Peter Andrew Eagles, QHC (born 6 July 1959) is a British retired Anglican bishop. From 2017 to 2023, he was the Bishop of Sodor and Man; he was consecrated a bishop in the Church of England in June 2017, and he was installed in September 2017. He is a former chaplain of the British Army, serving as Archdeacon for the Army (2011–2017) and the Deputy Chaplain-General of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department (2014–2017).
Peter Eagles | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Sodor and Man | |
.jpg) Eagles in 2013 | |
| Church | Church of England |
| Diocese | Diocese of Sodor and Man |
| In office | 2017 to 2023 |
| Predecessor | Robert Paterson |
| Successor | TBA |
| Other post(s) | Archdeacon for the Army (2011–2017) Deputy Chaplain-General (2014–2017) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1989 (deacon) by Graham Leonard 1990 (priest) by Tom Butler |
| Consecration | 22 June 2017 by John Sentamu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Peter Andrew Eagles 6 July 1959 |
| Nationality | British |
| Residence | Thie yn Aspick, Douglas[1] |
| Spouse |
Gail (m. 1992) |
| Children | One |
| Education | Royal Grammar School, Guildford |
| Alma mater | |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1990–2017 |
| Rank | Deputy Chaplain General (equivalent to brigadier) |
| Service number | 539182 |
| Unit | Royal Army Chaplains' Department |
Early life and education
editEagles was born on 6 July 1959.[2] He was educated at the Royal Grammar School, an all-boys private school in Guildford, Surrey.[2] He studied German and Russian at King's College, London, and he graduated in 1982 with a first class Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree and the Associateship of King's College (AKC).[2][1]
Between 1982 and 1986, Eagles was an assistant master at Tonbridge School, an independent school in Tonbridge, Kent, and also worked as a freelance translator.[2] In 1986, he entered St Stephen's House, Oxford, an Anglo-Catholic theological college, to train for holy orders and study theology.[1] He graduated with a further BA in 1988.[2]
Ordained ministry
editEagles was ordained in the Church of England: made a deacon at Petertide 1989 (1 July), by Graham Leonard, Bishop of London, at St Paul's Cathedral[3] and ordained a priest the Petertide following (1 July 1990), by Tom Butler, Bishop of Willesden, at his title church.[4] From 1989 to 1992, he served his curacy at St Martin's Church, Ruislip, an Anglo-Catholic church in the Diocese of London.[2]
Military service
editOn 27 January 1990, Eagles was commissioned into the Royal Army Chaplains' Department of the British Army as a Chaplain to the Forces 4th Class (equivalent in rank to captain).[5] He was promoted to Chaplain to the Forces 3rd Class (equivalent in rank to major) on 27 January 1998,[6] and to Chaplain to the Forces 2nd Class on 5 September 2005 (equivalent in rank to lieutenant colonel).[7] From 2007 to 2008, he was Chaplain of the Royal Military Chapel (Guards Chapel) at Wellington Barracks in London.[1]
On 28 January 2008, Eagles was promoted to Chaplain to the Forces 1st Class (equivalent in rank to colonel) and appointed an Assistant Chaplain General.[2][8] On 28 July 2011, he was collated and licensed as the Archdeacon for the Army, the most senior Anglican chaplain in the British Army, during a service at Lambeth Palace Chapel;[9] as such he was a member of the General Synod of the Church of England.[10] From 2013 to 2014, he attended the Royal College of Defence Studies to prepare for further promotion.[2] On 14 July 2014, he was appointed the Deputy Chaplain General (equivalent in rank to brigadier), thereby becoming the second most senior chaplain in the British Army.[11]
During his military career, Eagles undertook multiple tours of duty. These included postings to Northern Ireland during The Troubles, with the United Nations in Kosovo, to Iraq as senior chaplain to the 12 Mechanised Brigade and to Helmand Province, Afghanistan as senior chaplain to the 16 Air Assault Brigade.[12]
Eagles officially retired from the British Army on 6 July 2017.[13]
Episcopal ministry
edit
On 4 May 2017, it was announced that Eagles would be the next Bishop of Sodor and Man.[14][15] He was consecrated a bishop on 22 June 2017 during a service at York Minster,[16] by John Sentamu, Archbishop of York. He was installed at the Cathedral Church of St German in Peel, Isle of Man on 30 September 2017.[17] As Bishop of Sodor and Man, he has an ex-officio seat on the Legislative Council of the Isle of Man which he took up upon his installation as bishop.[18]
In March 2023, it was announced that Eagles would retire as Bishop of Sodor and Man after six years in the post in October 2023.[19][20] His farewell service was held on 28 October followed by the laying down of his crozier, symbolically ending his time as bishop.[21] He retirement was effective 31 October 2023.[22]
Views
editEagles belongs to the Anglo-Catholic wing of the Church of England.[23] Though he has a traditionalist background, due to the circumstances of the Diocese of Sodor and Man (only having one bishop), he plans to "ordain all who are called to be deacons and priests".[23][24] As such, he has ordained women to the priesthood.[25]
Personal life
editIn 1992, Eagles married Gail Seager. Together they have one son.[2]
Honours
editOn 17 October 2013, Eagles was appointed an Honorary Chaplain to the Queen (QHC).[26] On 15 October 2015, he was installed as an honorary canon of Salisbury Cathedral.[27][28]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Eagles Peter Andrew". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Eagles, Peter Andrew". Who's Who. Vol. 2017 (November 2016 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 22 June 2017. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ "Petertide ordinations". Church Times. No. 6595. 7 July 1989. p. 4. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 6 July 2017 – via UK Press Online archives.
- ^ "Ordinations at Petertide". Church Times. No. 6648. 13 July 1990. p. 5. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 6 July 2017 – via UK Press Online archives.
- ^ "No. 60932". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 February 1992. p. 1842.
- ^ "No. 55032". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 February 1998. p. 1250.
- ^ "No. 57747". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 September 2005. p. 11453.
- ^ "No. 58707". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 May 2008. p. 7940.
- ^ "Collation service for new Archdeacon for the Army". rowanwilliams.archbishopofcanterbury.org. Church of England. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- ^ "Synod Elections 2015: Results". churchofengland.org. Church of England. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- ^ "No. 60932". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 July 2014. p. 3.
- ^ "The Right Reverend Peter Andrew Eagles, Bishop of Sodor and Man". The Diocese of Sodor and Man. Archived from the original on 20 July 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
- ^ "No. 61991". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 July 2017. p. 13119.
- ^ "Peter Eagles appointed new Isle of Man bishop". BBC News. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- ^ "Bishop of Sodor and Man: Peter Eagles". Government of the United Kingdom. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- ^ "The Consecration of the Venerable Peter Eagles, 22 June 2017". Diocese of Sodor and Man. 9 May 2017. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
- ^ "Peter Eagles: New bishop of Sodor and Man installed at Peel Cathedral". BBC News. 30 September 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
- ^ "The Lord Bishop" (PDF). Tynwald Day 2017. 5 July 2017. p. 10. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
- ^ Coldwell, John (9 March 2023). "Bishop Peter announces his plans to retire". The Diocese of Sodor and Man. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
- ^ Eagles, PA (9 March 2023). "Announcement of Resignation" (PDF). The Diocese of Sodor and Man. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
- ^ Coldwell, John (30 October 2023). "Bishop Peter's Farewell Service". The Diocese of Sodor and Man. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
- ^ "Crown Nominations Commission". The Diocese of Sodor and Man. 7 September 2023. Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ a b Wyatt, Tim (4 May 2017). "Catholic Group army padre Peter Eagles to be Bishop of Sodor & Man". Church Times. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- ^ "Bishop of Sodor and Man Announced". Diocese of Sodor and Man. 4 May 2017. Archived from the original on 13 May 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- ^ "The Ordination as Priest of The Reverend Ruth Walker at the Cathedral". The Diocese of Sodor and Man. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
- ^ "No. 60745". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 January 2014. p. 194.
- ^ Thomas, Marie (20 October 2015). "Four canons installed – to the sound of new music!". Salisbury Cathedral. Church of England. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
- ^ Tollast, Oscar (14 September 2015). "Four new Canons set to join Salisbury Cathedral". Dorset Echo. Retrieved 4 May 2017.