Anthony Priddis

The Right Reverend Anthony Martin Priddis (born 1948) is the current Bishop of Hereford. He has three children. He is best known for having vetoed the appointment of a gay youth officer, an action which was found to be unlawful by an industrial tribunal and found him being named "Bigot of the Year" in the 2007 Stonewall awards. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/gayrights/story/0,,2203828,00.html Guardian wins Stonewall media award] "The Guardian", 3 November 2007]

Career

Priddis was ordained in 1972, following which he worked as a deacon at New Addington, Surrey. In 1975 he moved to Oxford and held a number of posts within Oxfordshire. He became Bishop of Warwick in 1996. He was appointed to the role of Bishop of Hereford in March 2004; this appointment was the first time a Bishop had been appointed by the Church of England following external advertising. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/faith/2004/06/priddis_background.shtml BBC profile of Anthony Priddis] ]

In April 2007, he was in the news as having vetoed the appointment of a gay youth officer who brought Employment Tribunal proceedings against him claiming unlawful sexual orientation discrimination. [BBC News (2007-04-01) [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/6515675.stm "Gay man takes bishop to tribunal"] . Retrieved on 2007-04-09] The youth officer was not in a sexual relationship and had undertaken not to enter into a sexual relationship whilst in post without discussing it with the Bishop first. The proceedings were successful and the Bishop was found to have acted unlawfully by discriminating against the youth officer because of his sexuality. [ [http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/002520.html Hereford case: judgement published] Thinking Anglicans website (accessed 18 July 2007)] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6904057.stm Bishop loses gay employment case] BBC News website (accessed 18 July 2007) ] [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/gayrights/story/0,,2129741,00.html Bishop urged to resign after diocese loses gay bias case] "The Guardian" 19 July 2007] The Bishop was chosen as "Bigot of the Year" by Stonewall later that year. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/gayrights/story/0,,2203828,00.html Guardian report of Stonewall awards night] "The Guardian" 2 November 2007] [ [http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/002810.html Church Times report of Bishop's comment on Stonewall award] 21 December 2007] The diocese failed to agree a settlement and was, therefore, ordered by the Employment Tribunal to pay the youth worker over £47,000 in compensation in February 2008. [ [http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/002903.html Thinking Anglicans digest of news reports 8 February 2008] ] The Employment Tribunal also said that it expected the bishop to undergo equal opportunities training. [ [http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/002903.html Thinking Anglicans digest of news reports 8 February 2008] ]

Styles

* Mr Anthony Priddis (1948-1972)
* The Revd. Anthony Priddis (1972-1996)
* The Rt. Revd. Anthony Priddis (1996-)

Religious titles

References