Godfrey Ashby

Godfrey William Ernest Candler Ashby (born 6 November 1930) is a British Anglican bishop, theologian, and academic. From 1980 to 1985, he was the eighth Bishop of St John's in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. From 1988 to 1995, he was the Assistant Bishop of Leicester in the Church of England.

Godfrey Ashby
Assistant Bishop of Leicester
Diocese	Diocese of Leicester
In office	1987–1995
Successor	Bill Down
Other posts	Dean of Grahamstown (1975–1980) Bishop of St John's (1980–1985)
Orders
Ordination	1955 (deacon) 1956 (priest)
Consecration	1980
Personal details
Born	6 November 1930
Denomination	Anglican
Parents	William & Vera Hickey
Spouse	Sally Hawtree ​ (m. 1957⁠–⁠2015)​
Children	4 sons; 2 daughters
Profession	Writer (theologian)
Alma mater	King's College London

Early life

Ashby was educated at The King's School, an independent school in Chester, Cheshire.[1] He studied at King's College London, and graduated in 1954 with a Bachelor of Divinity (BD) degree and the Associateship of King's College (AKC).[2] He also became a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

Ordained ministry

Ashby was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1955 and as a priest in 1956.[2] His first post was as a Curate in the Parish of St Helier in the Diocese of Southwark.[3]

In 1958, Ashby emigrated to South Africa.[2] Here he rose steadily in the church hierarchy, being successively: Subwarden of St Paul's College, Grahamstown; Rector of Alice, Eastern Cape; a senior lecturer in Hebrew at Rhodes University; Dean of Grahamstown and Archdeacon in the Diocese of Grahamstown.[4][2]

Episcopal ministry

In 1980, Ashby was consecrated a bishop.[2] From 1980 to 1985, he served as Bishop of St John's, the diocesan bishop.[5] He was then professor of Divinity at the University of the Witwatersrand.[2]

In 1988, Ashby moved back to England. He served as the Assistant Bishop of Leicester in the Diocese of Leicester from 1988 to 1995. Additionally, he was Priest-in-Charge of All Saints, Newtown Linford between 1992 and 1995. In 1993, he was made an Honorary Canon of Leicester Cathedral;[2] in 1988, he was an assistant bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Johannesburg.[6]

Ashby retired from full-time ministry in 1995. He returned to South Africa, where he served as an Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of George. In 2008, he returned to England, and is now an Honorary Assistant Bishop. He served in the Diocese of Portsmouth between 2008 and 2011. He has served in the Diocese of Exeter since 2011.[2]

Personal life

Bishop Ashby was married to Valerie "Sally" Ashby, née Hawtree (she died on 7 October 2015). Together, they had six children: Garmon, John-Mark, Mary, Philip, Ruth, and Charles.

Publications

• Theodoret of Cyrrhus as exegete of the Old Testament. Grahamstown: Rhodes University. 1972.[7]
• Sacrifice: its nature and purpose. SCM. 1988. ISBN 978-0-334-01437-9.
• Go Out and Meet God: A Commentary on the Book of Exodus. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. January 1998. ISBN 978-0-8028-4332-6.

References

1. Who's Who 2012. A&C Black. 2011. ISBN 978-1-4081-4229-5.
2. "Godfrey William Ernest Candler Ashby". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
3. "Parish details". Archived from the original on 28 December 2004. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
4. Crockford's Clerical Directory: A Reference Book of the Clergy of the Provinces of Canterbury and York and of Other Anglican Provinces and Dioceses. Oxford University Press. 1976. ISBN 978-0-19-200008-8. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
5. "Resignation of the Bishop of St John's". The Times (62173). 25 June 1985. p. 14 col D.
6. "Declaration of Unity, Witness and Mission". Church Times (#AAMBIT 3). 1 July 1988. p. 1. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 22 July 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
7. Magill, Frank Northen; Aves, Alison (1998). Dictionary of World Biography. Taylor & Francis. pp. 1140–. ISBN 978-1-57958-040-7.