Sandy Millar
Encyclopedia
John Alexander Kirkpatrick "Sandy" Millar (born 13 November 1939) is an Anglican
bishop
who, in 2005, was consecrated in Uganda
as an assistant bishop
in the Province
of Uganda, in a joint initiative of the Archbishop
of Uganda, the Archbishop of Canterbury
and the Bishop of London
. He was subsequently licensed at St Paul's Cathedral
, London on 9 February 2006 to act as an honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of London
. He serves as priest-in-charge at St Mark’s Tollington
Park in North London
.
Millar was born into an upper class Scottish family (his father was a major-general) and was educated at Eton College
and Trinity College, Cambridge
, graduating in 1962 with the degree of Master of Arts. He practised as a barrister
for 10 years. After that, he gained a Diploma
in Theology
from the University of Durham. He was ordained deacon in 1976 and priest in 1977 at the age of 37.
Millar was Vicar
of Holy Trinity Brompton from 1985 to 2005 and is the principal person responsible for the Alpha course
. During this period, Millar developed a strategy of church planting
throughout London, thereby making it possible for dying churches to have a fresh start with congregations and clergy
provided by Holy Trinity — all in close association with the London
bishops. Such church "plants" included:
Millar also initiated "The Marriage Course" and "The Marriage Preparation Course", which run both throughout the United Kingdom and in many other countries. Another of his achievements is the rehabilitation of the previously disused church of St Paul's Onslow Square, located in his parish
. In 2005, a book containing a selection of his writings, All I Want Is You, was published.
The present Archbishop of Canterbury
, Rowan Williams
, has described Millar as "someone whose skill in communicating the Gospel
is bound up with being supremely and happily himself. God
be thanked for him." George Carey
, a former Archbishop of Canterbury, has described Millar as "one of the great Christian leaders of our time".
Millar has been a prebendary
of St Paul's Cathedral
since 1997.
Millar is on the Charismatic Evangelical
wing of the Church of England, but has usually concentrated on local missions and not on participation in controversies in the wider Anglican Communion
. However, in October 2007, he was reported to have said to an American church congregation that "there is a war on for the very soul of the church" and to have told the congregation, which had left the Episcopal Church of the United States of America in protest at its acceptance of homosexuality, "your steadfastness in the face of a new and speciously sophisticated manifestation of evil has won you many admirers all over the world." These comments were publicised on the internet, although not by him.
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
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...
who, in 2005, was consecrated in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
as an assistant bishop
Assistant Bishop
An assistant bishop in the Anglican Communion is a bishop appointed to assist a diocesan bishop.-Church of England:In the established Church of England, assistant bishops are usually are retired bishops – in which case they are honorary assistant bishops...
in the Province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of Uganda, in a joint initiative of the Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Uganda, the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
and the Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
. He was subsequently licensed at St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
, London on 9 February 2006 to act as an honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of London
Diocese of London
The Anglican Diocese of London forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England.Historically the diocese covered a large area north of the Thames and bordered the dioceses of Norwich and Lincoln to the north and west. The present diocese covers and 17 London boroughs, covering most of Greater...
. He serves as priest-in-charge at St Mark’s Tollington
Tollington (ward)
Tollington Ward is one of sixteen electoral divisions of the London Borough of Islington and is one of the eight that make up the Islington North constituency....
Park in North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
.
Millar was born into an upper class Scottish family (his father was a major-general) and was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, graduating in 1962 with the degree of Master of Arts. He practised as a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
for 10 years. After that, he gained a Diploma
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
in Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
from the University of Durham. He was ordained deacon in 1976 and priest in 1977 at the age of 37.
Millar was Vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of Holy Trinity Brompton from 1985 to 2005 and is the principal person responsible for the Alpha course
Alpha course
The Alpha course is a course which seeks to explore the basics of the Christian faith, described as "an opportunity to explore the meaning of life" . Alpha courses are currently being run in churches, homes, workplaces, prisons, universities and a wide variety of other locations...
. During this period, Millar developed a strategy of church planting
Church planting
Church planting is a process that results in a new Christian church being established. It should be distinguished from church development, where a new service, new worship centre or fresh expression is created that is integrated into an already established congregation...
throughout London, thereby making it possible for dying churches to have a fresh start with congregations and clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
provided by Holy Trinity — all in close association with the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
bishops. Such church "plants" included:
- 1985: St Barnabas' Addison RoadAddison Road, LondonAddison Road is a road in London, England, which connects Kensington High Street with Notting Hill and Holland Park Avenue and runs nearby to Holland Park.- History and residents :...
, West KensingtonWest Kensington- Commercial/education :Local business consists of small shops, offices and restaurants, with the Olympia Exhibition Centre nearby. Indeed, it is the mix of local shops that give the area its character.... - 1987: St Mark's BatterseaBatterseaBattersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...
Rise - 1989: St Paul's Onslow SquareOnslow SquareOnslow Square is a garden square in South Kensington, southwest London, England.The square lies between the Old Brompton Road to the northwest and the Fulham Road to the southeast. To the north is South Kensington tube station. To the south is the Royal Marsden Hospital...
- 1994: St Stephen's Westbourne ParkWestbourne ParkWestbourne Park may refer to:* Westbourne Park tube station* Westbourne Park, South Australia...
- 2000: St Paul's HammersmithHammersmithHammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
- 2002: St George the Martyr's Queen Square, BloomsburyBloomsbury-Places:* Bloomsbury is an area in central London.* Bloomsbury , related local government unit* Bloomsbury, New Jersey, New Jersey, USA* Bloomsbury , listed on the NRHP in Maryland...
- 2005: St Paul's ShadwellShadwellShadwell is an inner-city district situated within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets located on the north bank of the Thames between Wapping to the south and Ratcliff to the east...
Millar also initiated "The Marriage Course" and "The Marriage Preparation Course", which run both throughout the United Kingdom and in many other countries. Another of his achievements is the rehabilitation of the previously disused church of St Paul's Onslow Square, located in his parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
. In 2005, a book containing a selection of his writings, All I Want Is You, was published.
The present Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, Rowan Williams
Rowan Williams
Rowan Douglas Williams FRSL, FBA, FLSW is an Anglican bishop, poet and theologian. He is the 104th and current Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury and Primate of All England, offices he has held since early 2003.Williams was previously Bishop of Monmouth and...
, has described Millar as "someone whose skill in communicating the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
is bound up with being supremely and happily himself. God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
be thanked for him." George Carey
George Carey
George Leonard Carey, Baron Carey of Clifton PC, FKC is a former Archbishop of Canterbury, holding the office from 1991 to 2002. He was the first modern holder of the office not to have attended Oxford or Cambridge University...
, a former Archbishop of Canterbury, has described Millar as "one of the great Christian leaders of our time".
Millar has been a prebendary
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
of St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
since 1997.
Millar is on the Charismatic Evangelical
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
wing of the Church of England, but has usually concentrated on local missions and not on participation in controversies in the wider Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
. However, in October 2007, he was reported to have said to an American church congregation that "there is a war on for the very soul of the church" and to have told the congregation, which had left the Episcopal Church of the United States of America in protest at its acceptance of homosexuality, "your steadfastness in the face of a new and speciously sophisticated manifestation of evil has won you many admirers all over the world." These comments were publicised on the internet, although not by him.
Styles
- Mr Sandy Millar (1939–1977)
- The RevdThe ReverendThe Reverend is a style most often used as a prefix to the names of Christian clergy and ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and church traditions. The Reverend is correctly called a style but is often and in some dictionaries called a...
Sandy Millar (1977–1997) - The Revd Prebendary Sandy Millar (1997–2005)
- The Rt RevdRight ReverendThe Right Reverend is a style applied to certain religious figures.*In the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church in Great Britain it applies to bishops except that The Most Reverend is used for archbishops .*In some churches with a...
Sandy Millar (2005–present)