Hall Speers
Irish-born Madagascan Anglican bishop
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Samuel Hall Speers (born October 1946[1]) is an Irish-born Anglican bishop. He served from 2019 to 2024 as the second diocesan bishop of Mahajanga, Madagascar, in the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean.
S. Hall Speers | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Mahajanga | |
| Church | Church of England Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean |
| Diocese | Mahajanga |
| In office | 2019–2024 |
| Predecessor | Jean-Claude Andrianjafimanana |
| Successor | Darrell Critch |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 2019 by James Wong |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 1946 (age 79) |
Biography
Speers is a native of Urney, Northern Ireland.[2] He attended Selwyn College, Cambridge[3] and is married with three children.[4] Speers became a priest in the Church of England; from 1996 to 2002, he was rural dean of Lafford.[5]
Following his retirement from parish ministry, Speers was elected the second bishop of Mahajanga, a missionary diocese in Madagascar with at the time just 12 non-stipendiary priests serving 30 congregations.[6][7] He was consecrated by Archbishop James Wong in April 2019 at the cathedral in Mahajanga. Senate President Rivo Rakotovao was in attendance representing the Madagascar government.[4]
During his episcopacy, Speers built partnerships with congregations in the Church of Ireland Diocese of Derry and Raphoe to raise funds for the missionary work in Mahajanga.[8] He retired in March of 2024 after five years as bishop.[9]