Anglican Diocese of Melbourne - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne is the metropolitan

Metropolitan bishop

In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...

diocese of the Province of Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

in the Anglican Church of Australia

Anglican Church of Australia

The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...

. The diocese includes the urban cities of Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

and Geelong

Geelong, Victoria

Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...

and also some more rural areas. The cathedral church is St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne

St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne

St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, is the metropolitical and cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, Victoria in Australia. It is the seat of the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne and Metropolitan of the Province of Victoria...

. The Archbishop of Melbourne, the Most Reverend Philip Freier

Philip Freier

-External links:*...

, was previously the Bishop of the Northern Territory

Anglican Diocese of The Northern Territory

The Anglican Diocese of the Northern Territory covers Australia's Northern Territory and is part of the Province of Queensland in the Anglican Church of Australia. The cathedral church of the diocese is Christ Church Cathedral, Darwin. the Bishop of the Northern Territory is the Right Reverend...

and was installed on 16 December 2006.

Regions

The Diocese of Melbourne is divided into three regions with their own bishop: the Southern Region, the Eastern Region and the North-West Region. The Archbishops residence is Bishopscourt

Bishopscourt, East Melbourne

Bishopscourt is a large colonial mansion, located on Clarendon Street in East Melbourne, Australia.Designed by Newson & Blackburn using blue stone in a style of gothic architecture, it was completed in 1853. The red brick wing was added in 1903....

in East Melbourne.

Theological traditions

Churchmanship

Within Anglicanism the term churchmanship is sometimes used to refer to distinct understandings of church doctrine and liturgical practice by members of the Church of England and other churches of the Anglican communion...

within the Melbourne diocese is diverse and the three principal Anglican traditions, Evangelical

Evangelicalism

Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...

, Liberal

Liberal Christianity

Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...

and Anglo-Catholic, are all significantly represented.

The existence of such differing traditions within the diocese is sometimes a cause of tensions. The difficulty with which an archbishop was elected in 2006 provided a recent example.

Theological colleges

The diocese contains two theological colleges

Seminary

A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...

which prepare men and women for ordination

Ordination

In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...

and other forms of ministry. Trinity College

Trinity Theological School, Melbourne

Trinity College Theological School is part of Trinity College, the oldest college of the University of Melbourne. The school was founded in 1877 by Bishop James Moorhouse for the purpose of training a "learned and dedicated clergy"...

, founded in 1878, is located on the grounds of the University of Melbourne

University of Melbourne

The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...

and is more Liberal and Anglo-Catholic in tradition. Ridley Melbourne, located in Parkville, was founded in 1910 in the Evangelical

Evangelicalism

tradition. Trinity College is affiliated with the Melbourne College of Divinity

Melbourne College of Divinity

The Melbourne College of Divinity is a theological education organisation located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.The MCD is an ecumenical consortium of a number of theological colleges from a number of denominations...

and the University of Melbourne

University of Melbourne

The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...

and Ridley with the Australian College of Theology

Australian College of Theology

The Australian College of Theology is an Australian theological education provider. The college was one of the first Australian non-university providers to offer an accredited bachelor's degree and a research doctorate. Over 15,000 people have graduated since the foundation of the college,...

Issues

The Diocese of Melbourne has been affected by issues that have been debated in the worldwide Anglican Communion

Anglican Communion

The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...

. The theological diversity of the diocese means that there is sometimes disagreement over more contentious matters. In addition, it is frequently perceived that there is a significant tension between the theologically broad Melbourne diocese and the far more conservative Sydney diocese

Anglican Diocese of Sydney

The Diocese of Sydney is a diocese within the Anglican Church of Australia. The majority of the diocese is Evangelical and low church in tradition and committed to Reformed and Calvinist theology....

Ordination of women

The diocese has ordained women to the diaconate since 1986 and to the priesthood since 1992. The September 2007 decision of the Appellate Tribunal opening the way for the consecration of women to the episcopate was welcomed by the present archbishop, Philip Freier. General Synod approved a motion in October 2007 which welcomed the "clarity" of the decision. Melbourne's first female bishop, Canon Barbara Darling, was consecrated at St Paul's Cathedral on 31 May 2008. Female bishops are opposed by some within the diocese, particularly conservative Evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics, necessitating the provision of alternative episcopal oversight

Provincial episcopal visitor

A provincial episcopal visitor is a Church of England bishop assigned to minister to many of the clergy, laity and parishes who do not in conscience accept the ministry of women priests....

Homosexuality

The diocese is divided over the issue of homosexuality. Most conservatives and Evangelicals remain opposed to the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of gay and lesbian clergy. Some more liberal people, such as laywoman Muriel Porter

Muriel Porter

Muriel Lylie Porter OAM is an Australian journalist based in Melbourne, Victoria. She is a frequent contributor to The Age newspaper and mostly writes about issues concerning the Anglican Church of Australia in which she is a prominent layperson...

, have been very vocal in their support for changes in the church's attitudes towards homosexuality.

Abortion

In November 2007, the Diocese of Melbourne made a submission to the Victorian Law Reform Commission outlining its position in relation to abortion. The submission stated that "the Anglican Church is for life" and acknowledged "diversity of ... views" within the diocese. However it also declared that the diocese "supports the provision of safe and affordable abortions with appropriate safeguards for women who, for whatever reasons, request them". The underlying ethical view concerning embryonic life is that—

"while the embryo/fœtus is fully human from the time of conception, it accrues moral significance and value as it develops ... we believe the moral significance increases with the age and development of the fœtus. The significance increases gradually over time, in parallel with its physical development. As a pregnancy advances, more powerful moral reasons are required to allow the destruction of the embryo/fœtus."

The submission was announced in The Melbourne Anglican, in an article entitled "Decriminalise abortion, say Anglican women". The submission was strongly opposed and a petition containing 600 protest signatures was delivered in March. Shortly after this, an extensive critical response to the submission was prepared by the Melbourne Anglican Study Group.

List of Bishops and Archbishops of Melbourne

Bishops of Melbourne
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1847	1876	Charles Perry Charles Perry (bishop) Charles Perry was the first Anglican bishop of Melbourne, Australia.-Early life:Perry was born in Hackney, Middlesex, the third son of John Perry, sheriff of Essex and shipbuilder, and his second wife, Mary, daughter of George Green...	Declined to return after a visit to the United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... .
1876	1886	James Moorhouse James Moorhouse James Moorhouse was an Anglican bishop of Melbourne and of Manchester.-Early life and career:Moorhouse was born in Sheffield, England, the only son of James Moorhouse, a book-lover and master-cutler, and his wife Jane Frances née Bowman...	Translated Translation (ecclesiastical) Translation is the technical term when a Bishop is transferred from one diocese to another.This can be* From Suffragan Bishop status to Diocesan BishopFrom Coadjutor bishop to Diocesan BishopFrom one country's Episcopate to another... to Manchester Bishop of Manchester The Bishop of Manchester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Manchester in the Province of York.The current bishop is the Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch, the 11th Lord Bishop of Manchester, who signs Nigel Manchester. The bishop's official residence is Bishopscourt, Bury New Road,... .
1887	1901	Field Flowers Goe Field Flowers Goe Field Flowers Goe was an Anglican Bishop of Melbourne.-Early life:Goe was born in Louth, Lincolnshire, England, the only son of Field Flowers Goe, a solicitor, and his wife Mary Jane. Goe was educated at the King Edward's Grammar School, Louth and later at Hertford College, Oxford where he...
1902	1905	Lowther Clarke	Became Archbishop of Melbourne in 1905.
Archbishops of Melbourne
1905	1920	Lowther Clarke	Bishop of Melbourne until 1905.
1921	1929	Harrington Lees	Died in office.
1929	1941	Frederick Head	Died in office.
1942	1956	Joseph Booth	Previously coadjutor bishop Coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese... in Melbourne (Bishop of Geelong) since 1934.
1958	1977	Sir Frank Woods	Translated from Middleton Bishop of Middleton The Bishop of Middleton is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Manchester, in the Province of York, England. The title takes its name after the town of Middleton in Greater Manchester.... ; also Primate of Australia from 1971; knighted in 1972.
1977	1983	Robert Dann	Previously coadjutor bishop in Melbourne since 1969.
1984	1989	David Penman	Previously coadjutor bishop in Melbourne since 1982; died in office.
1990	1999	Keith Rayner Keith Rayner Keith Rayner AO was the 11th Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne. He was born on 22 November 1929 and educated at the Church of England Grammar School , Brisbane and the University of Queensland. He was ordained priest in 1953...	Previously Bishop of Wangaratta Anglican Diocese of Wangaratta The Anglican Diocese of Wangaratta is mostly located in the north-east region of Victoria, Australia. The diocese includes the cities of Wangaratta, Albury-Wodonga and Shepparton.-Bishops of Wangaratta:Thomas Henry Armstrong, 1902–1927... , then Archbishop of Adelaide Anglican Diocese of Adelaide The Anglican Diocese of Adelaide is based in Adelaide, South Australia. The diocese is a part of the Province of South Australia of the Anglican Church of Australia and a part of the Anglican Communion. The current Archbishop of Adelaide is the Most Reverend Jeffrey Driver.-List of Bishops and... ; also Primate of Australia* from 1990.
2000	2005	Peter Watson	Previously Bishop in Parramatta and then of the Southern Region (both in Sydney diocese Anglican Diocese of Sydney The Diocese of Sydney is a diocese within the Anglican Church of Australia. The majority of the diocese is Evangelical and low church in tradition and committed to Reformed and Calvinist theology.... ).
2006	present	Philip Freier Philip Freier -External links:*...	Translated from the Northern Territory Anglican Diocese of The Northern Territory The Anglican Diocese of the Northern Territory covers Australia's Northern Territory and is part of the Province of Queensland in the Anglican Church of Australia. The cathedral church of the diocese is Christ Church Cathedral, Darwin. the Bishop of the Northern Territory is the Right Reverend... .

List of assistant bishops

Bishops coadjutor
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1934	1942	Joseph Booth, Bishop of Geelong	Translated to the diocesan see of Melbourne.
1946	1960	John McKie, Bishop of Geelong
1960	1963	Donald Redding	Previously Bishop of Bunbury Anglican Diocese of Bunbury The Anglican Diocese of Bunbury is located in the south of Western Australia. The Bishop is the Right Reverend Allan Ewing, who was installed as bishop in July 2010.- External links :* *... .
1962	1969	Geoffrey Sambell	Translated to Perth
1969	1977	Robert Dann	Translated to the diocesan see of Melbourne.
1970	1985	James Grant
1971	1982	Ged Muston	Translated to North West Australia Anglican Diocese of North West Australia The Anglican Diocese of North West Australia is a diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia, it covers an area of Western Australia north of Perth and is geographically, the largest Anglican diocese in Australia and one of the largest geographically, in the world. The cathedral church of the... .
1982	1984	David Penman	Translated to the diocesan see of Melbourne.
Assistant bishops
1978	1985	David Shand, Bishop of the Southern Region	Previously Bishop of St Arnaud Anglican Diocese of St Arnaud The Anglican Diocese of St Arnaud, Australia was an Anglican diocese in north-west Victoria from 1926 to 1976 when it was amalgamated into the Anglican Diocese of Bendigo..The first bishop was Melville Charles James, the next was Allen Ernest Winter and the last David Hubert Warner... ; translated between regions.
1985	1988	David Shand, Bishop in Geelong
1985	1989	Peter Hollingworth Peter Hollingworth Peter John Hollingworth AC, OBE is an Australian Anglican bishop. He served as the Archbishop of Brisbane for 11 years before becoming the 23rd Governor-General of Australia from 2001 until 2003.... , Bishop in the Inner City	Translated to Brisbane Anglican Diocese of Brisbane The Anglican Diocese of Brisbane is based in Brisbane, Australia. The diocesan bishop's seat is St John's Cathedral, Brisbane. The current Archbishop of Brisbane is the Most Reverend Phillip Aspinall, who is also the Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia.The diocese stretches from the inner...
1985	1993	Robert Butterss
1985	2007	John Wilson, Bishop of the Southern Region
1989	1995	John Bayton
1994	2001	John Stewart John Stewart (Bishop) John Craig Stewart was the Bishop of the Eastern Region and Vicar General of the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne.-Early life:Stewart was educated at Newington College , Wesley College, Melbourne and Ridley Theological College.... , Bishop of the Eastern Region
1994	2002	Andrew Curnow Andrew Curnow Andrew William Curnow is the ninth bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Bendigo in regional Victoria, Australia. He was enthroned as bishop on 28 June 2003 after a period as an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Melbourne, serving the northern region of the diocese. He has degrees in commerce,... , Bishop of the Northern Region	Translated to Bendigo Anglican Diocese of Bendigo The Anglican Diocese of Bendigo comprises much of the central and most of the north-central and north-west regions of Victoria, Australia, roughly the area of Victoria north of the Great Dividing Range and west of the Goulburn River. The cathedral church of the diocese is St Paul's Cathedral in... .
2001	2009	Stephen Hale, Bishop of the Eastern Region
2002	2007	Paul White, Bishop of the Western Region	Translated between regions.
2007	present	Paul White, Bishop of the Southern Region	Translated between regions.
2003	2007	Philip Huggins, Bishop of the Northern Region	Region expanded to include Western area.
2007	present	Philip Huggins, Bishop of the North West Region	Region expanded to include Western area.
2008	2009	Barbara Darling, Bishop for Diocesan Ministries	Translated between roles.
2009	present	Barbara Darling, Bishop of the Eastern Region	Translated between roles.

External links

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