Wallace Benn

Wallace Parke Benn (born 6 August 1947) is a bishop of the Church of England. He was the area Bishop of Lewes in the Diocese of Chichester from May 1997 until his retirement in October 2012.

The Right Reverend

Wallace Benn
Bishop of Lewes
ChurchChurch of England
DioceseChichester
In office1997–2012
PredecessorIan Cundy
SuccessorRichard Jackson
Orders
Ordination1972 (deacon); 1973 (priest)
Consecration1 May 1997
by George Carey
Personal details
Born (1947-08-06) 6 August 1947
Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland
DenominationAnglican
Spouse
Lindsay
​
(m. 1978)​
ChildrenTwo
Alma mater

Early life and education

Benn was born in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland on 6 August 1947.[1][2] He was educated at St. Andrew's College, Dublin, then an all-boys school in Dublin.[1] He studied at University College, Dublin, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1969.[3][4] In 1969, he entered Trinity College, Bristol, an Evangelical Anglican theological college, to train for ordained ministry.[4] During this time he also studied for a diploma in theology (DipTheol) which was validated by the University of London.[1][5]

Career

Ordained ministry

Benn was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1972 and as a priest in 1973.[6] His ordained ministry began with curacies at St Mark's New Ferry, Wirral and St Mary's Cheadle, after which he was Vicar of St James the Great, Audley, Staffordshire and finally (before his consecration to the episcopate) St Peter's Harold Wood.

On 1 May 1997, Benn was consecrated a bishop[7] at Southwark Cathedral, by George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury.[8][9] He then served as the Bishop of Lewes, an area and suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Chichester.[1] He retired from full-time ministry on 31 October 2012.[10] Since 2013, he has held Permission to Officiate in the Diocese of Peterborough.[4]

Author

Benn has written two books and numerous pamphlets, including The Last Word: Jesus' Teaching in The Upper Room [11] and Jesus Our Joy: Learning about True Spirituality.[12]

Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, undertaken between 2014 and 2022, criticised Benn for his handling of allegations of child sexual abuse during his tenure as Bishop of Lewes.

There was a deep-seated arrogance amongst some senior clergy, including Bishop Wallace Benn. They believed that they were right in their indulgent attitude towards some perpetrators, even when they had been convicted. In Bishop Benn’s case, his failings were compounded by his litigious approach to perceived criticism.[13]

Benn's actions had previously been criticised during several inquiries into sexual abuse scandals in the Diocese of Chichester, relating to child abuse by the Rev Roy Cotton and the Rev Colin Pritchard.

Views

Benn has been described as a complementarian evangelical.[14] He is a council member of Reform, a conservative evangelical grouping in the Church of England opposed to women priests and to the consecration of women as bishops.[15] In 2008, he attended the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) held in Jerusalem.[16]

Personal life

In 1978, Benn married Lindsay Develing.[1] Together they have two children: one son and one daughter.[1]

In 2002, Benn appeared on the popular BBC television motoring series Top Gear, placing third in the first "Fastest Faith" competition.[17]

Styles
  • Wallace Benn Esq (to 1973)
  • The Revd Wallace Benn (1973–1997)
  • The Rt Revd Wallace Benn (1997—present)

References
  1. "BENN, Rt Rev. Wallace Parke". Who's Who 2017. Oxford University Press. November 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  2. "Controversial Church of England bishop to address Dublin conference". Irish Times. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  3. Who's Who2008: London, A & C Black ISBN 978-0-7136-8555-8
  4. "Wallace Parke Benn". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  5. "Home". www.chichester.anglican.org.
  6. Crockford's Clerical Directory2008/2009 Lambeth, Church House Publishing ISBN 978-0-7151-1030-0
  7. "Update Reform". Trushare.com. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  8. "STOCK IMAGE, , URM_013095A_06, 01ASWVP5 , UPPA - Search Stock Photos, Images, Pictures, Photography at Diomedia". Diomedia.com. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  9. "STOCK IMAGE, , URM_013095A_16, 01ASWVP7 , UPPA - Search Stock Photos, Images, Pictures, Photography at Diomedia". Diomedia.com. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  10. "Wallace Benn to retire". 18 October 2012.
  11. "CFP | the Last Word | Wallace Benn". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  12. Benn, Wallace (7 September 2023). Jesus Our Joy: Learning about True Spirituality. Christian Focus Publications. ISBN 9781857924435. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012.
  13. Jay, Alexis. "Anglican Church Case Studies: Chichester/Peter Ball Investigation Report" (PDF). Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  14. Gatiss, Lee (5 May 2015). "Topical Tuesday: Bishop Rod Thomas". Church Society. Archived from the original on 11 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  15. "Reform council members". Reform. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  16. Thomas, Rod (31 August 2012). "Where are the Reform Bishops?". Church of England Newspaper. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  17. Top Gear, Series 1, Episode 7 (first broadcast 1 December 2002).
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