Christopher Chessun

The Right Reverend Christopher Chessun
Bishop of Southwark
Diocese	Diocese of Southwark
In office	2011–present
Predecessor	Tom Butler
Other posts	Bishop for Urban Life and Faith (2009–present) area Bishop of Woolwich (2005–2011)
Orders
Ordination	1983
Consecration	21 April 2005
Personal details
Born	(1956-08-05) 5 August 1956 Hampton, Middlesex, United Kingdom
Nationality	British
Denomination	Anglican
Alma mater	University College, Oxford

Christopher Thomas James Chessun (born 5 August 1956) is the Bishop of Southwark in the Church of England.^[1] Having served as the area Bishop of Woolwich for over five years the bishopric of Southwark was confirmed before a congregation at St Mary-le-Bow, Cheapside on 17 January 2011.^[2] His Southwark Cathedral enthronement took place on 6 March 2011.^[2]

Chessun was educated at Hampton School and University College, Oxford.^[3] Ordained a priest in 1984, he served curacies at All Angels' Sandhurst and St Mary’s Portsea^[4] and was then successively a chaplain at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, rector of St Dunstan's, Stepney, Archdeacon of Northolt (2001–2005) and, on being ordained to the episcopate, Bishop of Woolwich in 2005. He is a passionate advocate of overseas church links^[5] and has an identical twin brother.

Chessun's modestly tolerant beliefs on homosexuality were cited by him as the technical reason for declaring the ordinations of three clergy in his diocese to be "valid but irregular". In May 2011, the Church of England declared that three members of the diocese participating in the Anglican Mission in England, ordained in Kenya, were in an impaired state of communion with Chessun due to a conflict of views on homosexuality. These "irregular" clergy would have to seek other bishops to ordain their candidates. His views are similar to those of his predecessor, Tom Butler,^[6] who appointed Chessun as Bishop of Woolwich.

In March 2011 he began public ministry as the 10th Bishop of Southwark. He is a strong advocate for the parish system as the most effective means of church presence and engagement in the life of local communities, including the need to proclaim the Gospel afresh amid the rapid changes in church and community life.

Chessun is also the lead Bishop for Urban Life and Faith for the Church of England. This offers him an opportunity to contribute to debates and discussions on the importance of the churches' contribution to urban and public policy within society. In 2012, a small number of Evangelicals criticised him for the appointment of Liberal Catholics to his leadership team.^[7]

Styles

The Reverend Christopher Chessun (1983–2001)^[8]
The Venerable Christopher Chessun (2001–2005)
The Right Reverend Christopher Chessun (2005–present)

References

↑ http://www.southwark.anglican.org/news/pr/pr.php?id=1151
1 2 "Election confirmed of Tenth Bishop of Southwark". Diocese of Southwark. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
↑ Who's Who 2008: London, A & C Black, 2008 ISBN 978-0-7136-8555-8
↑ Debrett's People of Today London, Debrett's, 2008 ISBN 978-1-870520-95-9
↑ Diocesan Profile
↑ Co-Mission.org.uk Article of 21 July 2011. Retrieved 2013-10-17
↑ See article from The Church of England newspaper: "Summit with evangelicals backfires as Bishop Christopher Chessun faces call for him to resign", posted on http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/2012/04/14/evangelicals-in-uproar-over-southwark-liberal-appointments/
↑ Southwark Diocese — New Bishop of Woolwich

Church of England titles
Preceded by Colin Buchanan	Bishop of Woolwich 2005–2011	Succeeded by Michael Ipgrave
Preceded by Tom Butler	Bishop of Southwark 2011–present	Incumbent

Bishops of Woolwich

John Leeke William Hough Arthur Preston Leslie Lang Robert Stannard John Robinson David Sheppard Michael Marshall Peter Hall (became first area bishop)

Area bishops	Peter Hall Colin Buchanan Christopher Chessun Michael Ipgrave

Anglican Bishops of Southwark

Huyshe Yeatman-Biggs (suffragan) Edward Talbot Hubert Burge Cyril Garbett Richard Parsons Bertram Simpson Mervyn Stockwood Ronnie Bowlby Roy Williamson Tom Butler Christopher Chessun

Anglican Diocese of Southwark

Southwark Cathedral Bishop's House, Streatham Trinity House, Southwark Area scheme (1991–present)

Office holders	Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark Richard Cheetham, area Bishop of Kingston Jonathan Clark, area Bishop of Croydon and Acting Archdeacon of Reigate Michael Ipgrave, area Bishop of Woolwich AEO: Jonathan Baker, Bishop suffragan of Fulham Andrew Nunn, Dean of Southwark Danny Kajumba, Archdeacon of Reigate Chris Skilton, Archdeacon of Croydon Alastair Cutting, Archdeacon of Lewisham and Greenwich Jane Steen, Archdeacon of Southwark Simon Gates, Archdeacon of Lambeth John Kiddle, Archdeacon of Wandsworth

Historic offices	Provost of Southwark (1937–2000; see Dean of Southwark) Archdeacon of Kingston-upon-Thames (1905–1986; renamed to Archdeacon of Reigate)

Spokesperson bishops in the Church of England

Bishops to HM Prisons	? John Cavell, Bishop of Southampton Br Michael (Fisher), Bishop of St Germans Bob Hardy, Bishop of Maidstone then Lincoln Peter Selby, Bishop of Worcester James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool James Langstaff, Bishop of Rochester

Bishops for Urban Life and Faith	Stephen Lowe, Bishop of Hulme Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Woolwich then of Southwark

lead bishop on healthcare issues: James Newcome, Bishop of Carlisle lead bishop for religious communities: David Walker, Bishop of Dudley then of Manchester Chair of the CMDDP: Nick Holtam, Bishop of Salisbury Bishop for Higher and Further Education: Tim Dakin, Bishop of Winchester

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