Martyn Snow Explained

Type:bishop
Honorific Prefix:The Right Reverend
Martyn Snow
Bishop of Leicester
Church:Church of England
Diocese:Leicester
Appointed:-->
Term:2016–present
Predecessor:Tim Stevens
Consecration:25 September 2013
Consecrated By:Justin Welby
Birth Name:Martyn James Snow
Birth Date:25 January 1968
Birth Place:Indonesia
Tomb:-->
Nationality:British
Religion:Anglicanism
Residence:Bishop's Lodge, Knighton
Spouse:Lynn Snow
Children:3
Previous Post:-->
Alma Mater:University of Sheffield
Module:
Embed:yes
Term Start:6 October 2022

Martyn James Snow[1] (born 25 January 1968) is a British Anglican bishop. Since 2016, he has been the Bishop of Leicester. He previously served as Bishop of Tewkesbury from 2013 to 2016, and as Archdeacon of Sheffield and Rotherham from 2010 to 2013.

Early life and education

Martyn James Snow was born on 25 January 1968[2] in Indonesia. His parents worked with the church in Indonesia and his grandparents were missionaries in China.[3] His grandfather was James O. Fraser who pioneered work among the Lisu people of Southwestern China and is credited with developing the Fraser script for their language.[4]

Snow was educated at Sheffield University, where he studied chemistry. He trained for ordination at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, and holds a Masters in theology from Durham University.

Ordained ministry

Snow was made a deacon at Petertide 1995 (2 July) by David Lunn, Bishop of Sheffield, at Sheffield Cathedral and ordained a priest the Petertide following (5 July 1996) by Michael Gear, Bishop of Doncaster at his title church (St Andrew's, Brinsworth). He was an assistant curate at Brinsworth with Catcliffe and Treeton before service with the Church Mission Society in Guinea. He worked as Youth Chaplain with the Anglican Diocese of Guinea in the Church of the Province of West Africa. He was vicar of Christ Church, Pitsmoor from 2001 to 2010 and area dean of Ecclesfield from 2007. In 2010 he became Archdeacon of Sheffield and Rotherham.

Episcopal ministry

On 25 September 2013, Snow was consecrated a bishop by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, during a service in Westminster Abbey.[5] [6] In October 2013, he started his duties as Bishop of Tewkesbury, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Gloucester. He was acting diocesan Bishop of Gloucester from 5 August 2014 until Rachel Treweek took up the role of diocesan bishop in June 2015.[7]

On 15 December 2015, it was announced that Snow would be translated to Leicester in 2016.[8] [9] Snow officially became Bishop of Leicester with the confirmation of his election on 22 February 2016.[10] He then become the youngest diocesan bishop in the Church of England, aged 48.[11] On 14 May 2016, a service of installation was held at Leicester Cathedral during which he was seated on his Cathedra and given the crozier of the Diocese of Leicester.[12]

In May 2016 Snow was one of six bishops cited in the Guardian and Church Times as subject of Clergy Disciplinary Measure complaints owing to their alleged inaction on a disclosure by a sexual assault survivor.[13] [14] The bishops contested the complaints.[15]

Since October 2017, Snow has been chair of the College of Archbishops' Evangelists.[16] In April 2021, Snow became the Bishop Protector for the Third Order of Franciscans known as the Third Order Society of St Francis (T.S.S.F.)[17] Snow is also Sponsoring Bishop for the Church of England project to grow the number of children and youth ministers in the church to 30,000.[18] He is also a member of the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns.[19]

In Leicester, Snow is also chair of the Oversight Group for Leicester Homelessness Charter, an umbrella organisation for businesses, charities and statutory agencies who work with people who have experienced homelessness. [20]

He became a member of the House of Lords (as a Lord Spiritual) on 6 October 2022.[21]

Views

Snow has been outspoken on issues of racial justice including 'taking the knee' outside Leicester Cathedral in July 2020[22] and speaking at a conference on the subject of Whiteness.[23]

In November 2023, Snow abstained during a vote on introducing "standalone services for same-sex couples" on a trial basis during a meeting of the General Synod; the motion passed.[24] [25] In February 2023, he had spoken of his willingness to implement the votes of the General Synod on the Prayers of Love and Faith even though he had not voted for them,[26] and in November that year he became the lead bishop for the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) process involving the introduction of "Prayers of Love and Faith" for same sex couples. [27]

Snow has been active in campaigning for the government to scrap the two-child limit on benefits.[28] [29]

Works

Notes and References

  1. http://www.manta.com/ic/mv6xlts/gb/sheffield-diocesan-board-of-finance Sheffield Diocesan Board of Finance
  2. Web site: Martyn Snow. api.parliament.uk. 20 June 2023.
  3. Web site: Bishop Martyn Snow shares his powerful God Story & talks about the Evangelism & the Power of Prayer . . 19 April 2022 .
  4. Book: Fraser Crossman. Eileen. Mountain Rain. 1994. Harold Shaw Publishers. Wheaton, Ill. 9-780877-885511. OMF.
  5. Web site: The Bishop of Tewkesbury. Diocese of Gloucester. Church of England. 19 February 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160307211425/http://www.gloucester.anglican.org/about/the-bishop-of-tewkesbury/. 7 March 2016.
  6. News: Yong. Michael. New Bishop of Tewkesbury youngest in C of E. 19 February 2016. Gloucestershire Echo. 2 August 2013.
  7. http://gloucester.anglican.org/letter-from-the-bishop-of-tewkesbury.php Diocese of Gloucester — Letter from the Bishop of Tewkesbury
  8. Web site: Bishop of Leicester: Martyn James Snow. GOV.UK. Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street. 19 February 2016. 15 December 2015.
  9. http://www.leicester.anglican.org/news/details/welcome-to-the-new-bishop-of-leicester Diocese of Leicester — Welcome to the New Bishop of Leicester
  10. https://archive.today/20160317081414/http://www.leicester.anglican.org/news/details/bishop-martyn-confirmed-for-leicester Diocese of Leicester — Martyn confirmed for Leicester
  11. News: A quiet revolution, not an Evangelical takeover. 19 February 2016. Church Times. 19 February 2016.
  12. Web site: Welcome Bishop Martyn. Diocese of Leicester. Church of England. 20 May 2016. 14 May 2016.
  13. News: Senior Anglican clergy accused of failing to act on rape allegations. 16 October 2016. The Guardian. 26 July 2016.
  14. News: Goddard Inquiry begins to sift through Church's evidence. 16 October 2016. Church Times. 29 July 2016.
  15. News: Independent Learning Lessons Review. 16 October 2016. Church Times. 29 July 2016.
  16. Web site: Archbishops College of Evangelists. 14 May 2018.
  17. Web site: TSSF. 1 May 2021.
  18. Web site: 30k Project Board. 1 August 2023.
  19. Web site: Committtee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns. 20 July 2024.
  20. Web site: Homelessness Charter. 1 May 2021.
  21. Web site: The Lord Bishop of Leicester . 11 October 2022.
  22. Web site: Taking the Knee. 1 August 2020.
  23. Web site: Whiteness. 1 November 2023.
  24. Web site: GENERAL SYNOD NOVEMBER 2023 GROUP OF SESSIONS BUSINESS DONE AT 5 P.M. . churchofengland.org . The Church of England . 23 November 2023 . 13 November 2023 . 7. The motion (as amended) ‘That this Synod, conscious that the Church is not of one mind on the issues raised by Living in Love and Faith, that we are in a period of uncertainty, and that many in the Church on all sides are being deeply hurt at this time, recognise the progress made by the House of Bishops towards implementing the motion on Living in Love and Faith passed by this Synod in February 2023, as reported in GS 2328, encourage the House to continue its work of implementation, and ask the House to consider whether some standalone services for same-sex couples could be made available for use, possibly on a trial basis, on the timescale envisaged by the motion passed by the Synod in February 2023.’ was carried following a counted vote by Houses..
  25. Web site: General Synod 15th November 2023 – Item 007 . churchofengland.org . The Church of England . 23 November 2023 . 15 November 2023.
  26. Web site: Prayers of Love and Faith. 10 February 2024.
  27. Web site: synod signals support for anglican way forward on same-sex relationships . The Church of England . 26 January 2024 . en . 9 November 2023.
  28. Web site: the two child benefit cap in the UK is unfair and doesn't work . The Guardian . 20 July 2024 . en . 16 May 2024.
  29. Web site: new DWP statistics . Child Poverty Action Group . 20 July 2024 . en . 11 July 2024.