David Williams (Bishop of Basingstoke)

David Grant Williams (born 16 April 1961) is a Church of England bishop. He is the current Bishop of Basingstoke, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Winchester.[1] Before his consecration in 2014, he was vicar of Christ Church, Winchester.[2]

The Right Reverend David Williams
Bishop of Basingstoke
Church	Church of England
Diocese	Diocese of Winchester
In office	2014 to present
Predecessor	Peter Hancock
Other posts	Vicar of Christ Church, Winchester (2002–2014)
Orders
Ordination	1989
Consecration	19 September 2014 by Justin Welby
Personal details
Birth name	David Grant Williams
Born	(1961-04-16) 16 April 1961
Nationality	British
Denomination	Anglican
Spouse	Helen ( m. 1986)
Children	Sarah and Mark
Previous post	Missionary
Alma mater	University of Bristol Wycliffe Hall, Oxford

Early life

Williams was born on 16 April 1961 in Reading, England,[3] and spend his childhood in Uganda.[2] He studied social policy at the University of Bristol, graduating with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree.[1]

After university, he spent a number of years working in Kenya with the Church Mission Society. Along with his missionary work, he was deputy head of a secondary school in eastern Kenya.[2] He returned to the UK to study for the ordination at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford.[1]

Ordained ministry

Williams began his ministry by serving as a curate at All Saints Church, Ecclesall in the Diocese of Sheffield from 1989 to 1992. He was then vicar of Christ Church, Dore before being appointed Rural Dean of Ecclesall in 1997. In 2002, he became the vicar of Christ Church, Winchester.[1] During his time at Christ Church, he also served the wider community: he set up the city's street pastors project, and made visits to Winchester Prison, to the Royal Hampshire County Hospital and to the University of Winchester.[4][5] In 2012, he was appointed Honorary Canon of Winchester Cathedral.[1]

He was elected to the General Synod, the governing body of the Church of England, in 2010. As a priest, he joined the House of Clergy. In 2012, he was appointed Chair of the House of Clergy of the Winchester Diocesan Synod.[1] He stood down from these appointments upon becoming a bishop.

Episcopal ministry

In June 2014, it was announced that he would be the next Bishop of Basingstoke, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Winchester.[1] On 19 September 2014, he was consecrated a bishop during a service at Winchester Cathedral by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury.[6] He led his first service as bishop at St Michael's Church, Basingstoke on 28 September 2014.[4]

Personal life

In 1986, Williams married Helen Pacey.[7] Together they have one daughter and one son: Sarah and Mark.[1]

References

1. "Suffragan Bishop of Basingstoke: David Grant Williams". News. GOV.UK. 26 June 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
2. "New Bishop of Basingstoke announced". BBC News. 26 June 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
3. "Williams, David Grant". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. 2016 (November 2015 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 24 July 2016. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
4. Di Salvo, Mathew (19 September 2014). "New Bishop of Basingstoke consecrated in "epic" service". Basingstoke Observer. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
5. "A new Bishop for Basingstoke". News. Diocese of Winchester. 26 June 2014. Archived from the original on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
6. Bave, Jessica (19 September 2014). "New Bishop of Basingstoke consecrated in Winchester". Basingstoke Gazette. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
7. "BASINGSTOKE, Bishop Suffragan of,". Who's Who 2017. Oxford University Press. November 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2017.

Church of England titles
Preceded by Peter Hancock	Bishop of Basingstoke 2014–present	Incumbent