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Timothy Bavin

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The Right Reverend Dom

Timothy Bavin

OSB FRSCM
Bishop of Portsmouth
ChurchChurch of England
DiocesePortsmouth
In office1985–1995
PredecessorRonald Gordon
SuccessorKenneth Stevenson
Other post(s)
Orders
Ordination1961 (deacon); 1962 (priest)
Consecration1974
Personal details
Born (1935-09-17) 17 September 1935 (age 89)
DenominationAnglican
ParentsEdward Durrance & Marjorie Bavin
Alma materWorcester College, Oxford

Timothy John Bavin OSB FRSCM (born 17 September 1935) is a British Anglican bishop and monk. He was the bishop of Anglican Diocese of Johannesburg from 1974 to 1985.[1] He was then Bishop of Portsmouth from 1985 to 1995.[2]

Early life and education

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Bavin was born the son of Lieutenant Colonel Ernest Sydney Durrance Bavin RASC and Marjorie Gwendoline (née Dew) Bavin, on 17 September 1935.[citation needed] He was educated at St George's School, Windsor Castle and Brighton College.

He graduated from Worcester College, Oxford with a degree in Literae Humaniores[3] in 1959 (Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts 1961).[4] During the following two years, Bavin completed his National Service in his father's old regiment. He was commissioned in 1958 and served as a Platoon Officer in Aden.[5]

Ordained ministry

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Returning to Oxford, Bavin studied for ordination at Cuddesdon College. He was made deacon in 1961 and ordained priest in 1962, spending the period 1961–69 (and then 1973–85) in South Africa.[4] He was the first Chaplain of St. Alban's College, Pretoria, then a curate at Uckfield with Little Horsted and finally Vicar of the Parish of the Good Shepherd, Brighton from 1971 to 1973.[4]

In 1973 Bavin became the dean and rector of the cathedral parish of Johannesburg as well as archdeacon of the diocese[4] and, in 1974 at a turbulent period in that country's history, its bishop,[6] a position[7] he was to hold until 1985.[8] He was elected to the See of Johannesburg on 3 September 1974[9] and consecrated a bishop that year.[10] From 1985[4] to 1995[11] he was Bishop of Portsmouth,[12] during which time he was appointed an honorary fellow of the Royal School of Church Music.

In 1987 he became a member of the Oratory of the Good Shepherd. After resigning his bishopric he was professed as a monk of the Benedictine community at Alton Abbey.[13] As a result, Bavin has curtailed his involvement in the Athenaeum and the Royal Yacht Squadron, although he does occasionally preach at other Christian places of worship.[14]

A number of serious safeguarding issues took place within the Anglican Diocese of Portsmouth during his time as bishop. For example, he did not report Father Terry Knight to the police when parents raised their concerns to him in 1985.[15] Father Terry Knight was allowed to carry on in his position and until he was finally convicted for sexually abusing boys in 1996 and again in 2016.[16] Timothy Bavin had also allowed a convicted child sex offender priest called Father Michael Gover to carry on working for the church on his release in 1990. Father Michael Gover was convicted in 1985 at around the same time as parents raising their concerns about Father Terry Knight.[17]

Personal life

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In 1994, Bavin was named as one of ten gay bishops in the Church of England by OutRage!, an LGBT activist group.[18][19]

Publications

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  • In Tune with Heaven: Report of the Archbishops' Commission on Church Music. Church House Publishing and Hodder & Stoughton. 1992. ISBN 978-0-7151-3744-4. Report by The Archbishops' Commission on Church Music, of which Bavin was chairman
  • Deacons in the Ministry of the Church: A Report to the House of Bishops of the General Synod of the Church of England. Church House Publishing. 1988. ISBN 978-0-7151-3718-5.

See also

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See also: List of notable Old Brightonians

References

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  1. ^ History of Anglican Bishops in South Africa
  2. ^ "Re-dedicates church in his diocese". Archived from the original on 8 February 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ Page, John. "A PERSONAL JUBILEE". Old Brightonians. Archived from the original on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e "The Rt Revd Timothy John Bavin". Crockford's Clerical Directory (97th ed.). London: Church House Publishing. 2001. p. 48.
  5. ^ Ellis, P, ed. (1992). Debrett's People of Today. London: Debrett's. p. 1621. ISBN 1-870520-09-2.
  6. ^ "History of the Parish". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 3 August 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. ^ School named after him Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Further example of work as S.A. Bishop Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Two new S. African bishops elected". Church Times. No. 5821. 6 September 1974. p. 1. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 16 May 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
  10. ^ "Bavin, Timothy John". Who's Who. A & C Black. 2018. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U6834. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  11. ^ Dedicates church in his last year Archived 14 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ During this period he was one of a number of senior unmarried C of E clergy highlighted by outside pressure groups "Peter Tatchell: Archbishop of York Urged to "Come Out"". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016..
  13. ^ Religious Community he belongs to
  14. ^ Visit to church in Jericho, Oxford[1] Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ Fishwick, Ben (11 July 2015). "Church admits failure over Portsmouth paedophile priest put children at risk". The News. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  16. ^ Cotterill, Tom (13 December 2016). "Paedophile priest from Fratton admits to abusing boy, seven". The News. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  17. ^ "I was wrong, says bishop who let back paedophile". The News. 20 January 2004. Retrieved 20 January 2004.
  18. ^ "Archbishop Of York Urged To 'Come Out'". petertatchell.net. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  19. ^ Brown, Andrew (31 January 1995). "Bishop in 'outing' row retires to monastery". The Independent. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
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Anglican Church of Southern Africa titles
Preceded by Bishop of Johannesburg
1974–1984 		Succeeded by
Church of England titles
Preceded by Bishop of Portsmouth
1985–1995 		Succeeded by
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