{{Short description|British Anglican bishop}} {{use British English|date=February 2018}} {{use dmy dates|date=February 2018}} {{Infobox Christian leader | honorific-prefix = The Right Reverend | name = James Bell | title = area Bishop of Ripon<ref name="leeds85">[http://www.wyadtransformation.org/?q=content/first-new-diocese-more-85-years-created-april-20 The Transformation Programme – First new diocese for more than 85 years created on April 20] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140420040111/http://www.wyadtransformation.org/?q=content%2Ffirst-new-diocese-more-85-years-created-april-20 |date=2014-04-20 }} (Accessed 19 April 2014).</ref> | church = Church of England | diocese = Leeds (2014–2017)<br />Ripon and Leeds (2004–2014) | term = 2004–2017 | predecessor = Frank Weston | successor = Helen-Ann Hartley | other_post = Bishop of Knaresborough (name changed 2015)<br />interim area bishop in Leeds (20–22 April 2014)<ref name="leeds85" /> <!---------- Orders ----------> | ordination = 1975 | consecration = 2 March 2004 | consecrated_by = David Hope <!---------- Personal details ----------> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|11|20|df=y}} | nationality = British | religion = Anglican | parents = | alma_mater = St John's College, Durham }} '''James Harold Bell''' (born 20 November 1950) is a retired British Anglican bishop. He was the area Bishop of Ripon in the Diocese of Leeds.<ref name="leeds85" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Cathedral welcome for new bishop|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/north_yorkshire/3506882.stm|access-date=4 February 2018|work=BBC News|date=12 March 2004}}</ref>
==Early life== Bell studied modern history at St John's College, Durham (BA 1972).<ref name="herald">{{Cite web |url=http://www.cwherald.com/archive/archive/former-eden-school-pupil-becomes-a-bishop-20040103239829.htm |title=Cumberland & Westmorland Herald — Former Eden school pupil becomes a bishop |access-date=7 September 2010 |archive-date=2 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302104436/http://www.cwherald.com/archive/archive/former-eden-school-pupil-becomes-a-bishop-20040103239829.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Then began a 10-year residence in Oxford, where from 1972 until 1975 he studied for ordination at Wycliffe Hall, meanwhile matriculating in the University of Oxford as a member of St Peter's Hall, taking a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Theology in 1974 (having read for the Final Honour School alone) and incepting as an Oxford Master of Arts (MA Oxon) in 1978.
==Ordained ministry== Upon his ordination as a deacon in 1975 he was appointed Honorary Curate of Oxford St Michael with St Martin and All Saints and the following year, having been ordained priest, he because Chaplain and Lecturer of Brasenose College until 1982.<ref>''Crockford's Clerical Directory'' (97th edn. London: Church House Publishing, 2001), p. 55.</ref> He held several pastoral posts in West London<ref>"Debrett's People of Today": Ellis, P (Ed): 2006, London, Debtrett's {{ISBN|1-870520-03-3}}</ref> before moving to the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds in 1997. Initially ''Director of Mission'' (and an Honorary Canon of Ripon Cathedral) he was appointed suffragan Bishop of Knaresborough following the death of Frank Weston.
Bell was consecrated a bishop by David Hope, Archbishop of York, during a service at York Minster on 2 March 2004.<ref name="herald" /> He was installed as Bishop of Knaresborough at Ripon Cathedral on 14 March 2004.<ref name="herald" />
From 2004 until the creation of the Diocese of Leeds in 2014, Bell was suffragan Bishop of Knaresborough in the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds; upon the dissolution of the Ripon diocese and the erection of the Leeds diocese, Bell became area bishop for the Ripon area. His title remained Bishop of Knaresborough until that See was translated to Ripon (i.e. the title changed to Bishop of Ripon) by Order in Council of 19 March 2015.<ref>[http://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Orders-at-council-19-march-2015.pdf Orders in Council, 19 March 2015] (Accessed 25 March 2015).</ref>
On 23 October 2016, it was announced that Bell was to retire effective 30 April 2017.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20161026080753/http://leeds.anglican.org/news/bishop-ripon-retire Diocese of Leeds — Bishop of Ripon to retire] (Accessed 25 October 2016).</ref>
==Styles== *''The Reverend'' James Bell (1975–1997) *''The Reverend'' Canon James Bell (1997–2004) *''The Right Reverend'' James Bell (2004–present)
==References== <references/>
== External links == * [https://web.archive.org/web/20140420040111/http://www.wyadtransformation.org/?q=content%2Ffirst-new-diocese-more-85-years-created-april-20 archived] website that contains information about James Bell, as of 23 September 2016 {{Portal|Christianity}}
{{S-start}} {{S-rel|en}} {{S-bef|before=Frank Weston}} {{S-ttl|title=Bishop of Knaresborough|years=2004–''2015''}} {{S-aft|after=''himself''|as=area Bishop of Ripon}} {{S-bef|before=''himself''|as=Bishop of Knaresborough}} {{S-ttl|title=area Bishop of Ripon|years=''2015''–2017}} {{S-aft|after=Helen-Ann Hartley}} {{S-end}}
<!--{{Bishops of Knaresborough}}--> {{Bishops of Ripon}} {{Diocese of Leeds}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, James}} Category:Bishops of Knaresborough Category:Anglican Diocese of Leeds Category:1950 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of St John's College, Durham Category:Alumni of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford Category:Alumni of St Peter's College, Oxford Category:Fellows of Brasenose College, Oxford Category:Bishops of Ripon (modern area bishops)