John Ball (bishop)

John Ball
Assistant Bishop of Central Tanganyika
ChurchAnglican Church of Tanzania
DioceseDiocese of Central Tanganyika
In office1996–2000
Other post(s)Honorary assistant bishop, Diocese of Chelmsford (2000–2016)
Orders
Ordination1959 (deacon); 1960 (priest)
Consecration14 January 1996
Personal details
Born1934 (1934)
Died5 September 2016(2016-09-05) (aged 81–82)
BuriedHoly Trinity Church, Springfield, Chelmsford
NationalityBritish
DenominationAnglican
SpouseAnne Ball
Alma materUniversity College of South Wales and Monmouthshire

John Martin Ball (11 December 1934 – 5 September 2016) was a British Anglican bishop. He was Assistant Bishop of Central Tanganyika in the Anglican Church of Tanzania, and retired to the Church of England.

Ball graduated from the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire[1] with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1955, before attending Tyndale Hall, Bristol, training for the priesthood.[2] He was ordained a deacon at Michaelmas (20 September) 1959 by Anthony Hoskyns-Abrahall, Bishop of Lancaster[1] and a priest at Michaelmas (15 September) 1960 by George Holderness, Bishop of Burnley (both times in Blackburn Cathedral),[3] to serve as curate of St Jude's Blackburn until 1963.[2]

In Kenya, he became a curate in Eldoret (1969–1971,[2] serving as a youth worker)[4] and at Nakuru Cathedral (1971–1975) and then Vicar of St Francis[2] Karen, Nairobi[4] (1975–1979). He then served the Bible Churchmen's Missionary Society as Deputy General Secretary (1979–1981) and then as General Secretary (1981–1995), during which time the society's name changed to Crosslinks (from 1993). During his time as General Secretary, he was also honorary curate of Christ Church Sidcup, Greater London (Diocese of Rochester); and he became an honorary canon of Karamoja, Uganda in 1988, retaining that honour until his death.[2] He also served in Kenya as press manager for the Anglican Church of Kenya.[4]

Ball was consecrated on 14 January 1996 to be Assistant Bishop of Central Tanganyika,[5] in the Diocese of Central Tanganyika, Anglican Church of Tanzania, in which post he served until his 2000 retirement. He retired back to the United Kingdom, where he was licensed an honorary assistant bishop of the Diocese of Chelmsford from 2000 until his death;[2] and where he would preach at Holy Trinity Springfield, Essex. He was married to Anne, and they had three children.[4]

  1. ^ a b "Michaelmas Ordinations". Church Times. No. 5041. 25 September 1959. p. 19. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 12 November 2016 – via UK Press Online archives.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Crockford's Clerical Directory, 104th edition (2016–2017), published December 2015.
  3. ^ "Michaelmas Ordinations". Church Times. No. 5094. 30 September 1960. p. 15. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 12 November 2016 – via UK Press Online archives.
  4. ^ a b c d Anglican Communion News Service — Tributes paid following death of Bishop John Ball, former Crosslinks general secretary (Accessed 12 November 2016)
  5. ^ "Obituary: John Martin Ball". Church Times. No. 8015. 28 October 2016. p. 41. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 18 February 2020 – via UK Press Online archives.