Gilbert Baker (bishop)
Encyclopedia
John Hyndley Gilbert Baker was bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Hong Kong and Macau from 1966 to 1980.
Baker was a British
Church Missionary Society (CMS) missionary in China from the 1920s until after the second world war. He succeeded Bishop Ronald Hall in 1966 on the decision of the previous bishop elect, Archbishop Joost de Blank
, not to take up his new appointment due to ill health.
Baker was able to ordain, with approval of the Anglican Consultative Council
, the first "authorised" Anglican female priests worldwide. In February 1971, the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) held its first meeting in Limuru, Kenya, each province sending a bishop, a priest, a layman and a woman observer.... By a narrow majority, the ACC passed Resolution 28 which confirmed that “the question of the ordination of women was an urgent matter” and that if the Bishop of Hong Kong decided to ordain women to the priesthood, “his action will be acceptable to this Council”. On 28 November 1971, Baker ordained Jane Hwang and an English CMS missionary, Joyce Bennett, to the priesthood. His predecessor, Ronald Hall, had ordained the first "unauthorised" female priest.
During his time as bishop, Baker is known to have had remodelled the Bishop's House
to incorporate a residence, as Bishop Hall had chosen to live in a bungalow above Dao Fong Shan.
A fluent speaker of English
and Cantonese
, together with some Mandarin, Baker had taught at both Lingnan University (Guangzhou)
and Saint John's University, Shanghai
. He also had travelled extensively over China both before and during the war, being in Canton at the time of the fall of the city to the Japan
ese. He later had to leave China via the Burma Road
in order to reach the United States
to marry his wife who was another missionary in China.
Bishop Baker Secondary School in Yuen Long
is named after him.
Baker was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Church Missionary Society (CMS) missionary in China from the 1920s until after the second world war. He succeeded Bishop Ronald Hall in 1966 on the decision of the previous bishop elect, Archbishop Joost de Blank
Joost de Blank
Joost de Blank was the Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa from 1957 to 1963 and was known as the "scourge of apartheid" for his ardent opposition to the whites-only policies of the South African government. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, King's College London, and Queens' College,...
, not to take up his new appointment due to ill health.
Baker was able to ordain, with approval of the Anglican Consultative Council
Anglican Consultative Council
The Anglican Consultative Council or ACC is one of the four "Instruments of Communion" of the Anglican Communion. It was created by a resolution of the 1968 Lambeth Conference...
, the first "authorised" Anglican female priests worldwide. In February 1971, the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) held its first meeting in Limuru, Kenya, each province sending a bishop, a priest, a layman and a woman observer.... By a narrow majority, the ACC passed Resolution 28 which confirmed that “the question of the ordination of women was an urgent matter” and that if the Bishop of Hong Kong decided to ordain women to the priesthood, “his action will be acceptable to this Council”. On 28 November 1971, Baker ordained Jane Hwang and an English CMS missionary, Joyce Bennett, to the priesthood. His predecessor, Ronald Hall, had ordained the first "unauthorised" female priest.
During his time as bishop, Baker is known to have had remodelled the Bishop's House
Bishop's House
The Bishop's House , located at 1 Lower Albert Road, Central, is the residence and office of the Archbishop of Hong Kong.-History:It was originally designed as a school for Chinese students and for many years housed St Paul's College. The house's origins can be dated from 1843, when Vincent Stanton...
to incorporate a residence, as Bishop Hall had chosen to live in a bungalow above Dao Fong Shan.
A fluent speaker of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Cantonese
Cantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
, together with some Mandarin, Baker had taught at both Lingnan University (Guangzhou)
Lingnan University (Guangzhou)
Lingnan University in Canton, Kwangtung Province, China , was a private university established by a group of American missionaries in 1888. At its founding it was named Canton Christian College .It was incorporated into Chung Shan University in 1953...
and Saint John's University, Shanghai
Saint John's University, Shanghai
St. John's University was an Anglican university located in Shanghai, China. Before the Chinese Civil War it was regarded as one of the most prestigious universities in Shanghai and China...
. He also had travelled extensively over China both before and during the war, being in Canton at the time of the fall of the city to the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese. He later had to leave China via the Burma Road
Burma Road
The Burma Road is a road linking Burma with the southwest of China. Its terminals are Kunming, Yunnan, and Lashio, Burma. When it was built, Burma was a British colony.The road is long and runs through rough mountain country...
in order to reach the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to marry his wife who was another missionary in China.
Bishop Baker Secondary School in Yuen Long
Yuen Long
Yuen Long , formerly Un Long, is an area and town located in the northwest of Hong Kong, on the Yuen Long Plain. To its west lie Hung Shui Kiu and Ha Tsuen, to the south Shap Pat Heung and Tai Tong, to the east Au Tau and Kam Tin, and to the north Nam Sang Wai.-Name:The Cantonese name Yuen Long 元朗...
is named after him.