View source for David Stancliffe

{{Short description|Church of England bishop}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| honorific-prefix = [[The Right Reverend]]
| name = David Stancliffe
| title = [[Bishop of Salisbury]]
| church = [[Church of England]]
| diocese = [[Diocese of Salisbury|Salisbury]]
| term = 1993–2010
| predecessor = [[John Baker (bishop)|John Baker]]
| successor = [[Nick Holtam]]
| other_post = [[Provost of Portsmouth]] (1982–1993)
<!---------- Orders ---------->
| ordination = 1967
| consecration = 30 November 1993
<!---------- Personal details ---------->
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1942|10|1|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Devizes]], [[Wiltshire]], {{nowrap|[[United Kingdom]]}}
| nationality = British
| religion = [[Anglican]]
| parents = [[Michael Stancliffe]]
| spouse = Sarah Smith (m. 1965)
| profession = Anglican bishop, former [[musician]]
| alma_mater = [[Trinity College, Oxford]]
}}
'''David Staffurth Stancliffe''' (born 1 October 1942<ref>[[Who's Who]] 2008: London, [[A & C Black]], 2008 {{ISBN|978-0-7136-8555-8}}</ref>) is a British retired [[Anglican]] [[bishop]] in the [[Church of England]]. He was [[Provost of Portsmouth|provost]] of [[Portsmouth Cathedral]] from 1982 to 1993 and [[Bishop of Salisbury]] from 1993 to 2010. He is the third generation of his family to be in ordained ministry.

==Early life==
The son of [[Michael Stancliffe]], a [[Dean of Winchester]] who was himself ordained at Salisbury Cathedral, Stancliffe was born in 1942 in [[Devizes]], Wiltshire, where his father was curate of St James' [[Southbroom]], later serving at [[Ramsbury]] and [[Cirencester]] before becoming chaplain to [[Westminster School]]. It was from Westminster School that Stancliffe went to [[Trinity College, Oxford]], to study classics and philosophy and where he was [[organ scholar]]. He has a [[Master of Arts (Oxbridge and Dublin)|Master of Arts]] (MA Oxon) degree from Oxford.

While at university, Stancliffe abandoned thoughts of a musical career in favour of ordination and instead went to theological training at [[Cuddesdon College]] in October 1965.

==Ordained ministry==
Stancliffe was ordained as a deacon on 8 December 1967 by [[John Moorman]], [[Bishop of Ripon (modern diocese)|Bishop of Ripon]], at the chapel of the [[Community of the Resurrection|Hostel of the Resurrection]], [[University of Leeds]]<ref>{{Church Times | title = Ordination | archive = 1967_12_15_016 | issue = 5470 | date = 15 December 1967 | page = 16 | accessed = 24 May 2019 }}</ref> and as a priest on 22 December 1968 by [[Howard Cruse (bishop)|Howard Cruse]], [[Bishop of Knaresborough]], at [[Ripon Cathedral]].<ref>{{Church Times | title = Advent Ordinations | archive = 1968_12_27_013 | issue = 5524 | date = 27 December 1968 | page = 13 | accessed = 24 May 2019 }}</ref> Stancliffe served as curate of the [[Leeds]] parish of [[St Bartholomew]]'s [[Armley]]. Three years later he returned to the West Country as chaplain to [[Clifton College]], [[Bristol]].<ref>''[[Crockford's clerical directory|Crockfords]]'' (London, Church House 1995) {{ISBN|0-7151-8088-6}}</ref>

In 1977, Stancliffe was appointed a canon residentiary of [[Portsmouth Cathedral]] and the diocesan director of ordinands and, subsequently, the lay ministerial adviser. For a time he also undertook the role of precentor in a combination of duties which recognised his special interests in the areas of liturgy, church architecture and music, while also involving him in clergy formation and training and the work of the parishes in the diocese.

Stancliffe was appointed [[Provost of Portsmouth]] in 1982<ref>[[Debrett's]] ''People of Today'': Ed Ellis, P (1992, London, Debrett's)  {{ISBN|1-870520-09-2}})</ref> and his major work from then until 1993 was the completion and reordering of Portsmouth Cathedral, shaping its life and work to fulfil its primary function of supporting the [[Bishop of Portsmouth (Anglican)|Bishop of Portsmouth]].

Alongside other duties in the Diocese of Portsmouth, he was vice-chairman of the governors of Portsmouth Grammar School, a governor of [[Chichester Theological College]], a member of the governing bodies of the Southern Dioceses Ministerial Training Scheme and of Salisbury & Wells Theological College and chairman of the Southern Regional Institute.

In July 1993, Stancliffe succeeded [[Colin James (bishop)|Colin James]], [[Bishop of Winchester]], as chairman of the Church of England's Liturgical Commission, a position which he held until 2005. He served on the commission from 1986. Work with the commission has involved the publication of ''The Promise of His Glory'' and the preparation and publication of the ''[[Common Worship]]'' liturgies. This significant contribution to the life of the Church of England was recognised by the award by [[Rowan Williams]], [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], of a [[Lambeth degree|Lambeth]] [[Doctor of Divinity|Doctorate in Divinity]] (DD) in 2004. Stancliffe has been a member of the Council for the Care of Churches.

Stancliffe was consecrated a bishop on 30 November 1993 by [[George Carey]], [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], at [[Westminster Abbey]],<ref>{{Church Times | title = Briefly | archive = 1993_12_03_002 | issue = 6825 | date = 3 December 1993 | page = 2 | accessed = 24 May 2019 }}</ref> and enthroned [[Bishop of Salisbury]] in [[Salisbury Cathedral]] on 9 December 1993. In June 2008, Stancliffe suffered a stroke<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/display.var.2357486.0.bishop_in_hospital_after_suffering_stroke.php |title=Bishop in hospital after suffering stroke |date=2008-06-23 |publisher=Southern Daily Echo }}</ref> and while remaining Bishop of Salisbury took a leave of absence from episcopal duties. On 6 January 2010 he announced his intention to retire from the see of Salisbury.<ref name="dtel-retire">[[The Daily Telegraph]] "Retirements and resignations in the clergy" p. 32 Issue 48,094 (dated 18 January 2010</ref> His final act as bishop was the ordination of priests at Salisbury Cathedral at [[Petertide]] on 3 July 2010.<ref>[[Diocese of Salisbury]] "Press Release - Bishop to resign" (6 January 2010) {{cite web |url=http://www.salisburyanglican.org.uk/admin/news-nav.asp?page=45 |title=Diocese of Salisbury |access-date=2010-04-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090120144603/http://www.salisburyanglican.org.uk/admin/news-nav.asp?page=45 |archive-date=2009-01-20 }}</ref> Although he officially retired as of 13 July 2010,<ref name="dtel-retire" /> he continued in his duties at [[General Synod]] and completed his commitments as bishop and member of the [[House of Lords]].

He is a fellow of [[St Chad's College]], Durham, the president of [[Affirming Catholicism]] and vice-president of the Royal School of Church Music.

On 11 February 2017, fourteen retired bishops signed an [[open letter]] to the then-serving bishops of the Church of England. In an unprecedented move, they expressed their opposition to the House of Bishops' report to [[General Synod of the Church of England|General Synod]] on sexuality, which recommended no change to the church's canons or practises around sexuality.<ref>[https://retiredbishopsletter.com/letter/ Retired Bishops' Letter — The Letter] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170212093340/https://retiredbishopsletter.com/letter/ |date=2017-02-12 }} (Accessed 11 February 2017; the fourteen bishops were [[David Atkinson (bishop)|David Atkinson]], [[Michael Doe (bishop)|Michael Doe]], [[Tim Ellis (bishop)|Tim Ellis]], [[David Gillett]], [[John Gladwin]], [[Laurie Green]], [[Richard Harries]], [[Stephen Lowe (bishop of Hulme)|Stephen Lowe]], [[Stephen Platten]], [[John Pritchard (bishop)|John Pritchard]], [[Peter Selby]], [[Tim Stevens]], [[Martin Wharton]], and Williamson.)</ref> By 13 February, a serving bishop ([[Alan Wilson (bishop)|Alan Wilson]], [[Bishop of Buckingham]]) and nine further retired bishops — including Stancliffe — had added their signatures;<ref>[https://retiredbishopsletter.com/new-signatures/ Retired Bishops' Letter — New Signatures] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218064226/https://retiredbishopsletter.com/new-signatures/ |date=2017-02-18 }} (Accessed 17 February 2017; the nine bishops were [[Gordon Bates]], [[Ian Brackley]], [[John Davies (bishop of Shrewsbury)|John Davies]], [[Peter Maurice (bishop)|Peter Maurice]], [[David Rossdale]], [[John Saxbee]], [[Martin Shaw (bishop)|Martin Shaw]], [[Oliver Simon]], and Stancliffe.</ref> on 15 February, the report was rejected by synod.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/15/church-of-england-in-turmoil-as-synod-rejects-report-on-same-sex-relationships "Church of England in turmoil as synod rejects report on same-sex relationships"], ''The Guardian''. Accessed 17 February 2017.</ref>

==Personal life==
At Oxford he met Sarah Smith, a member of the same small choir. They were married at Westminster Abbey in July 1965.

==Publications==
*''God's Pattern: Shaping our Worship, Ministry and Life'', [[Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge|SPCK]], 2003. {{ISBN|9780281053605}}
*''The Pilgrim Prayerbook'' (compilation), [[Continuum International Publishing Group|Continuum]], 2006. {{ISBN|9780826481672}}
*''The Lion Companion to Church Architecture'', [[Lion Publishing]], 2008. {{ISBN|9780745951904}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.salisburyanglican.org.uk Diocese of Salisbury website]
{{Provosts and Deans of Portsmouth}}
{{Bishops of Salisbury}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stancliffe, David Staffurth}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford]]
[[Category:Bishops of Salisbury]]
[[Category:English classical organists]]
[[Category:British male organists]]
[[Category:Alumni of Ripon College Cuddesdon]]
[[Category:Holders of a Lambeth degree]]
[[Category:Provosts and Deans of Portsmouth]]
[[Category:20th-century Church of England bishops]]
[[Category:21st-century Church of England bishops]]
[[Category:People from Devizes]]
[[Category:Anglo-Catholic bishops]]
[[Category:English Anglo-Catholics]]
[[Category:Staff of St Chad's College, Durham]]
[[Category:21st-century British organists]]
[[Category:21st-century British male musicians]]
[[Category:Male classical organists]]