Martin Warner (bishop)


Martin Clive Warner is an Anglican bishop in England. He is currently the Bishop of Chichester.
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Early life and education

Warner was educated at King's School, Rochester, Maidstone Grammar School and St Chad's College, University of Durham. He then trained for ordination at St Stephen's House, Oxford, later earning a Doctor of Philosophy degree at the University of Durham. His doctoral thesis was titled "Virginity matters: power and ambiguity in the attraction of the Virgin Mary".

Ordained ministry

Warner was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1984 and as a priest in 1985.
Warner was a canon residentiary at St Paul's Cathedral, the canon pastor from 2003 to 2008 and then canon treasurer until 2009.

Episcopal ministry

Warner was consecrated as Bishop of Whitby in the Church of England at York Minster on 26 January 2010 and then welcomed on 30 January 2010 at St Hilda's Church, Whitby. He suffered a cardiac arrest on 23 August 2010 while on holiday in Florence, but returned to work. From 2008 to 2011, Warner wrote the weekly "Sunday's Readings" column for the Church Times.
On 3 May 2012, Warner's appointment as the next diocesan Bishop of Chichester was announced, his election was confirmed on 2 July and his enthronement took place in Chichester Cathedral on 25 November.
In a compromise by John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, to whom the candidate professed canonical obedience, Warner officiated as principal celebrant in the laying-on of hands and Eucharist for the episcopal consecration of Philip North as suffragan Bishop of Burnley at York Minster on 2 February 2015.
He was introduced to the House of Lords as a Lord Spiritual on 15 January 2018.

Views

On 20 November 2012, Warner was one of three bishops in the General Synod who voted against a motion to allow the ordination of women as bishops in the Church of England. His position on the issue has been criticised by some local clergy and parishioners across the Chichester diocese.
He is a member of the Council of Bishops of The Society, an association of traditionalist Anglo-Catholics.
In 2023, following the news that the House of Bishops of the Church of England was to introduce proposals for blessing same-sex relationships, he signed an open letter which stated:
He voted against introducing "standalone services for same-sex couples" on a trial basis during a meeting of the General Synod in November 2023; the motion passed.

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