{{Short description|British bishop}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox Christian leader | honorific-prefix = The Right Reverend | name = Tony Porter | title = Bishop of Sherwood | church = Church of England | diocese = {{nowrap|Southwell and Nottingham}} | term = 2006–2020 | predecessor = Alan Morgan | successor = Andy Emerton <!---------- Orders ----------> | ordination = 29 June 1977 (deacon) <br /> by Bill Westwood <br /> 25 June 1978 (priest) <br /> by Gerald Ellison | consecration = 21 March 2006 | consecrated_by = John Sentamu <!---------- Personal details ----------> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|2|10|df=y}} | birth_place = RAF Halton, Buckingham, {{nowrap|UK}} | nationality = British | religion = Anglican | spouse = {{marriage|Lucille ''née'' Roberts|1974}} | children = 2 sons, 2 daughters | occupation = Clergyman, author | alma_mater = Hertford College, Oxford }} '''Anthony Porter''' (born 10 February 1952) is a 21st-century Church of England prelate, who served as Suffragan Bishop of Sherwood in the diocese of Southwell and Nottingham from 2006 to 2020.
Bishop Porter retired in 2020, since when he serves as an Honorary Assistant Bishop of Blackburn.
==Early life and education== Born in 1952 at RAF Halton, Buckinghamshire, he was one of four children to Sydney Porter, a building society manager.<ref name="pr">[http://www.southwell.anglican.org/pr_bishopsherwood.html Southwell Diocese Press Release – City focus for new Bishop of Sherwood] (Archived at [https://web.archive.org/web/20120302193114/http://www.southwell.anglican.org/pr_bishopsherwood.html], 2 March 2012; accessed 26 July 2017)</ref>
Educated at Gravesend Grammar School, Porter went up to read English at Hertford College, Oxford (MA),<ref>[https://www.hertford.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/1987-No.-73-The-Hertford-College-Magazine.pdf www.hertford.ox.ac.uk]</ref> before studying for the priesthood at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, graduating BA (Theol).
==Career== Porter was ordained a deacon on St Peter's Day (29 June) 1977 by Bill Westwood, Bishop of Edmonton, at John Keble Church, Mill Hill,<ref>{{Church Times | title = Petertide ordinations | archive = 1977_07_01_004 | issue = 5968 | date = 1 July 1977 | page = 4 | accessed = 26 July 2017 }}</ref> and a priest the Petertide following (25 June 1978) by Gerald Ellison, Bishop of London, at St Paul's Cathedral.<ref>{{Church Times | title = Ordinations | archive = 1978_06_30_008 | issue = 6020 | date = 30 June 1978 | page = 8 | accessed = 26 July 2017 }}</ref> From 1977 to 1980, Porter served his first curacy at Edgware Parish Church in the diocese of London, and from 1980 to 1983 was curate at St Mary's Haughton Green in the diocese of Manchester. From 1983 to 1987, he was priest-in-charge of Christ Church, Bacup, Lancashire, becoming vicar of that congregation in 1987.
In 1991, Porter was collated as rector of Holy Trinity Platt Church, Rusholme, in the diocese of Manchester.<ref>[https://www.plattchurch.org/ www.plattchurch.org]</ref> During his time in Manchester, he also served as chaplain to both Manchester City F.C. and Greater Manchester Police, and was appointed an Honorary Canon of Manchester Cathedral by Bishop Nigel McCulloch in 2004.<ref>[https://www.thetimes.com/article/announcements-0flt2s2rxmn www.thetimes.com]</ref>
On 4 November 2005, it was announced that Porter would be raised to the episcopate as Bishop of Sherwood, the Suffragan Bishop of the diocese of Southwell and Nottingham.<ref name="no10">[http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page8471.asp Official notification of appointment] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071110175219/http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page8471.asp |date=10 November 2007 }}</ref> Consecrated a bishop on 21 March 2006 at York Minster by John Sentamu, Archbishop of York,<ref name="dio">{{cite web |url=http://www.southwell.anglican.org/about_bishopofsherwood |title=Diocese of Southwell – The Bishop of Sherwood |accessdate=2013-08-18 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070617234505/http://www.southwell.anglican.org/about_bishopofsherwood |archivedate=17 June 2007 }}</ref> Porter later served briefly as Acting Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, from the translation of Paul Butler to the bishopric of Durham on 20 January<ref>{{cite web |url=http://southwell.anglican.org/about-us-2/who-we-are/bishops/ |title=Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham – Bishops (Archived, 2 January 2014) |accessdate=2014-02-02 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202203350/http://southwell.anglican.org/about-us-2/who-we-are/bishops/ |archivedate=2 February 2014 }} (Accessed 10 April 2014)</ref> until he relinquished the additional role due to ill health on 9 April 2014.<ref>[http://southwell.anglican.org/bishop-richard-inwood-takes-temporary-charge-southwell-nottingham/ Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham – Bishop Richard Inwood takes temporary charge] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413143000/http://southwell.anglican.org/bishop-richard-inwood-takes-temporary-charge-southwell-nottingham/ |date=13 April 2014 }} (Accessed 10 April 2014)</ref> Retiring on 22 March 2020,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://southwell.anglican.org/bishop-tony-announces-plans-to-retire-in-2020/ |title=Bishop Tony announces plans to retire in 2020 – Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham |website=southwell.anglican.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812203432/https://southwell.anglican.org/bishop-tony-announces-plans-to-retire-in-2020/ |archive-date=2019-08-12}}</ref> Porter now serves as an Honorary Assistant Bishop in the diocese of Blackburn.<ref>{{Church Times | title = Gazette: appointments | archive = 2020_07_03_029 | issue = 8207 | date = 3 July 2020 | page = 29 | accessed = 30 July 2021 }}</ref>
A keen sportsman, playing cricket and hockey for many years,<ref name="no10" /> Porter was appointed the first Archbishops’ Sports Ambassador (2014–18),<ref>[https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/archbishop-of-york-sport-offers-a-way-to-open-doors-of-opportunity www.premierchristian.news]</ref> and has been a member of the College of Archbishops' Evangelists since 2009.<ref>[https://archbishopsevangelists.org/about/becoming-a-member/ www.archbishopsevangelists.org]</ref>
Bishop Porter has also written several books.<ref name="pr" />
==Marriage and family== He married Lucille Roberts in 1974, having four children.<ref name="pr" />
Bishop Porter and his wife now live in Lancashire.<ref>{{Who's Who | title=Porter, Anthony | id = U59872 | volume = 2017 | edition = November 2016 online | access-date = 26 July 2017 }}</ref>
==Styles== *''The Reverend'' Tony Porter (1977–2004) *''The Reverend Canon'' Tony Porter (2004–2006) *''The Right Reverend'' Tony Porter (2006–present)
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.yorkminster.org/cgi/news/news.cgi?a=183&t=template.htm ''York Minster news''] *[https://www.blackburn.anglican.org/news/816/looking-forward-to-ordination-weekend-in ''The Church of England in Lancashire'']
{{s-start}} {{s-rel|en}} {{s-bef|before=Alan Morgan}} {{s-ttl|title=Bishop of Sherwood|years=2006–2020}} {{s-aft|after=Andy Emerton}} {{s-bef|before=Paul Butler}} {{s-ttl|title=Acting Bishop of Southwell|years=2014}} {{s-aft|after=Richard Inwood}} {{s-end}}
{{Bishops of Sherwood}} {{Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Porter, Tony}} Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:People educated at Gravesend Grammar School Category:Alumni of Hertford College, Oxford Category:Alumni of Ridley Hall, Cambridge Category:20th-century English Anglican priests Category:21st-century Church of England bishops Category:Bishops of Sherwood