Tony Robinson (bishop)

The Right Reverend Tony Robinson
area Bishop of Wakefield[1]
Diocese	Leeds (2014–present) Wakefield (2002–2014)
In office	2002–present
Predecessor	David James
Other posts	Archdeacon of Pontefract (1997–2002) Bishop of Pontefract (name changed 2015)
Orders
Ordination	1983
Consecration	6 December 2002 by David Hope, Archbishop of York
Personal details
Born	25 April 1956 Bedford, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
Nationality	British
Denomination	Anglican
Residence	Pontefract House, Wakefield
Spouse	Sue (wife)[2]
Children	3: William, Lucy & Matthew[2]
Profession	formerly teacher

Anthony William "Tony" Robinson (born 25 April 1956) is the area Bishop of Wakefield^[3] in the Diocese of Leeds.^[1]

Early life and education

Robinson was educated at Bedford Modern School.^[4] He trained for the priesthood at Salisbury and Wells Theological College.

Ordained ministry

Robinson was ordained in 1983.^[5] His ministry began with a curacy at St Paul's, Tottenham. He was then Rural Dean of North Leicester. He served as the Archdeacon of Pontefract from 1997 to 2002.^[6]

Robinson was consecrated to the episcopate on 6 December 2002.^[7] From 2002 until the creation of the Diocese of Leeds in 2014, Robinson was suffragan Bishop of Pontefract in the Diocese of Wakefield; upon the dissolution of the Wakefield diocese and the erection of the Leeds diocese, Robinson became area bishop for the Wakefield area. His title remained Bishop of Pontefract until that see was translated to Wakefield (i.e. the title changed to Bishop of Wakefield) by Order in Council of 19 March 2015.^[8]

Robinson is the patron of Street Angels — Christian Nightlife Initiatives, a post held since 2010. As of late March 2014 he is the only bishop in the Church of England to have voted in his diocesan synod against new legislation which could enable women to become bishops.^[9][10] In 2014, he became chairman of Forward in Faith, an Anglican movement that promotes "catholic order and the catholic doctrine of the Sacraments, and in particular the threefold ministry in historic succession, which the Church of England".^[11][12] He is Chairman of the Council of Bishops of The Society.^[13]

Styles

• The Reverend Tony Robinson (1983–1994)
• The Reverend Canon Tony Robinson (1994–1997)
• The Venerable Tony Robinson (1997–2002)
• The Right Reverend Tony Robinson (2002–present)

References

1. The Transformation Programme – First new diocese for more than 85 years created on April 20 (Accessed 19 April 2014)
2. Wakefield Diocese — CV
3. Wakefield Diocese — Bishops
4. Who's Who2008: London, A & C Black ISBN 978-0-7136-8555-8
5. Crockford's Clerical Directory2008/2009 Lambeth, Church House Publishing ISBN 978-0-7151-1030-0
6. Debrett's People of Today London,2008 Debrett's, ISBN 978-1-870520-95-9
7. BBC Bradford announcement
8. Orders in Council, 19 March 2015 (Accessed 25 March 2015)
9. "Women in the Episcopate - Results on Voting". Retrieved 31 March 2014.
10. "Wakefield Diocese voting results". Retrieved 31 March 2014.
11. "New Chairman of Forward in Faith". News. Forward in Faith. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
12. "Forward in Faith". Forward in Faith. 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
13. "The Council of Bishops". The Society. Retrieved 6 December 2015.