He trained for ordination at the College of the Resurrection, Mirfield. During his ministry, he returned to Durham University for postgraduate study. He completed a Master of Arts (MA) degree in systematic theology in 1994 and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in 2002.[6] His doctoral thesis was titled "A Christian theology of place",[9] which was revised and published under the same name in 2003 via Ashgate Publishing.[10]
After leaving Harrow, Inge moved into parish ministry. From 1990 to 1996, he was the vicar of St Luke's Church, Wallsend in the Diocese of Newcastle, where he also chaired the Board for Mission and Social Responsibility. He became a canon residentiary of Ely Cathedral in 1996 with particular responsibility for education and mission. He served as vice-dean of the cathedral from 1999 to 2003.[13]
Following a farewell service in Worcester Cathedral on 29 September,[17] he retired as Bishop of Worcester on 9 October 2024.[13]
Other work
Inge served as chair of the board of the College of Evangelists from 2010 to 2018. He served as a member of the Faith and Order Commission (FAOC) from 2011 to 2016 and on the council of Ridley Hall, Cambridge from 2004 to 2010. He was for some years a trustee of Common Purpose UK, an international, not-for-profit organisation which organises leadership courses across the UK and abroad for the public, private and voluntary sectors, and for which he is now a trust protector.[1] He chairs the council for the Archbishop of Canterbury's Examination (Lambeth Degree) in Theology which awards the Lambeth Degree — an MA, MPhil or PhD in theology.[1] He is also an advisor for the independent public policy think tank ResPublica. He served as Visitor to the Community of the Holy Name from 2007 to 2020 and Visitor to Mucknell Abbey from 2009 to 2020. He was lead bishop on cathedrals and church buildings from 2014 to 2019.
Inge has led numerous groups to Africa, India, South America, Russia and the Holy Land. Whilst vice dean of Ely Cathedral he established a link between Ely and the Anglican cathedral of Christ Church, Zanzibar[14] and is active in Worcester diocesan links with the Morogoro diocese in the Anglican Church of Tanzania and the Anglican diocese of Peru. He is a longstanding supporter of the World Development Movement, which campaigns for justice and development in the Global South.
Inge was introduced in the House of Lords on 25 June 2012 and made his maiden speech three days later on 28 June. He joined his first cousin in the Upper House, Field Marshal The Lord Inge, a former Chief of the Defence Staff. On 15 February 2013 it was announced that he had been appointed to the office of Lord High Almoner,[18] a post in the royal household. He took part in the Royal Procession at the 2023 Coronation.[19]
Views
In November 2022, he published a letter alongside his suffragan bishop, Martin Gorick, that stated "the time has come for the Church to celebrate and honour same sex relations" and supported the introduction of same-sex marriage in the Church of England.[20] He later published a detailed letter explaining his view.[21]
In November 2023, he was one of 44 Church of England bishops who signed an open letter supporting the use of the Prayers of Love and Faith (i.e. blessings for same-sex couples) and called for "Guidance being issued without delay that includes the removal of all restrictions on clergy entering same-sex civil marriages, and on bishops ordaining and licensing such clergy".[22]
Personal life
Inge was married to Denise; she died from cancer on April 20, 2014, at the age of 51.[23][24] Together they had two children.[23] He remarried in January 2018 to H-J Colston, a China Expert, who runs an educational charity, ‘Engage with China’.[25] Through his second marriage, he has two step-children.[26]
As well as numerous articles, he is the author of A Christian Theology of Place (2003), which was shortlisted for the Michael Ramsey Prize for Theological Writing, and Living Love: in Conversation with the No 1. Ladies' Detective Agency (2007).
