Alastair Llewellyn John Redfern (born 1 September 1948) is a retired Church of England bishop, who served as Bishop of Derby from 2005 to 2018.[1][2]


Alastair Redfern
Bishop of Derby
DioceseDiocese of Derby
In office2005–2018
PredecessorJonathan Bailey
SuccessorLibby Lane
Other post(s)Bishop of Grantham (1997–2005)
Orders
Ordination1976 (deacon); 1977 (priest)
by Kenneth Skelton
Consecration1997
by George Carey
Personal details
Born (1948-09-01) 1 September 1948 (age 75)
DenominationAnglican
Spouse
Jane
(m. 1974; died 2004)
Caroline
(m. 2006)
Childrentwo
ProfessionLecturer, writer
Alma materChrist Church, Oxford

Early life and education edit

Redfern studied at Christ Church, Oxford.[3] He received a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 2001 from the University of Bristol.[4][5][6] His doctoral thesis was titled "Oversight and authority in the nineteenth century church of England: a case study of Bishop Samuel Wilberforce".[6]

Ordained ministry edit

Redfern was ordained a deacon at Petertide 1976 (27 June)[7] and a priest the following Petertide (26 June 1977), both times by Kenneth Skelton, Bishop of Lichfield, at Lichfield Cathedral.[8] He served as a curate in Wolverhampton.[9] He then became a lecturer and later vice principal of Ripon College Cuddesdon.[10] He was also an honorary curate of Church of All Saints, Cuddesdon between 1983 and 1987.[9] From 1987 to 1997 he was the Canon Theologian of Bristol Cathedral.

Episcopal ministry edit

 
Bishop Redfern in 2018

He was ordained and consecrated to the episcopate on 2 December 1997 at Southwark Cathedral[11] (by George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury)[12] to become suffragan Bishop of Grantham. In 2005, he was translated to be the Bishop of Derby. He was a Member (Lord Spiritual) of the House of Lords from 2010 to 2018.[13]

Redfern retired effective 31 August 2018.[14]

Personal life edit

In 1974, Redfern married Jane Valerie Straw.[13] Together they had two daughters.[13] His first wife died in 2004.[13] In 2006, he married Caroline Boddington.[15] who at the time worked for the Church of England as the Archbishops' Secretary for Appointments.[15][16] She retired in 2021.

Styles edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Official announcement". Archived from the original on 26 July 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
  2. ^ "Bishop Alastair - Diocese of Derby". derby.anglican.org.
  3. ^ "Redfern, Alastair Llewellyn John". Who's Who. Vol. 2017 (November 2016 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 8 May 2017. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  4. ^ "Church of England — Bishop of Derby".
  5. ^ Thesis details
  6. ^ a b Redfern, Alastair Llewellyn John (2001). "Oversight and authority in the nineteenth century church of England: a case study of Bishop Samuel Wilberforce". E-Thesis Online Service. The British Library Board. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  7. ^ "Petertide ordinations". Church Times. No. 5916. 2 July 1976. p. 8. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 8 May 2017 – via UK Press Online archives.
  8. ^ "Petertide ordinations". Church Times. No. 5968. 1 July 1977. p. 4. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 8 May 2017 – via UK Press Online archives.
  9. ^ a b "Alastair Llewellyn John Redfern". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  10. ^ Debrett's People of Today London, 2008 Debrett's, ISBN 978-1-870520-95-9
  11. ^ "News (in brief): News suffragan for Lincoln". Church Times. No. 7024. 26 September 1997. p. 5. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 11 October 2015 – via UK Press Online archives.
  12. ^ Diomedia
  13. ^ a b c d 'DERBY, Bishop of', Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016; online edn, Nov 2016 accessed 10 Nov 2017
  14. ^ Diocese of Derby — Bishop of Derby announces he will retire in 2018 (Accessed 8 November 2017)
  15. ^ a b 'BODDINGTON, Caroline Elizabeth', Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016; online edn, Nov 2016 accessed 10 Nov 2017
  16. ^ "Appointments and Development". Church of England. Retrieved 10 November 2017.

External links edit

Church of England titles
Preceded by Bishop of Grantham
1997–2005
Succeeded by
Preceded by Bishop of Derby
2005–2018
Succeeded by