John Baker (bishop)
Bishop of Salisbury; British Anglican bishop (1928-2014)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Austin Baker (11 January 1928 – 4 June 2014) was a Church of England bishop, Bishop of Salisbury from 1982 until his retirement in 1993.[2]
John Baker | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Salisbury | |
| Church | Church of England |
| Diocese | Diocese of Salisbury |
| In office | 1982–1993 |
| Predecessor | George Reindorp |
| Successor | David Stancliffe |
| Other post | Honorary assistant bishop in Winchester (1994–2014)[1] |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | c. 1954 (deacon); 1955 (priest) |
| Consecration | 1982 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 January 1928[1] |
| Died | 4 June 2014 (aged 86)[1] |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Parents | George and Grace Austin Baker[1] |
| Spouse | Gillian Leach (m. 1974)[1] |
| Profession | Author (theology & church) |
| Alma mater | Oriel College, Oxford[1] |
Early life
He was the only child born to George Austin Baker and his wife Grace Baker.[3] Though his father was a company secretary, three uncles and an aunt had taken holy orders.[1] He was educated at Marlborough College and Oriel College, Oxford.[4] He was awarded the degrees Oxford Master of Arts (MA Oxon) and Master of Letters (MLitt).
Religious life
Made a deacon at Michaelmas 1954 (19 September), by Robert Hay, Bishop of Buckingham, at High Wycombe parish church,[5] and ordained priest in 1955, he began his ministry with curacies at All Saint's Cuddesdon and St Anselm's Hatch End, after which he was a fellow and lecturer at Corpus Christi College, Oxford until 1973. From then until his ordination to the episcopate he was a residential canon at Westminster Abbey and also for some years chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons.[4] He was consecrated a bishop on 2 February 1982, by Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Westminster Abbey.[6]
A keen musician,[7] Baker was a prominent author.[8] In retirement he continued to serve as an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Winchester.
