Paul Barker (bishop)

The Right Reverend

Paul Barker
Assistant bishop (Jumbunna Episcopate), Anglican Diocese of Melbourne
ChurchAnglican Church of Australia
DioceseMelbourne
Installed12 November 2016[1]
Orders
Ordination1990 (deacon and priest)[2]
Consecration12 November 2016[1][3]
by Philip Freier
Personal details
NationalityAustralian
DenominationAnglican
Alma materRidley College (undergraduate theology)[4]
University of Bristol (PhD)[2]

Paul Anthony Barker[5] (born 1961) is an Australian bishop in the Anglican Church of Australia. He has served as an assistant bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, as the Bishop for the Jumbunna Episcopate (covering the outer southern and eastern suburbs of Melbourne, since November 2016.

Barker trained as an actuary before studying theology at Ridley College in Melbourne.[4] He graduated from there in 1989[2] before being ordained as deacon and priest in 1990.[2]

Barker then served in parish ministry throughout the Diocese of Melbourne, including as vicar of Holy Trinity Doncaster from 1996-2009, Archdeacon of Box Hill for eight years from 2001 and as a visiting lecturer at Ridley College for nearly 20 years.[1] During this time, he spent three years in England between 1993 and 1996[2] completing a PhD at the University of Bristol on the book of Deuteronomy.[1]

Between 2009 and 2016, Barker worked in south and southeast Asia, his roles including visiting scholar at Seminari Theoloji Malaysia and adjunct lecturer at Myanmar Evangelical Graduate School of Theology. He was also the Asian Regional Coordinator for Langham Preaching Scholar Care,[1] in which role he has trained preachers in the region, including India, Pakistan, Myanmar and Thailand.[2] Since returning to Australia, Barker has served as a Director of Langham Partnership Australia.[6]

On 1 April 2016, it was announced that Barker had been appointed as an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Melbourne in charge of the Jumbunna Episcopate, replacing Paul White who moved to a part-time role as Assistant Bishop for Growth Areas Ministry.[1] He was consecrated by Archbishop Philip Freier as bishop and appointed to the role on 12 November 2016.[7]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Brolly, Mark (15 November 2016). "Missionary teacher returns as Melbourne's newest assistant bishop". The Melbourne Anglican. Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Bishop Paul Barker". Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  3. ^ Conger, George (16 November 2016). "Evangelical appointed Assistant Bishop of Melbourne". Anglican Ink. Anglican TV Ministries. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Three Bishops". Ridley College. 5 April 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  5. ^ Freier, Philip (1 April 2016). "Two new bishops for Melbourne". Philip Freier: Anglican Primate of Australia. Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  6. ^ "Leadership - Langham Partnership Australia". Langham Partnership Australia. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  7. ^ "Consecration as Bishop of the Revd Dr Paul Barker". St Paul's Cathedral Melbourne. Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. November 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2020.