John Davies (bishop of Shrewsbury)

The Rt Revd John Davies MA(Cantab)
Bishop of Shrewsbury
Diocese	Diocese of Lichfield
In office	1987–1994
Predecessor	Leslie Rees
Successor	David Hallatt
Other posts	Honorary assistant bishop in St Asaph (2009–present); and in Lichfield (1995–2005) Diocesan Missioner, St Asaph (1982–1987)
Orders
Ordination	1953 (deacon); 1954 (priest)
Consecration	1987
Personal details
Born	12 August 1927
Denomination	Anglican
Parents	Charles & Minnie
Spouse	Shirley Gough (m. 1956)
Children	1 son; 2 daughters
Profession	Bishop (retired), Author
Alma mater	Trinity College, Cambridge

John Dudley Davies (born 12 August 1927) is a former Anglican Bishop of Shrewsbury. During his tenure the post changed from suffragan bishop to area bishop^[1] with the institution of area bishops in 1992.^[2]

After service in the RAF 1945 - 48,Davies was educated at Trinity College, Cambridgeand Lincoln Theological College.^[3] After Ordination in 1954 he began his career as curate in Halton, Leeds. Following that he served for many years in Southern Africa: his posts including that of Missionary Director for Empangeni and Chaplain at the University of Witwatersrand. While he was chaplain at the University, Davies played a major role in drafting the document A Message to the People of South Africa, a pamphlet published by the South African Council of Churches that challenged the Christians in South Africa to examine the policy of Apartheid.^[4][5][6] In 1970, action by the South African government terminated his ministry in that cpuntry.

Returning to England in 1970 to an administrative post at the Church of England Board of Education' 'he then served as Vicar and University Chaplain at Keele; he was then appointed Principal of Ascension College, Selly Oak and finally (before his elevation to the Episcopate)^[7] Diocesan Missioner of St Asaph. In 2012, while in his retirement he and his wife Shirley led the parish of St Dogfan, Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant in mid-Wales (where he had previously served as Vicar), while they were without a parish priest.^[8]

Davies’ books include:

• Beginning now - a Christian exploration of the first three chapters of Genesis - Fortress Press (Philadelphia) (1971)
• Good news in Galatians - Paul's letter to the Galatians in Today's English version - Collins Fontana Books (Glasgow) (1975)
• Creed and Conflict - Lutterworth Pr – ISBN 978-0-7188-2414-3 (1979)
• The Faith Abroad - Blackwell (Oxford) (1983)
• The Crisis of the Cross - the Challenge at the heart of the Christian Story - Canterbury Press (Norwich) (1997)
• Be Born in us today - The Message of the Incarnation - Canterbury Press (Norwich) (1999)
• God at Work - Creation Then and Now - Canterbury Press (Norwich) (2000)
• Only Say the Word - Interactive studies on healing and salvation - Canterbury Press (Norwich) (2002)
• A Song for every morning - Dedication and Defiance with St Patrick's Breastplate - Canterbury Press (Norwich) (2008)

References

1. Crockford's Clerical Directory 2008/2009 (100th edition), Church House Publishing ISBN 978-0-7151-1030-0
2. "4: The Dioceses Commission, 1978–2002" (PDF). Church of England. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
3. ‘DAVIES, Rt Rev. John Dudley’, Who's Who 2012, A & C Black, 2012; online edition, Oxford University Press, December 2011 , accessed 6 July 2012
4. Hayes, Stephen (12 April 2010). "Reconcilliation". Khanya. Retrieved 2010-12-31.
5. Text can be found at: "A message to the people of South Africa". South African Council of Churches. Retrieved 2010-12-31.
6. Peter Walshe - Church versus state in South Africa: the case of the Christian Institute – Published in the United Kingdom by Hurst & Co (ISBN 0-905838-81-5) and in the United States by Orbis Books (ISBN 0-88344-097-0) - (1983)
7. Debrett's People of Today: 1992, London, Debrett's ISBN 1-870520-09-2
8. Phil Topham, ed. (April–May 2012). "Teule Asaph - Sharing Good News with the Family of the Diocese" (PDF). Diocese of St Asaph. Retrieved 9 April 2012.