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John Dennis (bishop)

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The Right Reverend

John Dennis
Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
ChurchChurch of England
DioceseDiocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
In office1986–1996
PredecessorJohn Waine
SuccessorRichard Lewis
Other post(s)Honoraryassistant bishopinWinchester(1996–2020)
Bishop of Knaresborough
1979–1986
Orders
Ordination1956 (deacon)
1957 (priest)
Consecration1979
Personal details
Born(1931-06-19)19 June 1931
Died13 April 2020(2020-04-13)(aged 88)
DenominationAnglican
ChildrenJohn Dennis
Hugh Dennis
Alma materSt Catharine's College, Cambridge

John Dennis(19 June 1931 – 13 April 2020)[1]was anAnglicanbishop, who served asBishop of Knaresborough,and then for ten years asBishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.In retirement, he was an honorary assistant bishop in theDiocese of Winchester.[2]

Education

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Dennis was born to (Hubert) Ronald Dennis (1899–1990) and Evelyn, daughter of Leonard Joseph Neville-Polley, a science tutor and author who wrote abiographyof the chemist andphysicistJohn Dalton.His father, Ronald Dennis, was the son of a South Yorkshire coal hewer and served as a platoon commander on theWestern FrontinWorld War I.[3][4]

Dennis was evacuated during the war, residing with his paternal grandparents in the mining village ofWales,near Kiveton.

After the war, he was educated atRutlish School,Merton (a state grammar school, where his father taughtbiologyandphysics), andSt Catharine's College, Cambridge(BA 1954, MA 1959),[5]before studying for ordination atCuddesdon College, Oxford.[6]At Cambridge, herowed,which he said "[it was] my passion. I loved it, and I managed to prove myself quite tolerably good."[7]

Between school and university he spent a year ofNational Serviceserving with theRoyal Air Force.

Ministry

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FollowingcuraciesinArmleyandKettering,[8]he was appointedvicarof theIsle of Dogsin 1962, transferring toJohn Keble Church, Mill Hill,in 1971. He was appointed as aprebendaryofSt Paul's Cathedral,London, in 1977.

He became theBishop of Knaresboroughin 1979,[9]which was a suffragan see to the diocesan Bishop of Ripon; and for most of his time in that office he also served as Diocesan Director of Ordinands (DDO) for theDiocese of Ripon.In 1986, he wastranslatedto become the diocesanBishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswichin Suffolk. He retired in 1996 and lived in Winchester from 1999.[10]

Dennis served as aLords Spiritualin theHouse of Lordsfrom 1992 till his retirement in 1996.[11]

Knaresborough report

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In 1969, the Ely Commission of the Church of England considered the initiation of children within the Church, and in 1971 published its report "Christian Initiation: Birth and Growth in the Christian Society" (Church Information Office, 1971).[12]This led to widespread debate about whether children should start receivingHoly Communionafter theirConfirmation,as had always been traditional for Anglicans, or whether they should be admitted to Holy Communion at a much younger age. In 1976, theGeneral Synodvoted to retain the status quo, but debate continued in the dioceses. A working party was established to look at the question in greater depth, and Dennis was selected as the chairman of the working party. This resulted in the publication of "Children and Communion" (CIO 1983)[12]and "Communion before Confirmation?" (Ed. D Isaac) (CIO 1985),[13]both commonly referenced as "The Knaresborough Report", after Dennis's episcopal see.[12][13]

Personal life

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In 1956, Dennis married Dorothy Mary,[6]daughter of Godfrey Parker Hinnels (who fought at thefirst Battle of Arrasin World War I).[14][3][15]They had two sons; the elder isJohn Dennis,a diplomat who wasBritish Ambassador to Angolafrom 2014 to 2018,[16]while the younger son is the actor and comedianHugh Dennis.[17]

Dennis was aFreemasonand a member of Rutlish Lodge No. 4416 (theMasonic Lodgeassociated with his school) under theUnited Grand Lodge of England.[18]He was initiated on 18 April 1975, at the lodge's regular meeting place in the Tower Room at Great Tower Street, beside theTower of London.[19]He was initiated by his father, who was apast masterof the lodge. He was raised to the third degree inSutton, Surrey,two years later, as the lodge had by then permanently relocated.[20]

Dennis died on 13 April 2020 aged 88 from COVID-19,[21]six weeks after his wife.[22]

References

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  1. ^Daily Telegraphp29 Obituaries Issue no. 51,335 dated Thursday 4 June 2020 'popular bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich known for his humour and unscripted sermons'
  2. ^"The Parish of St. Matthew with St. Paul: Staff".Archived fromthe originalon 11 August 2016.Retrieved11 March2012.
  3. ^ab"Hugh Dennis on Who Do You Think You Are?: Everything you need to know".Who Do You Think You Are Magazine.
  4. ^"Featured Articles: TheGenealogist".www.thegenealogist.co.uk.
  5. ^Who's Who1992 London,A & C Black,1991ISBN0-7136-3514-2
  6. ^abDod's Parliamentary Companion 1995, Dod's Parliamentary Companion Ltd, p. 297
  7. ^Dennis, John (2008).Here am I, Send me.London: Lulu.
  8. ^"Debrett's People of Today": ed. Ellis, P. (1992, London, Debtrett's),ISBN1-870520-09-2
  9. ^The Times,11 November 1983; p. 3; Issue 61687; col A, "Synod hears amendment from Bishop of Knaresborough"
  10. ^Entry atCrockford Clerical Directory.
  11. ^https://members.parliament.uk/member/2944/career[bare URL]
  12. ^abc"Historical development in the Church of England"(PDF).Diocese of Portsmouth. 2014. p. 3.Retrieved1 April2019.
  13. ^ab"Children and Holy Communion – Guides and resources for Parishes"(PDF).Church in Wales. 2002. p. 9.Retrieved1 April2019.
  14. ^"Hugh Dennis - Who Do You Think You Are - Hugh's grandfathers both fought in the First World War with nearly disastrous consequences..."www.thegenealogist.co.uk.
  15. ^"Hugh Dennis – Who Do You Think You Are?".The Genealogist. 20 September 2012.Retrieved1 April2019.
  16. ^"British Ambassador to Angola – John Dennis".Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
  17. ^McGrath, Nick (16 January 2015)."Hugh Dennis: My family values".The Guardian.Retrieved1 April2019.
  18. ^"Past Masters of the Lodge".London: Lodge of Assistance.Retrieved15 April2020.
  19. ^Written at Library of Freemasonry (Archive), Great Queen Street, London. "The Rutlish Lodge".Rutlish Lodge Summons & Agenda.London: Rutlish Lodge (published 1975): 2. 18 April 1975.
  20. ^Fisher, Cliff (2020).The Rutlish Lodge Centenary History(First ed.). Rutlish Lodge.
  21. ^"Bishop John Dennis - Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich".
  22. ^"Death Notices & Obituaries - Dorothy Mary Dennis".Newsquest (Hampshire Chronicle). 12 March 2020.Retrieved9 May2020.
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