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THE RT REV DR TOM BUTLER'S REMARKS ON THE RETIREMENT OF THE BISHOP OF WOOLWICH

13 January 2004

Upon hearing the news of the forthcoming retirement of Colin Buchanan, the Bishop of Woolwich, on 31 July 2004, the Bishop of Southwark the Rt Rev. Dr Tom Butler commented:

‘Colin Buchanan has worked tirelessly for the mission of the Church in the Woolwich Episcopal Area. He has offered unstinting pastoral care to clergy and parishes, and has built up good ecumenical relations with other church leaders. The Diocese of Southwark has benefited greatly from his eight year ministry.

His enormous energy and enthusiasm have also served the whole Church of England and the worldwide Communion. Christians here and overseas have been challenged and enriched by his scholarship, his commitment and his faith.

He will be greatly missed and I wish him and Di, his wife, well for their retirement.’

Note to Editors:
Details of the farewell services and other arrangements for Colin Buchanan’s retirement will be announced as soon as they are available.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE RT REV COLIN BUCHANAN

Born in 1934, Bishop Colin received his MA from Lincoln College, Oxford and trained for the ministry at Tyndale Hall, Bristol. Ordained deacon in 1961 and priest in 1962 he served as curate at Cheadle (Chester Diocese) from 1961 to 1964. He then went as tutor to the London College of Divinity, which moved to Nottingham in 1970 and became St John's College. He became Principal of St John's in 1979, and was an Honorary Canon of Southwell Minster (1981-85). He received a DD from Lambeth in 1993.

He was Bishop of Aston, in the Diocese of Birmingham (1985-1989). He resigned this post when he took responsibility for the financial loss incurred by the 1989 'City-wide Christian Celebration' with Desmond Tutu.

Becoming from 1989 an Assistant Bishop in Rochester, he was Vicar of Gillingham, St Mark (1991-96), from where he was appointed to be Bishop of Woolwich. He was elected by the Nottinghamshire clergy to become a founder member of General Synod, and was in 1990, 1995 and 2000 elected by the suffragans of the Province of Canterbury to be one of their six representatives in the House of Bishops.

Bishop Colin is well known for his work on liturgy and has published extensively on this subject and others. He founded the Grove Booklet Series and owned the business until 1985. He still writes booklets for this series and edits the semi-official Anglican monthly News of Liturgy. He was a member of the General Synod's Liturgical Commission (1964-86) and was one of the architects of the Alternative Service Book. He drafted the Church of England report on the Charismatic Movement (1981) and served on the Doctrine Commission (1986-91). He was one of those responsible for the Report ‘We believe in the Holy Spirit’ (1991). He is a passionate advocate of the disestablishment of the Church of England. In 1994 he published his book Cut the Connection and sponsored the General Synod debate on the subject. In 1998 he produced his book on ecclesiology, ‘Is the Church of England Biblical?’

He has travelled and worked extensively throughout the world, especially in North and South America, Africa, India and Australasia. Amongst his interests he gives a strong place to justice in representation and is a vice-president of the Electoral Reform Society.

Bishop Colin is married to Diana and they have two grown up daughters.

Ends.

For further information contact: 

Diocesan Communications Officer
Tel: 020-7939 9400
Mobile: 07831-694021
Fax: 020-7939 9468