Roger Combes Explained

Type:Priest
Honorific Prefix:The Venerable
Roger Combes
Church:Church of England
Diocese:Diocese of Chichester
Term:2003 until 2014
Predecessor:William Filby
Successor:Fiona Windsor
Ordination:1974 (deacon)
1975 (priest)
Birth Name:Roger Matthew Combes
Birth Date:1947 6, df=y
Tomb:-->
Nationality:British
Religion:Anglicanism
Spouse:Christine Keiller
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Roger Matthew Combes (born 12 June 1947) is a retired Archdeacon of Horsham.[1]

Birth and education

Combes was educated at King's College London,[2] and Ridley Hall, Cambridge.[3]

Church career

Combes was ordained in 1974 and was a curate at St Paul's, Onslow Square, Holy Trinity Brompton, and Holy Sepulchre with All Saints, Cambridge.[4] He became Rector of Silverhill, East Sussex, in 1983 and was the Archdeacon of Horsham from 2003 until his retirement in 2014.[5]

Combes was associated with the running of the Iwerne camps, evangelical Christian holiday camps aimed at children from British public schools. He was one of the eight people to be circulated the Ruston Report in 1982, detailing the abuse of children at Winchester College and elsewhere by chairman of the Iwerne Trust John Smyth. Combes later stated to a 2020s Church of England Independent Review that realising the nature of the report, he chose not to read it as he felt that victims would be embarrassed if he knew the details, so did not know just how serious the allegations were until the details became public in 2017.[6] [7]

Personal life

In 1983 he married Christine Mary Keiller.

Notes and References

  1. http://www.diochi.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=about.content&cmid=19 Diocese of Chichester
  2. [Who's Who]
  3. [Crockford's clerical directory|Crockfords]
  4. [Crockford's clerical directory|Crockfords]
  5. http://www.chichester.anglican.org/news/2014/06/27/retirement-archdeacon-horsham/
  6. Web site: Independent Learning Lessons Review - John Smyth QC . Makin . Keith . 80-81 . Church of England . 18 October 2024 . 8 November 2024.
  7. Web site: A letter from the reviewers . Harber . Ali . Winchester College . January 2022 . 8 November 2024.