John Lawrence Pritchard
Encyclopedia
John Lawrence Pritchard is a Church of England
bishop
. He is the current Bishop of Oxford
and is in the Open Evangelical
tradition.
. He was educated at Arnold School
in Blackpool
before going on to study law at St Peter's College
, Oxford. He received a Certificate in Pastoral Theology at Ridley Hall
, Cambridge. He was ordained as a priest in 1972. From 1972 to 1976 he served as a curate at St Martin in the Bull Ring
, Birmingham
and, from 1976 to 1980, he was Youth Chaplain and Assistant Director of Education in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
. In 1980 he became priest in charge of Wilton, Taunton
. From 1988 he was Director of Pastoral Studies at Cranmer Hall, Durham
and, from 1993, the college's warden
. In 1996, he became Archdeacon
of Canterbury and a canon residentiary of Canterbury Cathedral
. He was consecrated as suffragan Bishop of Jarrow
in January 2002.
On 11 December 2006 it was announced that Pritchard would become the 42nd Bishop of Oxford. Having taken office at his confirmation-of-election in London on 23 March 2007, he began his ministry in the diocese on 8 June 2007 after a service of inauguration at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
. In 2008, he supported the application by Muslim
s in Oxford to broadcast the adhan
from the minaret of a mosque. As a result, he received hostile comment and letters of complaint.
Pritchard is married to Wendy and has two daughters, Amanda and Nicola.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
. He is the current Bishop of Oxford
Bishop of Oxford
The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford...
and is in the Open Evangelical
Open Evangelical
Open Evangelical refers to a particular Christian school of thought or Churchmanship, primarily in the United Kingdom...
tradition.
Life and ministry
Pritchard was born in 1948 in Salford, ManchesterGreater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
. He was educated at Arnold School
Arnold School
Arnold School is an independent school located in Blackpool, Lancashire, England on the Fylde coast. It is in the United Church Schools Trust group of schools and is a member of HMC.-History:Arnold School was founded by Frank Truswell Pennington on 4 May 1896...
in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
before going on to study law at St Peter's College
St Peter's College, Oxford
St Peter's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, located in New Inn Hall Street. It occupies the site of two of the University's oldest Inns, or medieval hostels - Bishop Trellick's, later New Inn Hall, and Rose Hall - both of which were...
, Oxford. He received a Certificate in Pastoral Theology at Ridley Hall
Ridley Hall, Cambridge
Ridley Hall is a theological college located in Sidgwick Avenue in Cambridge in the United Kingdom, which trains intending ministers for the Church of England and other churches. It was founded in 1881 and named in memory of Nicholas Ridley, a leading protestant theologian of the sixteenth century...
, Cambridge. He was ordained as a priest in 1972. From 1972 to 1976 he served as a curate at St Martin in the Bull Ring
St Martin in the Bull Ring
The church of St Martin in the Bull Ring in Birmingham 5, England is a parish church in the Church of England.-Background:It is the original parish church of Birmingham. It stands between the Bull Ring shopping centre and the markets. The church is a Grade II* listed building. The current Rector...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and, from 1976 to 1980, he was Youth Chaplain and Assistant Director of Education in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
Diocese of Bath and Wells
The Diocese of Bath and Wells is a diocese in the Church of England Province of Canterbury in England.The diocese covers the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in the tiny city of...
. In 1980 he became priest in charge of Wilton, Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
. From 1988 he was Director of Pastoral Studies at Cranmer Hall, Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
and, from 1993, the college's warden
Warden (college)
A warden is the head of some colleges and other educational institutions. This applies especially at some colleges and institutions at the University of Oxford:* All Souls College* Greyfriars* Keble College* Merton College* New College* Nuffield College...
. In 1996, he became Archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
of Canterbury and a canon residentiary of Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
. He was consecrated as suffragan Bishop of Jarrow
Bishop of Jarrow
The Bishop of Jarrow is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Durham, in the Province of York, England. The title takes its name after the former Anglo Saxon monastery in the town of Jarrow in Tyne and Wear....
in January 2002.
On 11 December 2006 it was announced that Pritchard would become the 42nd Bishop of Oxford. Having taken office at his confirmation-of-election in London on 23 March 2007, he began his ministry in the diocese on 8 June 2007 after a service of inauguration at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral of the diocese of Oxford, which consists of the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. It is also, uniquely, the chapel of Christ Church, a college of the University of Oxford.-History:...
. In 2008, he supported the application by Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s in Oxford to broadcast the adhan
Adhan
The adhān is the Islamic call to prayer, recited by the muezzin at prescribed times of the day. The root of the word is meaning "to permit"; another derivative of this word is , meaning "ear"....
from the minaret of a mosque. As a result, he received hostile comment and letters of complaint.
Pritchard is married to Wendy and has two daughters, Amanda and Nicola.
Styles
- John Pritchard, Esq. (1948–1972)
- The Revd John Pritchard (1972–1996)
- The Ven. John Pritchard (1996–2002)
- The Rt Revd John Pritchard (2002—present)
Writings
- Practical Theology in Action, SPCKSPCKThe Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge is the oldest Anglican mission organisation. It was founded in 1698 by Thomas Bray , and a small group of friends. The most important early leaders were Anton Wilhelm Boehm and court preacher Friedrich Michael Ziegenhagen...
(1996), ISBN 0-281-05012-0 - The Intercessions Handbook, SPCK (1997), ISBN 0-281-04979-3
- Beginning Again, SPCK (2000), ISBN 0-281-05265-4
- Living the Gospel Stories Today, SPCK (2001), ISBN 0-281-05365-0
- How to Pray, SPCK (2002), ISBN 0-281-05454-1
- The Second Intercessions Handbook, SPCK (2004), ISBN 0-281-05649-8
- Living Easter Through the Year, SPCK (2005), ISBN 0-281-05709-5
- How to Explain Your Faith, SPCK (2006), ISBN 0-8146-3178-9
- The Life and Work of a Priest, SPCK (2007) ISBN 0-261-05748-1