Graham Usher (bishop)
| The Right Reverend Graham Usher | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Dudley | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Worcester |
| In office | March 2014–present |
| Predecessor | David Walker |
| Orders | |
| Ordination |
1996 (deacon) 1997 (priest) |
| Consecration |
25 March 2014 by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Graham Barham Usher |
| Born | 11 September 1970 |
| Nationality | British |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Education | Pocklington School |
| Alma mater |
University of Edinburgh Corpus Christi College, Cambridge |
Graham Barham Usher (born 11 September 1970)[1] is an Anglican bishop and ecologist. Since 2014, he has been the Bishop of Dudley, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Worcester. He was previously rector of Hexham Abbey.
Early life
Usher was born in 1970.[2] He was baptised by Douglas Sargent, the then Bishop of Selby.[3] His early years were spent living in Ghana.[4] Between 1981 and 1989, he was educated at Pocklington School, an independent school in Pocklington, Yorkshire.[5] He studied ecological science at the University of Edinburgh, graduating with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in 1993.[2][6] He then attended the University of Cambridge where he studied theology at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.[7] He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1995;[2] this degree was later promoted to Master of Arts (MA Cantab), as per tradition.[7] Following the completion of his theology studies, he trained for the priesthood at Westcott House, Cambridge,[6] and St. Nicholas Theological Seminary in Ghana.[2]
Ordained ministry
Usher was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1996 and as a priest in 1997.[2][8] He was then a curate at St Mary the Virgin, Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, from 1996 to 1999.[4][6] While serving his curacy, he was also worked with young offenders as a chaplain at HM Prison Northallerton.[7] He was Vicar of North Ormesby, Middlesbrough between 1999 and 2004.[6] The area is very poor and is in the top two percent of deprived areas in England.[5][9]
He was rector and lecturer of Hexham Abbey for ten years from 2004 to 2014.[7] Hexham Abbey is a large parish church that can be described as cathedral-like. During his time as rector, the congregation grew and he supported the setting up of a food bank covering West Northumberland.[5][9] He also reunited the abbey with its monastic buildings, the buildings having been separated during the Reformation,[7] raising £3.2M to fully refurbish the building and create a stunning new cloister, refectory, conference and meeting rooms, and a state of the art exhibition about the Abbey's history. In 2009, he undertook a visit to Rome with the men and boys of the Hexham Abbey Choir. They had been invited to sing at a mass in St. Peter's Basilica, in celebration of the 1300th anniversary of the death of St Wilfrid.[10] In addition to his parish duties, he was Area Dean of Hexham from 2006 to 2011.[6] He was appointed an Honorary Canon of Kumasi in Ghana, the place of his early childhood, in 2007.[6]
Episcopal ministry
On 12 December 2013, it was announced that he was to become the next Bishop of Dudley.[11] He was consecrated on 25 March 2014 by Archbishop Justin Welby at St Paul's Cathedral, London.[3] He was 43 at his appointment, making him the one of the youngest of the current Church of England bishops and the first to have been born in the 1970s.[12][13]
He is one of the Church of England's environmental bishops.
In March 2016, he was appointed a member of the Human Tissue Authority by the Secretary of State for Health.[14]
Other work
Having completed an undergraduate degree in ecology, Usher continues to have interest in the field. Between 2008 and 2010, he was a member of the Forestry Commission’s Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) for the North East of England. In 2010, he was appointed chairman of the North East RAC.[15] In December 2013, the Regional Advisory Committees changed name to become the Forestry and Woodlands Advisory Committees (FWACs). He continued as chair of the new North East FWAC.[16] He stood down from his role with the Forestry commission following the announcement that he would be joining the episcopate and leaving the North East.[17]
In April 2009, he was appointed a member of the Northumberland National Park Authority by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.[18][19] In April 2013, he was re-appointed by the Secretary of State to the Northumberland National Park Authority, his previous term having ended, but resigned when he moved from the North East.[20]
In 2012, he contributed an article for the website of the Diocese of Newcastle concerning Ash dieback in the UK.[21] Also in 2012, he published a book titled Places of Enchantment: Meeting God in landscapes. The book concerns the relationship between people, God and the environment; particularly people experiencing God in the natural world, rather than through organised religion such as church services.[22]
Personal life
Usher is married to Rachel Thomson, a general practitioner who was also educated at Pocklington School.[5] Together, they have two children: Chad and Olivia.[7]
References
- ↑ Usher, Graham Barham. Who's Who. 2016 (November 2015 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "G B Usher". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 29 November 2015. (subscription required)
- 1 2 "New Bishop of Dudley consecrated at St Paul's". News. St Paul's Cathedral. 26 March 2014. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
- 1 2 "The Rt Revd Graham Usher, Bishop of Dudley". Information & Resources. The Diocese of Worcester. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 "Canon Graham Usher is the new Bishop of Dudley". News. Old Pocklingtonian Association. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Suffragan Bishop of Dudley: Graham Barham Usher". Announcements. GOV.UK. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Graham Usher (m1993) to be the next Bishop of Dudley". Alumni News. Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
- ↑ "Canon Graham Usher is the new Bishop of Dudley". BBC News. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
- 1 2 "Graham Usher to be next Bishop of Dudley". News & Events. The Diocese of Worcester. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
- ↑ "When in Rome – sing, sing, sing!". News. Diocese of Newcastle. November 2009. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ↑ "Next Bishop of Dudley announced". Media Centre. The Church of England. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
- ↑ "New Bishop of Dudley is named as country's youngest". Express and Star. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
- ↑ Compson, Helen (8 January 2014). "Hexham: 'God will give me the wisdom for this role'". Hexham Courant. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ↑ "The HTA welcomes five new Authority members". Human Tissue Authority. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
- ↑ "Regional forestry leader appointed in the North East". News. Forestry Commission England. 28 January 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ↑ "Forestry and Woodlands Advisory Committees begin business". News. Forestry Commission England. 3 December 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ↑ "Chair Forestry and Woodlands Advisory Committee (FWAC) North East England". environmentjob.co.uk. January 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ↑ "Rev Canon Graham Usher". Authority Members. Northumberland National Park Authority. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ↑ Smee, Gary (17 December 2013). "New Bishop relishing role". Worcester Observer. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ↑ "Northumberland National Park Authority re-appoints five members". News. Northumberland National Park Authority. 3 May 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ↑ "From winter, plague and pestilence, good Lord, deliver us!". News & Updates. The Diocese of Newcastle. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ↑ "Places of Enchantment". Books. SPCK Publishing. September 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2014.