Innes was born in Wolverhampton. He lived in the Netherlands briefly before moving to Woking, Surrey. He was educated at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford, and studied engineering at King's College, Cambridge, gaining his Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1982. He worked in the electric power industry, then Arthur Andersen Management Consultants (now Accenture) until 1989 when he went to train for the priesthood at Cranmer Hall, Durham, whence he gained a further BA (in Theology) in 1991 and his doctorate (Doctor of Philosophy, PhD) from Durham University in 1995.[1] His doctoral thesis was titled "Strategies for securing the unity of the self in Augustine and certain modern psychologists".[2]
Innes moved to Brussels in 2005 to become Chancellor and Senior Chaplain of Pro-Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Brussels. He was an Assistant Diocesan Director of Ordinands from 2007. He was made President of the Central Committee for the Anglican Church in Belgium in 2009 and became President of the ecumenical Belgian Consultation of Christian Churches in 2012. He was appointed a Chaplain to the late Queen Elizabeth II (an honorary post) in 2012.
He chaired the Board of Grove Books Limited from 2000 and convened the Grove Ethical Studies Editorial Group from 1999–2007.
Innes was appointed Chair of the Church of England's Faith and Order Commission in 2022. In that capacity, he is also a member of the House of Bishops' Standing Committee. He represents the Archbishop of Canterbury with the European Institutions. He is the co-chair of the Reuilly Ecumenical Conversations between the Church of England and the French Protestant Church. He is also a member of the Clergy Discipline Commission.
He is a supporter of the European project and spoke and wrote widely regarding his concerns about Brexit and its effects on Europe as a whole and on UK Nationals living in the Diocese in Europe. He is concerned for the unity of the worldwide church in a fragmented and conflictual world.[8]
He abstained during a vote on introducing "standalone services for same-sex couples" on a trial basis during a meeting of the General Synod in November 2023; the motion passed.[9][10]
Personal life
Innes married in 1985 and has four children.[1] He enjoys walking and trekking.
^"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.
