John Perry (bishop)

John Freeman Perry (born 15 June 1935)[1] is a retired Anglican bishop.

Perry was educated at Mill Hill School,[2] the London College of Divinity and St John's College, Nottingham. He was made a deacon at Michaelmas 1959 (20 September)[3] and ordained a priest the Michaelmas following (25 September 1960) – both times by Ivor Watkins, Bishop of Guildford, at Holy Trinity Pro-Cathedral, Guildford.[4] After ordination he was a curate at Christ Church, Woking[5] until 1962,after which he held a similar post at Christ Church, Chorleywood before becoming vicar of St Andrew's in the same town in 1963; and in 1972 Rural Dean of Rickmansworth.[6] From 1977 until 1989 he was Warden of Lee Abbey when he was appointed Bishop of Southampton, a suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Winchester. He took up that See upon his consecration as bishop by Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury, on 25 January 1989 at Westminster Abbey.[7] Translated to Chelmsford in 1996 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Anglia Ruskin University in 2001[8] and retired to Shaftesbury two years later.