Michael Parker (bishop)

Clement George St Michael Parker (29 September 1900 – 5 March 1980) was a British Anglican bishop who served as Bishop of Aston and later Bishop of Bradford.


Michael Parker
Bishop of Bradford
ChurchChurch of England
DioceseDiocese of Bradford
In office1961 to 1971
Other post(s)Bishop of Aston (1954–1961)
Archdeacon of Aston (1946–1954)
Orders
Ordination1923 (deacon)
1924 (priest)
Consecration18 October 1954
by Geoffrey Fisher
Personal details
Born
Clement George St Michael Parker

29 September 1900
Died5 March 1980(1980-03-05) (aged 79)
NationalityBritish
DenominationAnglicanism
Alma materChrist Church, Oxford

Early life and education

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Parker was born in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England on 29 September 1900.[1] His father, W. H. Parker, was also a priest.[2] He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford.[2]

Ministry

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Parker was made deacon on St Michael's Day 1923 (29 September) by Henry Wakefield (Bishop of Birmingham)[3] and ordained priest in Advent 1924 (19 December) by Ernest Barnes, Bishop of Birmingham — both times at Birmingham Cathedral.[4] He was an assistant curate at St Bartholomew & St Jude's Birmingham from 1923 to 1939; although due to the objections to the high church practices of the parish, he was only licensed by the bishop in 1937.[5] During his curacy at St Jude's he and his vicar, Denis Tyndall, compiled Adoremus: A Book of Eucharistic Worship for the Young.[6] The book was described as "primarily for use at what is known as the Children's Eucharist", but was also "to meet the need of the increasing number of parishes in which there is the 'Parish Eucharist'".[6] It was regularly used for the children's Eucharist at All Saints' King's Heath and also for the Parish Eucharist instituted by Michael Parker to replace Matins as the main Sunday morning service.

He was vicar of All Saints' Church, King's Heath, Birmingham from 1939 to 1957.[5] He was additionally rural dean of King's Norton from 1943 to 1957, and Archdeacon of Aston from 1946 to 1954.[7]

On 18 October 1954, Parker was consecrated a bishop by Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Westminster Abbey,[8] to serve as Bishop of Aston, the sole suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Birmingham.[9] He translated to the Diocese of Bradford as Bishop of Bradford, its diocesan bishop, in 1961.[10] On retirement in 1971, he was appointed an assistant bishop in the dioceses of Coventry and Worcester.

He died on 5 March 1980.[5] He never married nor had children.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Who was Who, 1897-2007, London, A & C Black, 2007 ISBN 978-0-19-954087-7
  2. ^ a b "Parker, Rt. Rev. Clement George St Michael, (29 Sept. 1900–5 March 1980)". Who Was Who. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  3. ^ "Ordinations". Church Times. No. 3167. 5 October 1923. p. 359. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 20 October 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
  4. ^ "Advent ordinations". Church Times. No. 3231. 24 December 1924. p. 742. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 20 October 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
  5. ^ a b c d "OBITUARY: Michael Parker, former Bishop of Bradford", The Times, 10 March 1980, p. 14.
  6. ^ a b Adoremus, Denis Tyndall & Michael Parker, SPCK, 1936
  7. ^ Who's Who 1975
  8. ^ "Consecation of new bishops". Church Times. No. 4785. 22 October 1954. p. 793. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 20 October 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
  9. ^ Bishop of Aston (Official Appointments and Notices), The Times, 16 August 1954, p. 6.
  10. ^ Two New Bishops Nominated (News), The Times, 15 August 1961; p. 8.
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Church of England titles
New title Bishop of Aston
1954–1961
Succeeded by
Preceded by Bishop of Bradford
1961–1971
Succeeded by