John Henry Garton (3 October 1941 – 21 July 2016) was a British Anglican bishop and theologian. He was the Principal of

Ripon College Cuddesdon Ripon College Cuddesdon is a Church of England theological college in Cuddesdon, a village outside Oxford, England. The College trains men and women for ministry in the Church of England: stipendiary, non-stipendiary, local ordained and lay mi ...

from 1986 to 1996, and the suffragan Bishop of Plymouth in 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 Britai ...

from 1996 to 2005.

Early life and education

Garton was born on 3 October 1941. He was educated at Worcester College, Oxford and

. He completed a short service commission in the Royal Tank Regiment.

Ordained ministry

He was

ordained 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 ...

in 1969 and began his career as a

Chaplain to the Forces The Royal Army Chaplains' Department (RAChD) is an all-officer department that provides ordained clergy to minister to the British Army. History The Army Chaplains' Department (AChD) was formed by Royal Warrant of 23 September 1796; until the ...

. From 1973 until 1976 he was a lecturer at Lincoln Theological College and then

Rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of St Peter's

Hillfields Hillfields is a suburb of Coventry in the West Midlands of England. It is situated north of Coventry city centre, and has undergone a series of name changes throughout its history originally called "Harnall" and has seen itself change from a ...

. He then spent 10 years as Principal of Ripon College Cuddesdon before his ordination to the

episcopate 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 ...

as the Bishop of Plymouth, a position he held from 1996 until 2005, since when he has been an assistant bishop in the

Diocese of Oxford The Diocese of Oxford is a Church of England diocese that forms part of the Province of Canterbury. The diocese is led by the Bishop of Oxford (currently Steven Croft), and the bishop's seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. It contain ...

. He died on 21 July 2016 at the age of 74.

References

1941 births 2016 deaths Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford Royal Tank Regiment officers Alumni of Ripon College Cuddesdon Anglican bishops of Plymouth 20th-century Church of England bishops 21st-century Church of England bishops Royal Army Chaplains' Department officers Staff of Ripon College Cuddesdon {{ChurchofEngland-bishop-stub