Kenneth Stevenson
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Kenneth William Stevenson (9 November 1949 – 12 January 2011) was the eighth Bishop of Portsmouth in the
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.


Life

Stevenson was born in
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on 19 November 1949. He was educated at
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and the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...
, taking his MA in 1970. Stevenson was consecrated as Bishop of Portsmouth in 1995, following parish work in
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,
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, and in the university chaplaincy at the
University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The University of Manchester is c ...
. He was married, with four children. Stevenson held a PhD from the
University of Southampton The University of Southampton (abbreviated as ''Soton'' in post-nominal letters) is a public university, public research university in Southampton, England. Southampton is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universit ...
and a DD from the
University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The University of Manchester is c ...
where he lectured in
liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...
alongside his work as a chaplain. He was involved in the Church of England's participation in the
Porvoo Communion The Porvoo Communion is a Communion (Christian), communion of 15 predominantly northern European Anglican and Lutheran, Evangelical Lutheran churches, with a couple of far-southwestern European (in the Iberian Peninsula) church bodies of the sa ...
, not least because he was part-Danish. He was a Knight Commander of the Kingdom of Denmark's
Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V of Denmark, Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the Order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single cla ...
. As Bishop, Stevenson was "a highly public bishop and loved the city's diversity. He was at home at
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or enjoying the hospitality of the
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, also moving among some of the most deprived communities in Britain." In 2006, having been diagnosed with
leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...
, Stevenson began a course of treatment and he returned to work in November. On 22 February 2009 he announced at a service at
Portsmouth Cathedral The Cathedral Church of St Thomas of Canterbury, commonly known as Portsmouth Cathedral, is an Anglican cathedral church in the centre of Old Portsmouth in Portsmouth, England. Since 1935 the historic church has been the cathedral of the Dioc ...
that he would retire in September 2009 due to continuing ill-health. He presided at his last confirmation service on 19 July 2009 at St Peter's Church Seaview, Isle of Wight. Stevenson commented in a statement:
"There is a sadness in the decision but I know that it is the right one. I did wrestle with it and it has proved to be the most difficult decision of my life. I have loved being your Bishop and have never wanted to be Bishop of anywhere else."
In retirement, Stevenson continued to write and give his support to fund-raising activities for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, e.g. through musical events and the artistic work of his daughter Alexandra. Stevenson died on 12 January 2011, his ''
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'' obituary noting that "he was drinking champagne and listening to his favourite Bach only hours before his death". His brother-in-law the journalist and editor Stephen Glover wrote in ''The Guardian'' about Stevenson's death that "he accomplished it with good humour, courage and firm belief." Stevenson had two
brothers-in-law A sibling-in-law is the spouse of one's sibling or the sibling of one’s spouse. More commonly, a sibling-in-law is referred to as a brother-in-law for a male sibling-in-law and a sister-in-law for a female sibling-in-law. Sibling-in-law al ...
who were also
bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy 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 and administration of di ...
s: David Tustin and Peter Forster. Both assisted at his funeral at
Portsmouth Cathedral The Cathedral Church of St Thomas of Canterbury, commonly known as Portsmouth Cathedral, is an Anglican cathedral church in the centre of Old Portsmouth in Portsmouth, England. Since 1935 the historic church has been the cathedral of the Dioc ...
on 26 January 2011, along with his great friend
Patricia Routledge Dame Katherine Patricia Routledge ( ; born 17 February 1929) is an English actress and singer, best known for her comedy role as Hyacinth Bucket in the popular BBC sitcom ''Keeping Up Appearances'' (1990–1995), for which she was nominated for ...
.


Works

* ''The Catholic Apostolic Eucharist'', Doctoral Thesis, Southampton University, 1974 * ''Family services'' (Alcuin Club, 1981) * ''Nuptial blessing: a study of Christian marriage rites'' (Alcuin Club, 1982) * ''To join together: the rite of marriage'' (Liturgical Press, 1987) * ''Accept this offering: the Eucharist as sacrifice today'' (SPCK, 1989) * ''The first rites: Worship in the early church'' (Lamp Press, 1989) * ''Covenant of grace renewed: a vision of the Eucharist in the seventeenth century'' (Darton, Longman and Todd, 1994) * ''Handing on: borderlands of worship and tradition'' (Darton, Longman and Todd, 1996) * ''The mystery of baptism in the Anglican tradition'' (Canterbury Press, 1998) * ''All the company of heaven: a companion to the principal festivals of the Christian year'' (Canterbury Press, 1998) * ''Abba, Father: understanding and using the Lord's prayer'' (Canterbury Press, 2000) * ''Do This: The shape, style and meaning of the Eucharist'' (Canterbury Press, 2002) * ''The Lord's prayer: a text in tradition'' (SCM Press, 2004) * ''Watching and waiting: a guide to the celebration of Advent'' (Canterbury Press, 2007) * ''Rooted in detachment: living the Transfiguration'' (Darton, Longman and Todd, 2007) * ''Take, eat: reflections on the Eucharist'' (Canterbury Press, 2008) * ''Liturgy and Interpretation'' (SCM Press, 2011) * ''A Following Holy Life: Jeremy Taylor and His Writings'' (Canterbury Press, 2011)


References


External links


Archived copy of Kenneth Stevenson's former website with some of his speeches, sermons and writing during his time as Bishop of Portsmouth between 2004 and 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevenson, Kenneth William 1949 births 2011 deaths Clergy from Edinburgh People educated at Edinburgh Academy Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Bishops of Portsmouth (Anglican) 20th-century Church of England bishops 21st-century Church of England bishops 20th-century Scottish Episcopalian priests Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog 20th-century Anglican theologians 21st-century Anglican theologians