Gregory Edwin Thompson (born 1956) is a retired Australian Anglican

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

. From 2014 to 2017 he was the Bishop of Newcastle. He was previously, from 2007 to 2013, the

Bishop of the Northern Territory The Bishop of the Northern Territory is the diocesan bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Northern Territory, Australia. List of Bishops of the Northern Territory References External links * – official site {{DEFAULTSORT:Northe ...

Early life and education

Thompson was born in

Muswellbrook Muswellbrook ( ) is a town in the Upper Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, about north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle. Geologically, Muswellbrook is situated in the northern parts of the Sydney basin, bordering the New Eng ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. He studied at the University of Newcastle. He trained for ordained ministry at Ridley College, an

Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exp ...

Anglican

theological college A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clerg ...

in Melbourne.

Ordained ministry

Thompson was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform var ...

in 1986. From 1988 to 1994, he was

Parish Priest A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

Darwin Darwin may refer to: Common meanings * Charles Darwin (1809–1882), English naturalist and writer, best known as the originator of the theory of biological evolution by natural selection * Darwin, Northern Territory, a territorial capital city i ...

in the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Au ...

. Then, from 1994 to 1999, he was the New South Wales State Secretary of the

Bush Church Aid Society Bush commonly refers to: * Shrub, a small or medium woody plant Bush, Bushes, or the bush may also refer to: People * Bush (surname), including any of several people with that name **Bush family, a prominent American family that includes: ***Ge ...

. Having returned to parish ministry, he was

Rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of St John's Church,

Darlinghurst Darlinghurst is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Darlinghurst is located immediately east of the Sydney central business district (CBD) and Hyde Park, within the local government area of the City of Syd ...

in Sydney between 1999 and 2004, and then Rector of St John's Church in Canberra. Thompson was ordained to the

episcopate A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...

on 31 May 2007 at Christ Church Cathedral,

. He then became the

. In September 2012, he was elected as the next Bishop of Newcastle. He took up the appointment on 2 February 2013, becoming the 13th Bishop of Newcastle. Thompson concluded his ministry on 31 May 2017. His farewell service was held in Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle on 21 May 2017.

Personal life

Thompson is married to Kerry. In 2015, Thompson reported that he had been sexually abused by

Ian Shevill Ian Wotton Allnutt Shevill AO (11 May 19173 November 1988) was an Australian Anglican bishop. Early life and education Ian Shevill was educated at Scots College, Sydney, and Sydney University, then at Moore Theological College and the Austra ...

as a young man when he was 19 and interested in the priesthood. Shevill has been identified as a sexual predator by the

Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was a royal commission announced in November 2012 and established in 2013 by the Australian government pursuant to the Royal Commissions Act 1902 to inquire into and repor ...

in 2016.

References

1956 births People from Upper Hunter Shire Council Alumni of Ridley College, Melbourne Anglican bishops of the Northern Territory Bishops of Newcastle 21st-century Anglican bishops in Australia Living people University of Newcastle (Australia) alumni {{Australia-anglican-bishop-stub

Early life and education

Ordained ministry

Personal life

See also

References