Joseph Kennedy (born 1969) is a Scottish

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 ...

priest and academic. Since 2011, he has been vicar of

St Saviour's Church, Oxton St Saviour's Church is in Bidston Road, Oxton, Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Birkenhead, the archdeaconry of Chester, and the diocese of Chester. Its benefice is united with that of ...

in the Church of England's Diocese of Chester. Having served in parish ministry and as a chaplain to two Cambridge University colleges, he was Principal of the College of the Resurrection from 2008 to 2011. In March 2024, he was announced as the next Bishop of Burnley, a

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 ...

in the Diocese of Blackburn.

Early life and education

Kennedy was born in 1969 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He studied mathematics at the University of Edinburgh, graduating with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in 1991. He remained at Edinburgh to study theology, and graduated with a

Bachelor of Divinity In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD or BDiv; la, Baccalaureus Divinitatis) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology ...

(BD) degree in 1994. He trained as a teacher and completed his Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at the Moray House College of Education in 1997. In 1998, Kennedy entered St Stephen's House, Oxford, an Anglo-Catholic theological college, to train for ordination. During this time, he studied for a Master of Studies (MSt) degree at

St Hugh's College, Oxford St Hugh's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford. It is located on a site on St Margaret's Road, to the north of the city centre. It was founded in 1886 by Elizabeth Wordsworth as a women's college, and accepte ...

, which he completed in 2000. He left St Stephen's House in 2002 to be ordained in the Church of England. He continued his studies in the form of a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) degree at

Keble College, Oxford Keble College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to th ...

. He completed his DPhil in 2006 with a doctoral thesis titled "A Critical Analysis of

George A. Lindbeck George Arthur Lindbeck (March 10, 1923 – January 8, 2018) was an American Lutheran theologian. He was best known as an ecumenicist and as one of the fathers of postliberal theology. Early life and education Lindbeck was born on March 10, 1923 ...

's The Nature of Doctrine".

Career

Kennedy was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 2002 and as a priest in 2003. He undertook his curacy in the Diocese of Oxford, first in the

Benefice A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...

of Stratfield Mortimer (2002–2003), and then at the Benefice of Abingdon-on-Thames (2003–2005). In 2005, he joined Selwyn College, Cambridge, as a fellow and its dean of chapel. He was additionally chaplain to Newnham College, Cambridge. Then, in 2008, he became principal of the College of the Resurrection, a theological college in Mirfield, Yorkshire. He was made an honorary canon of Wakefield Cathedral in 2010. After three years in charge of a theological college, Kennedy returned to parish ministry and became vicar of

in Diocese of Chester in 2011. He was additionally a lecturer and tutor at St Mellitus College North West, a non-residential theological college, from 2015 until 2020. He has also been the rural dean of Birkenhead since 2021. On 22 March 2024, it was announced that Kennedy would be the next Bishop of Burnley, a

in the Diocese of Blackburn. He will be consecrated as a bishop during a service at York Minster on 19 July 2024. He will then be welcomed into his new diocese during a service at Blackburn Cathedral on 8 September 2024.

Personal life

Kennedy is married to Emily; she is a chartered accountant and head of external financial reporting at

Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. History Founded at 17 Broad Street, Oxford, as the Oxford Co ...

as of 2024. Together, they have two children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Joseph 1969 births Living people Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Alumni of St Stephen's House, Oxford Alumni of St Hugh's College, Oxford Alumni of Keble College, Oxford Fellows of Selwyn College, Cambridge Academics of the College of the Resurrection Staff of St Mellitus College