John Goddard (bishop)


John William Goddard is a retired bishop of the Church of England. From 2000 to 2014, he was Bishop of Burnley, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Blackburn.

Early life

Goddard studied theology at St Chad's College, Durham, and graduated from Durham University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1969. He then gained a Diploma in Theology.

Ordained ministry

Goddard was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1970 and as a priest in 1971. He began his ordained ministry as a curate at St John's Southbank before continuing as a curate at Cayton & Eastfield under the guidance of Alan A. Millar. He then held two incumbencies in Middlesbrough and became the Rural Dean. From 1988 to 1992 he was Vice Principal of Edinburgh Theological College and then Rector of Ribbleton before his ordination to the episcopate.
Goddard was consecrated a bishop on 7 December 2000 by David Hope, Archbishop of York. On 9 December 2000, he was installed as Bishop of Burnley, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Blackburn.
Goddard retired on 19 July 2014.

Views

He has expressed the belief that there are no totally rural parishes in the Diocese of Blackburn, which includes large swathes of farming communities and extensive rural areas such as the Forest of Bowland. This is because most of the rural areas in the villages have residents whose involvement in commercial, academic,professional and urban matters reflect a more suburban character
At the November 2012 meeting of the General Synod of the Church of England, Goddard was one of the three members of the House of Bishops who voted against the ordination of women as bishops.

Personal life

Goddard is a keen narrowboater. He is married to Vivienne. Together they have two children; Michael and Gareth.

Styles