Stephen Race

The Right Reverend

Stephen Race

SSC
Bishop of Beverley (PEV)
Race in 2024
ChurchChurch of England
DioceseDiocese of York
In office2022 to present
PredecessorGlyn Webster
Orders
Ordination2002 (deacon)
2003 (priest)
Consecration30 November 2022
by Tony Robinson
Personal details
Born1969 (age 54–55)
DenominationAnglicanism
Alma materCollege of St Hild and St Bede, Durham
St Stephen's House, Oxford

Stephen Peter Race SSC (born 1969) is a British Anglican Bishop. Since 2022, he has been the Bishop of Beverley, the Provincial Episcopal Visitor for traditionalist Anglo-Catholics in the Church of England's Province of York.

Early life and education

Race was born in 1969,[1] and raised in Zimbabwe. He studied at the College of St Hild and St Bede, Durham, graduating from Durham University with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1993.[1] He then qualified as a teacher.[2]

Ordained ministry

Race trained for Holy Orders at St Stephen's House, Oxford.[3] He was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 2002 and as a priest in 2003.[1] From 2002 to 2005, he served his curacy at St Mary's Parish Church, Wigton, in the Diocese of Carlisle.[1] In 2005, he was appointed vicar of the Church of St John the Baptist, Dodworth, in the Diocese of Wakefield.[1] He was additionally assistant diocesan director of ordinands from 2005 and then diocesan director of ordinands from 2009.[1][4] He was made area dean of Barnsley in 2009 and an honorary canon of Wakefield Cathedral in 2011.[3] In 2014, he moved parishes and became priest-in-charge of St Mary's Church, Barnsley in the newly created Diocese of Leeds.[1] He additionally became priest-in-charge of the Church of St Edward the Confessor, Barnsley and St Thomas' Church, Gawber in 2017.[3] In 2018, he became Rector of Central Barnsley, a newly created benefice consisting of the three churches he led.[1] St George's Church, Barnsley, was added to the benefice in 2018.[1]

Episcopal ministry

On 12 October 2022, he was announced as the next Bishop of Beverley, in succession to Glyn Webster.[3] On 30 November 2022, he was consecrated a bishop during a service at York Minster: the principal consecrator was Tony Robinson, assisted by Philip North and Glyn Webster.[5][6] In addition, he was made an honorary assistant bishop of the Diocese of Sheffield in 2023, and an assistant bishop of the Diocese of Liverpool and of the Diocese of Sodor and Man in 2023.[1]

Views

He voted against introducing "standalone services for same-sex couples" on a trial basis during a meeting of the General Synod in November 2023; the motion passed.[7][8]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stephen Race.
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Stephen Peter Race". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  2. ^ Bacon, Jack (3 December 2022). "Stephen Race consecrated Bishop of Beverley". Anglican Ink. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "Appointment of Suffragan Bishop of Beverley: 12 October 2022". GOV.UK. Government of the United Kingdom. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  4. ^ "Announcement of New Bishop of Beverley". Diocese of York. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  5. ^ "Consecration of Fr Stephen Race SSC". sswsh.com. Forward in Faith. 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Looking back at Bishop Stephen's Consecration". See of Beverley. 2 December 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  7. ^ "GENERAL SYNOD NOVEMBER 2023 GROUP OF SESSIONS BUSINESS DONE AT 5 P.M." (PDF). churchofengland.org. The Church of England. 13 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023. 7. The motion (as amended) 'That this Synod, conscious that the Church is not of one mind on the issues raised by Living in Love and Faith, that we are in a period of uncertainty, and that many in the Church on all sides are being deeply hurt at this time, recognise the progress made by the House of Bishops towards implementing the motion on Living in Love and Faith passed by this Synod in February 2023, as reported in GS 2328, encourage the House to continue its work of implementation, and ask the House to consider whether some standalone services for same-sex couples could be made available for use, possibly on a trial basis, on the timescale envisaged by the motion passed by the Synod in February 2023.' was carried following a counted vote by Houses.
  8. ^ "General Synod 15th November 2023 – Item 007" (PDF). churchofengland.org. The Church of England. 15 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.