David Stancliffe
Encyclopedia
David Staffurth Stancliffe (born 1 October 1942) was the Anglican Bishop of Salisbury
from 1993 to 2010.
Stancliffe was consecrated as the 77th Bishop of Salisbury
at Westminster Abbey
on 30 November 1993 and enthroned in Salisbury Cathedral
on 9 December 1993, having previously been Provost
of Portsmouth
for 11 years. He is the third generation of his family to serve the ordained ministry.
The son of the former Dean of Winchester
, the Very Revd Michael Stancliffe, who was himself ordained at Salisbury Cathedral, Stancliffe was born in 1942 in Devizes
, Wiltshire
, where his father was curate of St James' Southbroom, later serving at Ramsbury
and Cirencester
before becoming Chaplain to Westminster School
. It was from Westminster School that Stancliffe went to Trinity College, Oxford
to study classics and philosophy and where he was Organ Scholar
. At Oxford he met Sarah Smith, a member of the same small choir, and they were married in Westminster Abbey in July 1965.
While at university, Stancliffe abandoned thoughts of a musical career in favour of ordination and instead went to theological training at Cuddesdon in October 1965, while Sarah taught at Headington School.
Ordained deacon in 1967 and priest the following year in the Diocese of Ripon, Stancliffe served as curate of the Leeds
parish of St. Bartholomew's Armley. Three years later he returned to the West Country as Chaplain to Clifton College
, Bristol
.
In 1977, Stancliffe was appointed a canon residentiary of Portsmouth Cathedral
and the diocesan director of ordinands and, subsequently, the lay ministerial adviser. For a time he also undertook the role of precentor in a combination of duties which recognised his special interests in the areas of liturgy, church architecture and music, while also involving him in clergy formation and training and the work of the parishes in the diocese.
Stancliffe was appointed Provost of Portsmouth in 1982 and his major work from then until 1993 was the completion and reordering of Portsmouth Cathedral, shaping its life and work to fulfil its primary function of supporting the Bishop of Portsmouth in his ministry.
Alongside other duties in the Diocese of Portsmouth, he was Vice-Chairman of the Governors of Portsmouth Grammar School, a Governor of Chichester
Theological College, a member of the governing bodies of the Southern Dioceses Ministerial Training Scheme and of Salisbury & Wells Theological College and the was Chairman of the Southern Regional Institute.
In July 1993, Stancliffe succeeded the Bishop of Winchester
as Chairman of the Church of England's Liturgical Commission, a position which he held until 2005. He has served on the commission since 1986. Work with the commission has involved the publication of The Promise of His Glory and the preparation and publication of the Common Worship
liturgies. This significant contribution to the life of the Church of England was recognised by the award by the Archbishop of Canterbury of a Lambeth Doctorate in Divinity in 2004. Stancliffe has been a member of the Council for the Care of Churches. He is an Honorary Fellow of St Chad's College
, Durham and is the President of Affirming Catholicism
and Vice-President of the Royal School of Church Music.
In June 2008 Stancliffe suffered a stroke and while remaining Bishop of Salisbury took a leave of absence from episcopal duties.
On 6 January 2010 he announced his intention to retire from the See of Salisbury. His final act as bishop was the ordination of priests in Salisbury Cathedral at Petertide
on 3 July 2010. Although he officially retired as of 13 July 2010, he continued in his duties at General Synod
and completed his commitments as bishop and member of the House of Lords
.
Bishop of Salisbury
The Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset...
from 1993 to 2010.
Stancliffe was consecrated as the 77th Bishop of Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
on 30 November 1993 and enthroned in Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture....
on 9 December 1993, having previously been Provost
Provost (religion)
A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches.-Historical Development:The word praepositus was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary...
of Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
for 11 years. He is the third generation of his family to serve the ordained ministry.
The son of the former Dean of Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
, the Very Revd Michael Stancliffe, who was himself ordained at Salisbury Cathedral, Stancliffe was born in 1942 in Devizes
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The town is about southeast of Chippenham and about east of Trowbridge.Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place where a market is held once a week...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, where his father was curate of St James' Southbroom, later serving at Ramsbury
Ramsbury
Ramsbury is a village in Ramsbury and Axford civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire. The village is in the Kennet Valley near the Berkshire boundary. The nearest towns are Hungerford about east and Marlborough about west. The much larger town of Swindon is about to the north.The civil...
and Cirencester
Cirencester
Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
before becoming Chaplain to Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
. It was from Westminster School that Stancliffe went to Trinity College, Oxford
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
to study classics and philosophy and where he was Organ Scholar
Organ scholar
An organ scholar is a young musician employed as a part-time assistant organist at an institution where regular choral services are held. The idea of an organ scholarship is to provide the holder with playing, directing and administrative experience....
. At Oxford he met Sarah Smith, a member of the same small choir, and they were married in Westminster Abbey in July 1965.
While at university, Stancliffe abandoned thoughts of a musical career in favour of ordination and instead went to theological training at Cuddesdon in October 1965, while Sarah taught at Headington School.
Ordained deacon in 1967 and priest the following year in the Diocese of Ripon, Stancliffe served as curate of the Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
parish of St. Bartholomew's Armley. Three years later he returned to the West Country as Chaplain to Clifton College
Clifton College
Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...
, Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
.
In 1977, Stancliffe was appointed a canon residentiary of Portsmouth Cathedral
Portsmouth Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of St Thomas of Canterbury, Portsmouth, commonly known as Portsmouth Cathedral, is the Church of England cathedral of the City of Portsmouth, England and is located in the heart of Old Portsmouth...
and the diocesan director of ordinands and, subsequently, the lay ministerial adviser. For a time he also undertook the role of precentor in a combination of duties which recognised his special interests in the areas of liturgy, church architecture and music, while also involving him in clergy formation and training and the work of the parishes in the diocese.
Stancliffe was appointed Provost of Portsmouth in 1982 and his major work from then until 1993 was the completion and reordering of Portsmouth Cathedral, shaping its life and work to fulfil its primary function of supporting the Bishop of Portsmouth in his ministry.
Alongside other duties in the Diocese of Portsmouth, he was Vice-Chairman of the Governors of Portsmouth Grammar School, a Governor of Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
Theological College, a member of the governing bodies of the Southern Dioceses Ministerial Training Scheme and of Salisbury & Wells Theological College and the was Chairman of the Southern Regional Institute.
In July 1993, Stancliffe succeeded the Bishop of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
as Chairman of the Church of England's Liturgical Commission, a position which he held until 2005. He has served on the commission since 1986. Work with the commission has involved the publication of The Promise of His Glory and the preparation and publication of the Common Worship
Common Worship
Common Worship is the name given to the series of services authorised by the General Synod of the Church of England and launched on the first Sunday of Advent in 2000. It represents the most recent stage of development of the Liturgical Movement within the Church and is the successor to the...
liturgies. This significant contribution to the life of the Church of England was recognised by the award by the Archbishop of Canterbury of a Lambeth Doctorate in Divinity in 2004. Stancliffe has been a member of the Council for the Care of Churches. He is an Honorary Fellow of St Chad's College
St Chad's College
St Chad's College is a college of the University of Durham in England. One of the smallest of Durham's colleges in terms of student numbers , it has the largest staff, the most extensive college library facilities, and consistently the highest academic results in Durham...
, Durham and is the President of Affirming Catholicism
Affirming Catholicism
Affirming Catholicism is a movement operating in several provinces of the Anglican Communion, most notably in the UK, Ireland, the United States and Canada...
and Vice-President of the Royal School of Church Music.
In June 2008 Stancliffe suffered a stroke and while remaining Bishop of Salisbury took a leave of absence from episcopal duties.
On 6 January 2010 he announced his intention to retire from the See of Salisbury. His final act as bishop was the ordination of priests in Salisbury Cathedral at Petertide
Petertide
Petertide refers to the Sunday nearest to St Peter's Day on June 29th and to the period around that day.In the Anglican Church Petertide is the major one of two traditional periods for the ordination of new priests .Around Penzance in west Cornwall the period has long been celebrated by Midsummer...
on 3 July 2010. Although he officially retired as of 13 July 2010, he continued in his duties at General Synod
General Synod
-Church of England:In the Church of England, the General Synod, which was established in 1970 , is the legislative body of the Church.-Episcopal Church of the United States:...
and completed his commitments as bishop and member of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
.