{{short description|British Anglican bishop|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox Christian leader | type = Bishop | honorific-prefix = The Right Reverend | name = Mark Ashcroft | honorific-suffix = | title = Bishop of Bolton | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | church = Church of England | province = Province of York | diocese = Diocese of Manchester | term = 2016–2023 | predecessor = Chris Edmondson | successor = | other_post = Archdeacon of Manchester (2009–2016) <!---------- Orders ----------> | ordination = 1982 (deacon) <br /> 1983 (priest) | ordained_by = | consecration = 18 October 2016 | consecrated_by = John Sentamu <!---------- Personal details ----------> | birth_name = Mark David Ashcroft | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1954|9|3|df=y}} | birth_place = Rugby, Warwickshire, England | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) --> | death_place = <!-- as birth_place --> | buried = <!-- or | tomb = --> | resting_place_coordinates = | nationality = British | religion = Anglicanism | residence = | parents = | spouse = Sally | children = Three | occupation = | previous_post = | education = | alma_mater = Worcester College, Oxford <br /> Ridley Hall, Cambridge <br /> Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge }} '''Mark David Ashcroft''' (born 3 September 1954) is a British retired Anglican bishop. From 2016 until 2023, he was the Bishop of Bolton.<ref name="bolt" /> He had previously been Archdeacon of Manchester from 2009 to 2016. Apart from ten years working in Kenya, he has spent all his ordained ministry in the Diocese of Manchester, Church of England.

==Early life and education== Ashcroft was born on 3 September 1954 in Rugby, Warwickshire, England.<ref name="ww">‘ASHCROFT, Ven. Mark David’, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012; online edn, Nov 2012 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U250090 Accessed 27 June 2013]</ref> He was educated at Rugby School, then an all-boys public school in his home town.<ref name="Year Book">{{cite web |title=✠ The Rt Revd Mark David ASHCROFT |url=https://www.crockford.org.uk/people/w13280/✠_The_Rt_Revd_Mark_David_ASHCROFT |website=The Church of England Year Book |publisher=Church House Publishing |access-date=19 July 2022 |language=en}}</ref> He studied at Worcester College, Oxford, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1977; as per tradition, this BA was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Oxon) in 1982.<ref name="Crockford" /> From 1978 to 1979, he worked as a restaurant manager in Edinburgh, Scotland.<ref name="WW 2020">{{cite web |title=Bolton, Bishop Suffragan of, (Rt Rev. Mark David Ashcroft) (born 3 Sept. 1954) |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U250090 |website=Who's Who 2020 |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=19 July 2022 |language=en |date=1 December 2019}}</ref>

In 1979, Ashcroft entered Ridley Hall, Cambridge, an Anglican theological college in the Open Evangelical tradition, to train for ordained ministry. For the first two years, he also studied theology at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. He graduated from the University of Cambridge with a BA degree in 1981. He undertook a further year of training at Ridley Hall, before being ordained in 1982.<ref name="Crockford" />

==Ordained ministry== Ashcroft was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1982 and as a priest in 1983.<ref name="Crockford">{{Crockford| surname = Ashcroft | forenames = Mark David | id = 24248 | accessed = 22 June 2016}}</ref> From 1982 to 1985, he served his curacy at St Margaret's Church, Burnage, in the Diocese of Manchester.<ref>Crockfords (London, Church House, 1995) {{ISBN|0-7151-8088-6}}</ref> He spent 1986 to 1996 as a member of the academic staff of St Paul's College, Kapsabet, one of the theological colleges of the Anglican Church of Kenya; he was a tutor between 1986 and 1989, and its principal between 1990 and 1996.<ref name="Crockford" />

In 1996, Ashcroft returned to England. He was rector of Christ Church, Harpurhey from 1996 to 2009, and also area dean of North Manchester from 2000 to 2006. In 2004, he was made an honorary canon of Manchester Cathedral.<ref name="ww" /> In 2009, he was appointed the Archdeacon of Manchester.<ref name="admch">{{cite web|title=New Archdeacon of Manchester|url=http://www.manchester.anglican.org/news/180/new-archdeacon-of-manchester|website=Diocese of Manchester|publisher=Church of England|accessdate=22 June 2016|date=30 January 2009}}</ref>

===Episcopal ministry=== On 22 June 2016, it was announced that Ashcroft would become the next Bishop of Bolton, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Manchester.<ref name="no10">{{cite web|title=Suffragan Bishop of Bolton: Mark David Ashcroft|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/suffragan-bishop-of-bolton-mark-david-ashcroft|website=gov.uk|publisher=Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street|accessdate=22 June 2016|date=22 June 2016}}</ref> He was consecrated a bishop on 18 October 2016 by John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, during a service at York Minster.<ref name="bolt">{{Cite web | title = The new Bishop of Bolton | author = Diocese of Manchester | date = 22 June 2016 | accessdate = 22 June 2016 | url = http://www.manchester.anglican.org/news/1929/the-new-bishop-of-bolton | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160625020851/http://www.manchester.anglican.org/news/1929/the-new-bishop-of-bolton | archivedate = 25 June 2016 }}</ref>

On 18 July 2022, it was announced that Ashcroft would retire as Bishop of Bolton during February 2023.<ref>{{cite web |website=Diocese of Manchester |title=Bishop of Bolton to retire |url=https://www.manchester.anglican.org/bishop-of-bolton-to-retire.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220719090141/https://www.manchester.anglican.org/bishop-of-bolton-to-retire.php |archive-date=19 July 2022 |access-date=3 August 2022 }}</ref> He retired on an unrevealed date following his farewell service (on 28 January 2023) at Manchester Cathedral.<ref>{{cite web |website=Diocese of Manchester |title=Bishop of Bolton retirement service |url=https://www.manchester.anglican.org/farewell-service-for-bishop-mark-ashcroft.php}}</ref>

==Personal life== Ashcroft is married to Sally.<ref name="no10" /> Together, they had three sons.<ref name="admch" />

==References== {{reflist}} {{S-start}} {{S-rel|en}} {{S-bef|before=Andrew Ballard}} {{S-ttl|title=Archdeacon of Manchester|years=2009–2016}} {{S-non|reason=Karen Lund}} {{S-bef|before=Chris Edmondson}} {{S-ttl|title=Bishop of Bolton|years=2016–2023}} {{S-non|reason=TBA}} {{S-end}} {{Archdeacons of Manchester}} {{Bishops of Bolton}} {{Diocese of Manchester}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashcroft, Mark David}} Category:1954 births Category:Alumni of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge Category:Archdeacons of Manchester Category:Living people Category:Bishops of Bolton Category:Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford Category:Alumni of Ridley Hall, Cambridge Category:People educated at Rugby School