John Baker (bishop)

The Right Reverend

John Baker
The Right Reverend; John Baker
Bishop of Salisbury
Church	Church of England
Diocese	Diocese of Salisbury
In office	1982–1993
Predecessor	George Reindorp
Successor	David Stancliffe
Other post(s)	Honorary assistant bishop in Winchester (1994–2014)
Orders
Ordination	c. 1954 (deacon); 1955 (priest)
Consecration	1982
Personal details
Born	11 January 1928
Died	4 June 2014 (aged 86)
Denomination	Anglican
Parents	George and Grace Austin Baker
Spouse	Gillian Leach (m. 1974)
Profession	Author (theology & church)
Alma mater	Oriel College, Oxford

John Austin Baker (11 January 1928 – 4 June 2014) was a Church of England bishop, Bishop of Salisbury from 1982 until his retirement in 1993.^[2]

Early life

He was the only child born to George Austin Baker and his wife Grace Baker.^[3] Though his father was a company secretary, three uncles and an aunt had taken holy orders.^[1] He was educated at Marlborough College and Oriel College, Oxford.^[4] He was awarded the degrees Oxford Master of Arts (MA Oxon) and Master of Letters (MLitt).

Made a deacon at Michaelmas 1954 (19 September), by Robert Hay, Bishop of Buckingham, at High Wycombe parish church,^[5] and ordained priest in 1955, he began his ministry with curacies at All Saint's Cuddesdon and St Anselm's Hatch End, after which he was a fellow and lecturer at Corpus Christi College, Oxford until 1973. From then until his ordination to the episcopate he was a residential canon at Westminster Abbey and also for some years chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons.^[4] He was consecrated a bishop on 2 February 1982, by Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Westminster Abbey.^[6]

A keen musician,^[7] Baker was a prominent author.^[8] In retirement he continued to serve as an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Winchester.

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "The Rt Rev John Baker - obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 5 June 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
^ Crockford's Clerical Directory 2008/2009 Lambeth, Church House Publishing ISBN 978-0-7151-1030-0
^ "The Right Rev John Austin Baker". The Times. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
^ ^a ^b Who's Who 2008, London, A & C Black, ISBN 978-0-7136-8555-8
^ "Michaelmas ordinations". Church Times. No. 4781. 24 September 1954. p. 723. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 13 June 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
^ "picture caption". Church Times. No. 6208. 5 February 1982. p. 1. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 13 June 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
^ Debrett's People of Today London,2008 Debrett's, ISBN 978-1-870520-95-9
^ Amongst others he wrote The Foolishness of God (1970); Prophecy in the Church (1976); and The Whole Family of God (1981), British Library Catalogue accessed 27 August 2008 17:54

Church of England titles
Preceded by George Reindorp	Bishop of Salisbury 1982–1993	Succeeded by David Stancliffe

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