John Alexander Kirkpatrick Millar (born 13 November 1939), known as Sandy Millar, is a retired
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
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
who, on 27 November 2005, was consecrated in
Kampala
Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...
as an
assistant bishop
An assistant bishop in the Anglican Communion is a bishop appointed to assist a diocesan bishop.
Church of England
In the established Church of England, assistant bishops are usually retired (diocesan or suffragan) bishops – in which case they ...
in the
Province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
of Uganda, in a joint initiative of
Henry Luke Orombi
Henry Luke Orombi (born 11 October 1949) in Pakwach, North Western Uganda, is a Ugandan Anglican bishop. He served as Archbishop of Uganda and Bishop of Kampala from 2004 until his retirement in December 2012, two years earlier than expected. H ...
,
Archbishop of Uganda
The Anglican ecclesiastical province of Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi was formed in 1961 following the division of the diocese of Uganda the previous year. Prior to 1980, the province included Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga, in what was then the co ...
;
Rowan Williams
Rowan Douglas Williams, Baron Williams of Oystermouth, (born 14 June 1950) is a Welsh Anglican bishop, theologian and poet. He was the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, a position he held from December 2002 to December 2012. Previously the Bish ...
,
Archbishop of Canterbury
The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justi ...
; and
Richard Chartres
Richard John Carew Chartres, Baron Chartres , FBS (; born 11 July 1947) is a retired bishop of the Church of England. He was area Bishop of Stepney from 1992 to 1995 and Bishop of London from 1995 to 2017. He was sworn of the Privy Council in t ...
,
Bishop of London
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
. He was subsequently licensed at
St Paul's Cathedral, London, on 9 February 2006 to act as an honorary assistant bishop in the
Diocese of London
The Diocese of London forms part of the Church of England's Province of Canterbury in England.
It lies directly north of the Thames. For centuries the diocese covered a vast tract and bordered the dioceses of Norwich and Lincoln to the north ...
. He thereafter served as
priest-in-charge of St Mark's,
Tollington Park in
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshire.
The term ''nort ...
until 2 February 2011 when he retired.
Personal life
Millar was born into an upper class Scottish family. His father was a
major-general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
. He was educated at
Lambrook Preparatory School,
Eton College
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...
and
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...
, graduating in 1962 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, promoted
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
in 1966. He practised as a
barrister
A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...
for 10 years. After that, he gained a
diploma
A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...
in
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
from the
University of Durham
Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charte ...
. He was ordained deacon in 1976 and priest in 1977 at the age of 37.
Millar has been a
prebendary
A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the ...
of
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
since 1997.
Millar is in the
Charismatic Evangelical
Charismatic Christianity (also known as Spirit-filled Christianity by its supporters) is a form of Christianity that emphasizes the work of the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, and modern-day miracles as an everyday part of a believer's life. Pract ...
tradition of the Church of England, but has usually concentrated on local missions and not on participation in controversies in the wider
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...
. However, in October 2007, he was reported to have said to an American church congregation (Truro Church, Fairfax) that "there is a war on for the very soul of the church" and to have told the congregation, which had left the
Episcopal Church of the United States in protest at its acceptance of homosexuality, "your steadfastness in the face of a new and speciously sophisticated manifestation of evil has won you many admirers all over the world."
[Transcript: The Full Text of Bishop Sandy Millar's Sermon at](_blank)
Truro
Truro (; kw, Truru) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, England. It is Cornwall's county town, sole city and centre for administration, leisure and retail trading. Its ...
: "Do You Love Me?"
BabyBlueOnline
31 October 2007. These comments were publicised on the internet, although not by him.
On 29 April 2012, Millar was licensed as an
honorary assistant bishop
An assistant bishop in the Anglican Communion is a bishop appointed to assist a diocesan bishop.
Church of England
In the established Church of England, assistant bishops are usually retired (diocesan or suffragan) bishops – in which case they ...
in the
Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
The Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich is a Church of England diocese based in Ipswich, covering Suffolk (excluding Lowestoft). The cathedral is St Edmundsbury Cathedral, and the bishop is the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. It is part ...
, by which time he was living in
Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh ( ) is a coastal town in the English county, county of Suffolk, England. Located to the north of the River Alde. Its estimated population was 2,276 in 2019. It was home to the composer Benjamin Britten and remains the centre of the int ...
.
Growing the church
Millar was
vicar
A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...
of
Holy Trinity Brompton
Holy Trinity Brompton with St Paul's, Onslow Square and St Augustine's, South Kensington, often referred to simply as HTB, is an Anglican church in London, England. The church consists of six sites: HTB Brompton Road, HTB Onslow Square (former ...
from 1985 to 2005 and was the principal person responsible for the
Alpha course. He was succeeded as vicar and principal of Alpha by
Nicky Gumbel
Nicholas Glyn Paul Gumbel (born 1955), known as Nicky Gumbel, is an English Anglican priest and author in the evangelical and charismatic traditions. He is known as the developer of the Alpha Course, a basic introduction to Christianity supp ...
. During this period, he developed a strategy of
church planting
Church planting is a term referring to the process (mostly in Protestant frameworks) that results in a new local Christian congregation being established. It should be distinguished from church development, where a new service, worship center or ...
throughout London, thereby making it possible for dying churches to have a fresh start with congregations and
clergy
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
provided by Holy Trinity – all in close association with the
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
bishops. Such church "plants" included:
* 1985: St Barnabas'
Addison Road,
West Kensington
West Kensington, formerly North End, is an area in the ancient parish of Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, England, 3.4 miles (5.5 km) west of Charing Cross. It covers most of the London postal area of W14, includin ...
* 1987: St Mark's
Battersea
Battersea is a large district in south London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and extends along the south bank of the River Thames. It includes the Battersea Park.
History
Batter ...
Rise
* 1989:
St Paul's Onslow Square
Onslow Square is a garden square in South Kensington, London, England.
It is set back between the Old Brompton Road to the northwest and the Fulham Road to the southeast. To the north is South Kensington Underground station. To the south is ...
* 1994:
St Stephen's Church, Westbourne Park
St Stephen's Church, Westbourne Park, is a Grade II listed parish church in the Church of England in London.
History
St Stephen's Church dates from 1856. It was designed by the architect brothers Frederick John and Horace Francis, who designed ...
* 2000:
St Paul's, Hammersmith
St Paul's is a Grade II* listed Anglican church at Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, London W6, adjacent to Hammersmith flyover, and only a short walk from Hammersmith tube station.
History
The original church
The church dates back to the ...
* 2002:
St George the Martyr's,
Queen Square,
Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions.
Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mus ...
* 2005: St Paul's
Shadwell
Shadwell is a district of East London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets , east of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the Thames between Wapping (to the west) and Ratcliff (to the east). This riverside location has mea ...
Another of his achievements is the rehabilitation of the previously disused church of
St Paul's, Onslow Square, located in his
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
.
Writing and teaching
Millar also initiated "The Marriage Course" and "The Marriage Preparation Course", which run both throughout the United Kingdom and in many other countries. In 2005, a book containing a selection of his writings, ''All I Want Is You'', was published.
Styles
* Sandy Millar (1939–1977)
*
The Revd
The Reverend is an honorific style most often placed before the names of Christian clergy and ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and church traditions. ''The Reverend'' is correctly ...
Sandy Millar (1977–1997)
* The Revd Prebendary Sandy Millar (1997–2005)
*
The Rt Revd Sandy Millar (2005–present)
See also
*
Nicky Lee (priest)
Nicholas Knyvett Lee (born 1954) is an English Anglican priest and author. He serves as associate vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton in the Diocese of London. With his wife, Sila, he is founder of the organisation Relationship Central, an umbrella ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Millar, Sandy
1939 births
Living people
People educated at Eton College
Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
Members of Lincoln's Inn
20th-century English Anglican priests
21st-century English Anglican priests
Anglican bishops in Mission
Evangelical Anglican bishops
Evangelicalism in the Church of England
British Charismatics
Holy Trinity Brompton people
Alumni of St John's College, Durham