Donald Allister
Encyclopedia
Donald Spargo Allister is a Church of England
bishop
. He was Archdeacon of Chester from 2002–2010, and on 5 November 2009 was nominated as the next Bishop of Peterborough
, a post into which he was installed on 17 April 2010.
Allister served in parish posts in Hyde, Greater Manchester
; Sevenoaks
, Kent
; Birkenhead
, Merseyside
and Cheadle, Greater Manchester
. While at Sevenoaks he also served as a consultant editor of the Church of England Newspaper
, and in Birkenhead he was also a part-time hospital chaplain
. He has been a member of the General Synod of the Church of England
since 2005, and was on the committee which drafted proposals relating to the consecration of women bishops. He is also a member of the Council for Christian Unity.
In 2001 Allister attracted media attention after it was reported that he had refused to allow a couple to have the hymns "Jerusalem
" and "I Vow to Thee, My Country
" at their wedding. He has also spoken out about baptising the children of unmarried couples, and sex outside marriage more generally.
in 1952, the son of a manager in the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company
and a nursing sister. The family soon moved across the Mersey
to Birkenhead on the Wirral peninsula
. Later they moved to Bromley, Kent, before returning to the Wirral when they settled in Heswall
, before finally returning to Birkenhead, where he attended Birkenhead School
. In his childhood he was a choirboy
at several churches, and also an altar server
for his uncle from whom comes his middle name of Spargo.
Allister then went up to Peterhouse
, Cambridge
to read medicine, later switching to theology. After graduation, he undertook further theological study at Trinity College, Bristol
.
at St George's Church, Hyde from 1976–1979. He served a further curacy at St Nicholas' Church, Sevenoaks from 1979–1983. During this period he was also a consultant editor of the Church of England Newspaper. He was then appointed vicar
of Christ
Church, Birkenhead
in 1983, also working as a part-time hospital chaplain.
In 1989 Allister became rector
of St Mary's Church, Cheadle
, and took on the additional role of rural dean
of the Cheadle Deanery in 1999. In 2001 he attracted considerable media coverage when it was reported that he had refused to allow a couple to have the hymns "Jerusalem" and "I Vow to Thee, My Country" sung at their wedding. He later said:
He had previously also refused to baptise the children of unmarried parents, and condemned sex outside marriage.
In 2002 Allister was appointed Archdeacon of Chester. In this role he has also chaired the diocesan committees on education, houses and glebe
. He also acted as the bishop's adviser on healthcare chaplaincy. He became a member of General Synod in 2005 and was appointed to the commission drafting legislation relating to the consecration of women as bishops in 2006, serving until it delivered its proposals in 2008.
On 5 November 2009 it was announced from 10 Downing Street
that Allister had been nominated as the next Bishop of Peterborough. The see
had become vacant with the death of Ian Cundy
in May 2009. The announcement was followed by a press conference in Peterborough. The Congé d'Elire
officially authorising his election as bishop was issued by The Queen on 1 December 2009. He was consecrated as a bishop in St Paul's Cathedral
on 25 March 2010, and was enthroned as Bishop of Peterborough in Peterborough Cathedral
on 17 April 2010.
. They have one son and two daughters. Their son, John, has followed in his father's footsteps and is now a curate in Macclesfield
. Their elder daughter is a vet in Edinburgh, while their younger daughter has one son of her own and is currently a full-time mother, having given up her academic career for the moment.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
. He was Archdeacon of Chester from 2002–2010, and on 5 November 2009 was nominated as the next Bishop of Peterborough
Bishop of Peterborough
The Bishop of Peterborough is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Peterborough in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the counties of Northamptonshire, Rutland and the Soke of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire...
, a post into which he was installed on 17 April 2010.
Allister served in parish posts in Hyde, Greater Manchester
Hyde, Greater Manchester
Hyde is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. As of the 2001 census, the town had a population of 31,253. Historically part of Cheshire, it is northeast of Stockport, west of Glossop and east of Manchester....
; Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
; Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
and Cheadle, Greater Manchester
Cheadle, Greater Manchester
Cheadle is a suburb in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in Greater Manchester, England. It borders the districts of Cheadle Hulme, Gatley, Heald Green and Cheadle Heath in Stockport, and the East Didsbury area of Manchester. As of 2001 it had a population of 14,261.-Early history:There has...
. While at Sevenoaks he also served as a consultant editor of the Church of England Newspaper
Church of England Newspaper
The Church of England Newspaper is an independent Anglican weekly newspaper. It is published in the United Kingdom on Fridays.The Church of England Newspaper was founded in 1828 and is notable as the earliest Church paper, and one of the oldest newspapers still in circulation. It is independent...
, and in Birkenhead he was also a part-time hospital chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
. He has been a member of the General Synod of the Church of England
General Synod of the Church of England
The General Synod is the deliberative and legislative body of the Church of England. The synod was instituted in 1970, replacing the Church Assembly, and is the culmination of a process of rediscovering self-government for the Church of England that had started in the 1850s.- Church Assembly: 1919...
since 2005, and was on the committee which drafted proposals relating to the consecration of women bishops. He is also a member of the Council for Christian Unity.
In 2001 Allister attracted media attention after it was reported that he had refused to allow a couple to have the hymns "Jerusalem
And did those feet in ancient time
"And did those feet in ancient time" is a short poem by William Blake from the preface to his epic Milton a Poem, one of a collection of writings known as the Prophetic Books. The date on the title page of 1804 for Milton is probably when the plates were begun, but the poem was printed c. 1808...
" and "I Vow to Thee, My Country
I Vow to Thee, My Country
I Vow to Thee, My Country is a British patriotic song created in 1921 when a poem by Sir Cecil Spring-Rice was set to music by Gustav Holst.-History:...
" at their wedding. He has also spoken out about baptising the children of unmarried couples, and sex outside marriage more generally.
Early life
Allister was born in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
in 1952, the son of a manager in the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company
Mersey Docks and Harbour Company
The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company , formerly the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board , owns and administers the dock facilities of the Port of Liverpool, on the River Mersey, England...
and a nursing sister. The family soon moved across the Mersey
Mersey
Mersey may refer to:* River Mersey, in northwest England* Mersea Island, off the coast of Essex in England * Mersey River in the Australian state* Electoral division of Mersey in the state of Tasmania, Australian...
to Birkenhead on the Wirral peninsula
Wirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded by three bodies of water: to the west by the River Dee, forming a boundary with Wales, to the east by the River Mersey and to the north by the Irish Sea. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the...
. Later they moved to Bromley, Kent, before returning to the Wirral when they settled in Heswall
Heswall
Heswall is a town in Wirral, in the county of Merseyside, England. Administratively, it is a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. At the time of the 2001 Census, the total population of the ward was 16,012 , which included the nearby villages of Barnston and Gayton...
, before finally returning to Birkenhead, where he attended Birkenhead School
Birkenhead School
Birkenhead School is an independent, selective, co-educational school located on the Wirral Peninsula in the northwest of England. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.-Overview:The school is subdivided into...
. In his childhood he was a choirboy
Choirboy
A choirboy is a boy member of a choir, also known as a treble.As a derisive slang term, it refers to a do-gooder or someone who is morally upright, in the same sense that "Boy Scout" refers to someone who is considered honorable or conscientious.- History :The use of choirboys in Christian...
at several churches, and also an altar server
Altar server
An altar server is a lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a Christian religious service. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell and so on....
for his uncle from whom comes his middle name of Spargo.
Allister then went up to Peterhouse
Peterhouse, Cambridge
Peterhouse is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the oldest college of the University, having been founded in 1284 by Hugo de Balsham, Bishop of Ely...
, Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
to read medicine, later switching to theology. After graduation, he undertook further theological study at Trinity College, Bristol
Trinity College, Bristol
Trinity College Bristol is a Christian college affiliated to the Church of England, though students come from different denominations. It is located in Stoke Bishop in Bristol, England, next to the University of Bristol's residential halls...
.
Ministry
After ordination Allister served as a curateCurate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at St George's Church, Hyde from 1976–1979. He served a further curacy at St Nicholas' Church, Sevenoaks from 1979–1983. During this period he was also a consultant editor of the Church of England Newspaper. He was then appointed vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
Church, Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
in 1983, also working as a part-time hospital chaplain.
In 1989 Allister became rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of St Mary's Church, Cheadle
St Mary's Church, Cheadle
St Mary's Church, Cheadle, is in High Street, Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Cheadle...
, and took on the additional role of rural dean
Rural Dean
In the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church, a Rural Dean presides over a Rural Deanery .-Origins and usage:...
of the Cheadle Deanery in 1999. In 2001 he attracted considerable media coverage when it was reported that he had refused to allow a couple to have the hymns "Jerusalem" and "I Vow to Thee, My Country" sung at their wedding. He later said:
He had previously also refused to baptise the children of unmarried parents, and condemned sex outside marriage.
In 2002 Allister was appointed Archdeacon of Chester. In this role he has also chaired the diocesan committees on education, houses and glebe
Glebe
Glebe Glebe Glebe (also known as Church furlong or parson's closes is an area of land within a manor and parish used to support a parish priest.-Medieval origins:...
. He also acted as the bishop's adviser on healthcare chaplaincy. He became a member of General Synod in 2005 and was appointed to the commission drafting legislation relating to the consecration of women as bishops in 2006, serving until it delivered its proposals in 2008.
On 5 November 2009 it was announced from 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
that Allister had been nominated as the next Bishop of Peterborough. The see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
had become vacant with the death of Ian Cundy
Ian Cundy
Ian Patrick Martyn Cundy was a Church of England cleric who served successively as Bishop of Lewes and Bishop of Peterborough.-Background:...
in May 2009. The announcement was followed by a press conference in Peterborough. The Congé d'Elire
Congé d'élire
Congé d'Elire a licence from the Crown in England issued under the great seal to the dean and chapter of the cathedral church of the diocese, authorizing them to elect a bishop or archbishop, as the case may be, upon the vacancy of any episcopal or archi-episcopal see in England.-History and...
officially authorising his election as bishop was issued by The Queen on 1 December 2009. He was consecrated as a bishop in St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
on 25 March 2010, and was enthroned as Bishop of Peterborough in Peterborough Cathedral
Peterborough Cathedral
Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew – also known as Saint Peter's Cathedral in the United Kingdom – is the seat of the Bishop of Peterborough, dedicated to Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Andrew, whose statues look down from the...
on 17 April 2010.
Personal life
Allister is married to Janice, a general practitionerGeneral practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
. They have one son and two daughters. Their son, John, has followed in his father's footsteps and is now a curate in Macclesfield
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
. Their elder daughter is a vet in Edinburgh, while their younger daughter has one son of her own and is currently a full-time mother, having given up her academic career for the moment.
Styles
- Donald Allister Esq (1952–1976)
- The Revd Donald Allister (1976–2002)
- The Ven Donald Allister (2002–2010)
- The Rt Revd Donald Allister (2010—)