John Holbrook

John Edward Holbrook (born 14 June 1962)[3] is a Church of England bishop. He is the Bishop of Brixworth in the Diocese of Peterborough. He had been Rural Dean of Wimborne in the Diocese of Salisbury[4] and served as Acting Bishop of Leicester (of the Diocese of Leicester).

The Right Reverend John Holbrook
Bishop of Brixworth
Church	Church of England
Diocese	Diocese of Peterborough
In office	2011–present
Predecessor	Frank White
Other posts	Rural Dean of Wimborne (2004–2011) Acting Bishop of Leicester (2015–2016)
Orders
Ordination	1986
Consecration	2 June 2011[1]
Personal details
Born	14 June 1962
Nationality	British
Denomination	Anglican
Spouse	Elizabeth
Children	1 son and 1 daughter: Thomas and Anna[2]
Alma mater	St Peter's College, Oxford

Education and ministry

Holbrook grew up in Bristol where he was educated at the Bristol Cathedral Choir School.[2] As an undergraduate he studied theology at St Peter's College, Oxford,[4] where he obtained his MA (Oxbridge MA after a BA(Hons)).

Holbrook attended theological college at Ridley Hall, Cambridge and was made a deacon at Petertide 1986 (29 June)[5] and ordained priest the Petertide following (5 July 1987), both times by Ronnie Bowlby, Bishop of Southwark, at Southwark Cathedral.[6] His first ordained ministry position was as a curate at St Mary the Virgin, Barnes, London.[2] In 1989, he moved to St. Mary's Church, Bletchley as senior curate and curate-in-charge of Whaddon Way Ecumenical Church (an Anglican-Baptist local ecumenical partnership (LEP). In 1993 he became the Vicar of Adderbury with Milton and, from 2000, also the Rural Dean of Deddington.[4]

From 2002 until 2011, Holbrook was Rector of Wimborne Minster and priest-in-charge of Witchampton, Stanbridge and Long Crichel. He also became chaplain of the South and East Dorset Primary Care Trust and, in 2004, the Rural Dean of Wimborne. From 2006, he was also an honorary canon and prebendary of Salisbury Cathedral as well as priest-in-charge of Horton, Chalbury, Hinton Martel and Holt Saint James.[4]

Bishop

On 4 March 2011, 10 Downing Street announced Holbrook as the Bishop-designate of Brixworth in the Diocese of Peterborough, in succession to Frank White.[4] He was consecrated as a bishop at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 2011 by Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury,[7] and installed at Peterborough Cathedral on 29 June.[8] He shares overall responsibility with the Bishop of Peterborough, the diocesan bishop, for the whole diocese.[1]

On 15 May 2015 it was announced that, from 1 September, Holbrook would be part-time acting Bishop of Leicester (during a vacancy in that See), retaining his post and duties in Peterborough.[9] He served until Martyn Snow took up his post as Bishop of Leicester.

Marriage and family

Holbrook is married to Elizabeth, whom he met while studying at Oxford University; she is a tax accountant. The couple have one son and one daughter, Thomas and Anna.[2] Thomas is a graduate of Computer Science at St John's College, Durham University. Anna is a graduate of Geology from Royal Holloway University of London. Elizabeth's father, Robert, is a retired Church of England priest who often attends his son-in-law's previous parish church at Wimborne Minster.

Styles

• The Reverend John Holbrook (1986–2006)
• The Reverend Canon John Holbrook (2006–2011)
• The Right Reverend John Holbrook (2011–present)

References

1. Diocese of Peterborough— Next Bishop of Brixworth announced Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
2. Diocese of Peterborough — Bishop-designate of Brixworth Archived 2011-05-25 at the Wayback Machine
3. Who's Who 2012 – BRIXWORTH, Bishop Suffragan of
4. Number 10 — Suffragan See of Brixworth
5. "Petertide ordinations". Church Times (#6438). 4 July 1986. p. 15. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 24 May 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
6. "Ordinations". Church Times (#6491). 10 July 1987. p. 15. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 24 May 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
7. "BBC News- Suffragan Bishop of Brixworth is consecrated". Retrieved 29 September 2011.
8. "John Holbrook is installed as Bishop of Brixworth in Peterborough Cathedral". Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
9. Diocese of Leicester — Interim Bishop of Leicester (Accessed 30 June 2015)