops' Council and a priest vicar at Westminster Abbey, posts he held until the confirmation of his election to the See of Lincoln.[12]

Episcopal ministry

Lowson's election as Bishop of Lincoln was confirmed at Lambeth Palace on 19 July 2011.[13] He was consecrated as a bishop on 21 September 2011 in Westminster Abbey and enthroned in Lincoln Cathedral on 12 November 2011.[14] He is believed to be the only steel worker ever to have been appointed a bishop.[15] He was introduced to the House of Lords as a Lord Spiritual on 14 September 2017.[16]

Following information provided by police, Lowson was suspended from office by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, on 16 May 2019. According to Welby, the suspension was in relation to a safeguarding children inquiry, but "is a neutral act" and there has been "no allegation that [he] has committed abuse of a child or vulnerable adult".[17] He accepted a misconduct penalty in relation to his mishandling of "a disclosure about a member of clergy in the Lincoln diocese in early 2019" and returned to work in February 2021.[18][19][20]

On 31 December 2021, he resigned the See of Lincoln and retired from full-time ministry.[21]

Clubs

He is a member of the Garrick Club, the MCC and the Savile Club.

Styles

References

  1. ↑ "Lowson, Christopher". Who's Who. Vol. 2017 (November 2016 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 12 June 2017. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ↑ BBC News
  3. ↑ "Bishop of Lincoln to be introduced to House of Lords". Market Rasen Journal. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  4. ↑ "Three alumni appointed as Bishops" (PDF). Comment (King's College London quarterly newsletter). March 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  5. ↑ "Home > News > Diocese of Lincoln". The Official Site of the British Prime Minister. London, United Kingdom: HM Government. 15 April 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2012. The Queen has approved the nomination of the Venerable Christopher Lowson, AKC, STM, MTh, LLM, Director of Ministry at the Archbishops' Council, for election as Bishop of Lincoln.
  6. 1 2 "News > Appointment of 72nd Bishop of Lincoln". The Diocese of Lincoln. 14 April 2011. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  7. ↑ Crockfords (London, Church House, 1995) ISBN 0-7151-8088-6
  8. 1 2 "Christopher Lowson, Bishop of Lincoln". Linkedin. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  9. ↑ "Petertide ordinations". Church Times. No. 5968. 1 July 1977. p. 4. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 12 June 2017 – via UK Press Online archives.
  10. ↑ "Petertide ordinations". Church Times. No. 6021. 7 July 1978. p. 5. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 12 June 2017 – via UK Press Online archives.
  11. ↑ Church website
  12. ↑ Number 10
  13. ↑ Diocese of Lincoln – Confirmation of the 72nd Bishop Archived 22 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 15 July 2013)
  14. ↑ Diocese of Lincoln – Consecration of Christopher Lowson Archived 15 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ "Director of Ministry – and former steel-worker – appointed 72nd Bishop of Lincoln". Lincoln, England: JUST Lincolnshire (Lincolnshire's Equality and Human Rights Council). 19 April 2011. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2012. His father, grandfather (a professional footballer) and great-grandfather had all worked at Consett's steel works and Lowson worked there for two summers as a labourer in the coke ovens at the plant while undertaking his initial training for the ordained ministry.
  16. ↑ Lords' Calendar – 14 September 2017 (Retrieved 7 September 2017)
  17. ↑ "Bishop of Lincoln Christopher Lowson suspended from office". BBC News. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  18. ↑ "Lincoln bishop accepts misconduct penalty after safeguarding probe". The Lincolnite. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  19. ↑ "Bishop of Lincoln: Christopher Lowson can return after inquiry". BBC News. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  20. ↑ Church Times (1 February 2021). "Bishop of Lincoln can return to duty after 20-month safeguarding investigation".
  21. ↑ "The Bishop of Lincoln announces his retirement". Diocese of Lincoln. Lincoln Diocesan Trust and Board of Finance. Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  22. ↑ "The History of St Peter's Church". St Peter's Petersfield. Archived from the original on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  23. ↑ "Archdeacon Peter is man for new era". Southern Daily Echo. 19 August 1999. Archived from the original on 8 December 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  24. ↑ "Church to tackle shortage of vicars". The Daily Telegraph. 6 August 2007. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  25. ↑ "Women priests to match males by 2025". The Daily Telegraph. 12 August 2007. Archived from the original on 19 September 2009. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  26. ↑ "Visit from Director of the Ministry Division". Lindisfarne Regional Training Partnership. 8 October 2010. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
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