The Right Reverend

Peter Hancock
Bishop of Bath and Wells
Hancock after his Installation at Wells
ChurchChurch of England
DioceseDiocese of Bath and Wells
In office2014–2021
PredecessorPeter Price
Other post(s)Bishop of Basingstoke (2010–2014)
Orders
Ordination1980 (deacon)
1981 (priest)
by Ronald Gordon
Consecration21 September 2010
Personal details
Born (1955-07-26) 26 July 1955
Isle of Wight, United Kingdom
NationalityBritish
DenominationAnglican
ResidenceBishop's Palace, Wells
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1979)​
Childrenfour
Alma materSelwyn College, Cambridge

Peter Hancock (born 26 July 1955) is a retired Church of England bishop. He served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells from 2014 to 2021, having previously been the Bishop of Basingstoke, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Winchester, from 2010 to 2014.

Early life and education

Hancock was born on 26 July 1955 in Kent and grew up on the Isle of Wight.[1][2] His family moved to Fareham, Hampshire, when he was eleven. He took a first degree at Selwyn College, Cambridge, before training for the ordained ministry at Oak Hill Theological College.[3]

Ordained ministry

Hancock was ordained in the Church of England: made a deacon at Michaelmas, 28 September 1980,[4] and ordained a priest the Michaelmas following, 27 September 1981, both times by Ronald Gordon, Bishop of Portsmouth, at Portsmouth Cathedral.[5] He was a curate at Christchurch, Portsdown, between 1980 and 1983, and at Saint Aldhelm, Radipole, until 1987. From 1987 to 1999 he was Vicar of St Wilfrid's Cowplain[6] before becoming Archdeacon of The Meon — a post he held until his ordination to the episcopate.[7]

Episcopal ministry

Hancock was consecrated as a bishop at St Paul's Cathedral on 21 September 2010,[8] and welcomed as Bishop of Basingstoke at Winchester Cathedral on 2 October 2010.[9]

On 10 December 2013, it was announced that Hancock would become Bishop of Bath and Wells in 2014.[10] Initially it was stated that, unlike his predecessors, he would not live in the Bishop's Palace. However, that decision was later reversed.[11] His election as Bishop of Bath and Wells was confirmed on 4 March 2014[12] and he was installed at Wells Cathedral on 7 June 2014.[13][14] From 2016 to 2020, he was additionally lead bishop for safeguarding in the Church of England.[15]

Since August 2020, Hancock has been on leave while undergoing treatment for cancer.[16] It was announced in March 2021 that he was recovering from leukaemia but would be taking retirement on medical grounds; a farewell service was held on 22 May 2021.[15] He retired to Surrey.[3]

Personal life

Hancock married in 1979,[17][18] and he and his wife have four adult children.[18]

In 2020, Hancock was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and took leave to undergo treatment.[16]

Views

In his first interview after being installed as the Bishop of Bath and Wells, Hancock said about same-sex marriage on Radio Bristol: "I think marriage is a gift from God. It's a means of grace and his way of blessing us. I believe this was set aside for a man and a woman."[1] In an article in the Bath Chronicle, he said "We will therefore need to think, pray and consider very deeply what it might mean to share the gospel across the diocese, what it might mean to foster spiritual and numerical growth in Church and community, and how we can so order our life as a diocese to enable the Church to grow and flourish in new ways."[19]

Styles

References

  1. 1 2 "Bishop Attacks Gay Marriage". Bristol Post. 9 June 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
  2. ↑ Ventnor blog
  3. 1 2 "Peter Hancock". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  4. ↑ "Ordinations". Church Times. No. 6138. 3 October 1980. p. 4. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 23 June 2017 – via UK Press Online archives.
  5. ↑ "Ordinations". Church Times. No. 6190. 2 October 1981. p. 4. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 23 June 2017 – via UK Press Online archives.
  6. ↑ ”Pompey Chimes” (Diocese of Portsmouth newspaper) July/August 2010
  7. ↑ Diocese of Winchester
  8. ↑ Winchester Diocese — Three new bishops consecrated...
  9. ↑ Diocese of Portsmouth — New Bishop of Basingstoke
  10. ↑ Diocese of Bath and Wells – Next Bishop of Bath and Wells announced (Accessed 10 December 2013)
  11. ↑ "Determination of objection to regulation transaction: House of Residence of Bishop of Bath and Wells" (PDF). Archbishops' Council. 1 May 2014.
  12. ↑ Diocese of Bath and Wells – Bishop's Synod address (24 March 2014) Archived 27 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine & Welcome to Christ Church Winchester, 9 March 2014 (both accessed 4 April 2014)
  13. ↑ Diocese of Bath and Wells – Bishops (Accessed 7 March 2014)
  14. ↑ "New Bishop of Bath and Wells Peter Hancock installed". BBC News. 7 June 2014.
  15. 1 2 "Bishop Peter announces retirement as he continues recovery from leukaemia". Diocese of Bath and Wells. 12 March 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  16. 1 2 "Bishop Peter to undergo treatment for leukaemia". Diocese of Bath and Wells. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  17. ↑ "Hancock, Peter". Who's Who. Vol. 2017 (November 2016 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 23 June 2017. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  18. 1 2 Number 10 — Official Announcement
  19. ↑ "Bath Chronicle". 9 June 2014. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
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