Christopher David Goldsmith (called Chris; born 1954) is a British

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

bishop who has been the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

's national Director of Ministry since 2019. From 2013 until 2019, he was the

Bishop of St Germans The Bishop of St Germans is an episcopal title which was used by Anglo Saxon Bishops of Cornwall and currently in use in the Church of England and in the Roman Catholic Church. The title is used by suffragan bishops of the Church of England, ...

, the sole

suffragan bishop A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdiction ...

of the

Diocese of Truro The Diocese of Truro (established 1876) is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury which covers Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and a small part of Devon. The bishop's seat is at Truro Cathedral. Geography and history The di ...

; he was additionally acting Bishop of Truro from 2017 to 2018.

Early life

Goldsmith was born in 1954. He was educated at

Dartford Grammar School Dartford Grammar School is a selective secondary (ages 11–19) foundation school for boys in Dartford, Kent, England, which admits girls to its sixth form (ages 16–18). All of the students joining the school are considered to be from the top ...

, an all-boys state grammar school in

Dartford Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames estuary, is Thurrock in ...

, Kent. He studied biochemistry at the

University of York , mottoeng = On the threshold of wisdom , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £8.0 million , budget = £403.6 million , chancellor = Heather Melville , vice_chancellor = Charlie Jeffery , students ...

, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1976 and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 1979.

Career

Business career

For 25 years, Goldsmith worked in the

oil and gas industry The petroleum industry, also known as the oil industry or the oil patch, includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transportation (often by oil tankers and pipelines), and marketing of petroleum products. The largest ...

. He worked for Shell International in Kent, Essex, Amsterdam and London. He began his career as a research scientist before moving into human resources and management roles.

Religious career

Goldsmith began his ministry in the

when he was made a reader in 1984. He completed his training for

ordained ministry Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform vario ...

with the

North Thames Ministerial Training Course St Mellitus College is an English theological college established in 2007 by the Diocese of London and the Diocese of Chelmsford of the Church of England. It has campuses in Earl's Court, Chelmsford, Liverpool and Plymouth, with growing link ...

, studying part-time between 1997 and 2000. This probably makes him the first bishop to be course-trained, rather than through a traditional theological college. Goldsmith was ordained in the

as a deacon in 2000 and as a priest in 2001. He served his curacy at Pitsea with Nevendon, in the Diocese of Chelmsford. Pitsea is a deprived area of Essex and he found himself to be one of only a few professionals in the area. Between 2004 and 2013, he served as vicar of Warley Christ Church and

St Mary the Virgin, Great Warley St. Mary the Virgin is a Grade I listed parish church for Great Warley in the Brentwood borough of Essex, England. It is noted for its unique Modern Style (British Art Nouveau style) interior, designed by Sir William Reynolds-Stephens. Built i ...

. In March 2013, it was announced that he would succeed Roy Screech as the seventh

. On 14 May 2013, he was consecrated bishop by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, during a service held at Southwark Cathedral. A service of welcome was held at

Truro Cathedral The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Truro, Cornwall. It was built between 1880 and 1910 to a Gothic Revival design by John Loughborough Pearson on the site of the parish church of St Mary. It i ...

on 19 May. He has also served as the Diocesan Warden of Readers since 2013. In June 2019, it was announced that Goldsmith is to resign his See to become the

's national Director of Ministry in September 2019. He resigned the See on 29 September 2019.

Personal life

Goldsmith is married to Ellen who is also an ordained priest. Together they have two children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goldsmith, Christopher David Living people Bishops of St Germans 21st-century Church of England bishops Alumni of the University of York British biochemists 1954 births People educated at Dartford Grammar School Anglican lay readers