Stephen Pedley, a prominent Church of England clergyman, has passed away at age 85. He served as bishop of Lancaster from 1998 until 2005, a role in which he became known to parishioners as “the people’s bishop” for his approachable pastoral style and genuine concern for those under his care.
Pedley was born in Coventry to Geoffrey, an ordained priest, and his wife Muriel. He attended Marlborough School in Wiltshire and studied history at Queens’ College, Cambridge before pursuing theological training at Ripon College Cuddesdon in Oxfordshire. Following his ordination in 1966, he began his career as a curate at Liverpool Parish Church, one of England’s most prominent city center ecclesiastical buildings. It was there he met Mary Macdonald, daughter of a clergyman and a trainee teacher; the couple married in 1970.
Throughout his career, Pedley held various positions across England and beyond. He served as a curate in Coventry, worked as a priest in Kitwe in Zambia’s copper belt from 1971 to 1977, and later held roles as vicar in Stockton, rector in Whickham, and residentiary canon at Durham Cathedral. He also served as chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II beginning in 1984. After his tenure as bishop of Lancaster concluded, he took on duties as an honorary assistant bishop for the Newcastle diocese.
Pedley was widely recognized for his warmth, empathy, and infectious sense of humor. Colleagues and parishioners remembered his distinctive laughter and his genuine interest in the people he served. Together with his wife, he was known for extending generous hospitality throughout their married life. He is survived by Mary, their three children—Mark, Andrew, and Philippa—and six grandchildren.
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