The next Bishop of Peterborough is to be the Ven. Donald Allister, currently Archdeacon of Chester. He succeeds the Rt Revd Ian Cundy, who died in May. He expects to take up his new post in the early spring of 2010 and comes with the express hope that he can help to build people’s confidence in their faith, and to unite all Christians around their love for Jesus Christ.
Donald Allister (57) has wide experience of the Church of England and has served in its national and diocesan structures as well as in parishes (see brief biography). Brought up as a choirboy in both “central” and Anglo-Catholic parishes (his middle name, Spargo, is the surname of an uncle who was a priest and for whom he served at the altar), his faith took on a new dimension while he was studying medical science then theology at Cambridge.
He then trained for ministry at Trinity College Bristol, and served in evangelical parishes before becoming Archdeacon. “Today, I’m happy to attend and lead worship in churches of all traditions, from Anglo-Catholic to New Wine,” he says. “I love the Church of England in all its variety, and I want to be a bishop for all the churches in Peterborough Diocese.”
He admits that his views have changed over the years and that, like all Christians, he is on a faith-journey. He remains conservative in matters of doctrine and ethics, but finds labels “unhelpful”, partly because they mean different things to different people.
“I’m happy to be described as an evangelical if that is understood as someone who prioritises evangelism and the Bible,” he explains. “But liberals and catholics can do evangelism and read the Bible as well! I try to listen to and engage with other views,” he adds. “I will sometimes disagree with fellow Christians but all my instincts are to disagree in love and to remain or become united. I find the harsh intolerance of some church people unpleasant and embarrassing.”
He is committed to preaching and teaching from the Bible. “I love the Bible and very much enjoy seeing it come alive and seeing people respond to it” he says. “I’ve been very happy as Archdeacon to maintain a full programme of Sunday preaching in different churches, and to lead several parish weekends each year.”
Donald Allister is a quietly-spoken family man who is passionate about fostering church growth, church unity, and personal faith. He is committed to building unity across the denominations, and is a member of the national Council for Christian Unity, which was chaired by Bishop Ian for several years. He says he is unhappy with anything that may be used to divide the church. Twelve years ago he stepped down from the Council of the evangelical group Reform because of its support for parishes which invited overseas bishops to ordain or confirm.
Women and children
Once opposed to the ordination of women, he says he has “come to value and respect their ministry. I have actively fostered the vocations of women and been involved in appointing three as rural deans,” he adds. As a bishop, he would ordain women as priests yet he remains deeply concerned that those who take a different view should be properly respected, heard and provided for.
He was appointed to the Manchester Group (drafting legislation for women bishops) in order to express the views of objectors, and says that he has not finally made up his mind on the subject. “I would happily serve with or under a woman bishop,” he says, “but I am concerned for the unity of the Church and would only vote for them if I was sure that objectors were treated in a way that allows them to stay in the church with integrity.”
The father of three grown-up children, and with a nine-month old grandson, Donald Allister is keen for the church to welcome and cater for children. When he went to Cheadle he found that children were not allowed in services. He started family-friendly and youth services, developed relationships with local primary and secondary schools, built a staff team of eight full-timers and two part-timers, and re-connected the church to the deanery and diocese.
There and previously in Birkenhead he presided over considerable church growth – in Birkenhead the congregation grew from 40 elderly worshippers to 200 of mixed ages during his six-year incumbency.
On family and ethical issues, he remains a strong believer in the importance of marriage. “It’s the primary building block for society that God has given us,” he says. However, he accepts that the church should welcome all people (as Jesus himself did) for who they are and not for what we might wish them to be.
“I like the phrase ‘generous orthodoxy’,” he explains. “That’s where I want to be. ‘Clarity and charity’ sum up my idea of good pastoral care.”
Contrary to some inaccurate decade-old news reports still in circulation, he has never refused to baptise children of co-habiting couples, never refused communion to unconfirmed children if the parish church has followed the proper guidelines for their preparation, and never banned the hymn Jerusalem from weddings! He remains concerned, however, that the rite of confirmation should not be under-valued or down-played.
Hopes for the diocese
Donald Allister is new to the area and as someone who believes in listening to people he says he will apply that principle to his new role. He plans to relinquish some of his non-diocesan commitments so that he can focus on getting around the whole of the Peterborough Diocese and getting to know its churches, clergy and people.
“I was very surprised to be invited to become the Bishop of Peterborough,” he says, “and it took me some time to be sure it was the right move. Now I’m really looking forward to getting to know the Diocese and I can’t wait to start. I’m not coming in with a pre-conceived plan of action. The diocesan strategy is focusing on reflection for 2010 and that is great for me – I need to reflect with you all. I hope we can build on what has been achieved so far and move forward together in unity.
“My chief concerns are to help Christians to be confident about their faith in the modern world, to unite people around their shared love for Jesus, and to lead us forward in mission.”
He is a self-confessed team player, and administration and management are among his well-known strengths and come naturally to him. In Chester Diocese he has designed a parish share system rewarding rather than penalising growth, after running a careful consultation process. “Helping parishes and deaneries to think in terms of vision, growth and outreach is at the heart of how I see my role,” he says.
Also among his strengths are preaching, teaching and leading worship. Being a member of the Prayer Book Society has never stopped him introducing more contemporary liturgies. “I value the riches of the Prayer Book but don’t see it as the best way to reach most non-church people today,” he explains. “I very much enjoy communicating and popularising ideas.”
He is also looking forward to the role of Bishop in the wider community. “The Christian faith is part of the history and fabric of this country, and it is right that church leaders should be involved in building good community relations and strong links with other faiths, and in working with others for the common good.”
Family and free time
Donald Allister is married to Janice, who is currently a GP in Stockport and also works voluntarily in child safeguarding for the Royal College of GPs. She hopes to find some part-time GP work when they move to Peterborough.
They have three children, John (a former physics teacher and now a curate in Macclesfield), Rosie (who is a vet living in Edinburgh) and Susan (who is married to Randy, an American, is mother to Joel, and has left an academic career in order to bring up her family).
A follower of Liverpool FC (he was born in the city), Donald enjoys listening to the music of Bruce Springsteen and Paul Simon, as well as to classical and church music. He reads science fiction “which often raises major cultural issues”, and is a very confident handler of information technology – years ago he used to write computer programmes for fun. “But I’m definitely not into computer games,” he adds.
He and Janice enjoy walking in North Wales and the Lake District, and while they look forward to moving to a new part of the country confess that they will miss the hills.
The dates for his consecration as a bishop (which will take place in London) and his installation in Peterborough have yet to be arranged.
Brief biography
Education:
Peterhouse, Cambridge and Trinity College, Bristol
Parishes:
Curate, St Georges Hyde (1976-79)
Curate, St Nicholas Sevenoaks (1979-83 including part time consultant editor of Church of England Newspaper)
Vicar, Christ Church Birkenhead (1983-89, including part-time hospital chaplain)
Rector, St Mary Cheadle (1989-2002, including Rural Dean of Cheadle 1999-2002)
Archdeacon of Chester:
2002-present
Other responsibilities:
Bishop of Chester’s adviser on healthcare chaplaincy
Chair of Chester’s Houses and Glebe Committee
Vice/acting chair Chester Board of Education and the DAC (all 2002-present)
Member of General Synod (since 2005)
Member of Council for Christian Unity (since 2006)
Member of Women Bishops Legislative Drafting Group (2006-2008)
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