John Packer

Who is John Packer?

John Richard Packer is a retired British Anglican bishop. He was the only Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, serving from the renaming of the diocese from Ripon in 2000 to its merge into the Diocese of Leeds in 2014.

Born in Blackburn, Lancashire, firstly educated in Manchester Grammar School, Packer graduated from Keble College, Oxford, with a Bachelor of Arts in modern history in 1967 and from Ripon Hall, Oxford, with a Bachelor and a Master of Arts in theology in 1975.

Packer became a deacon in 1970 and was Curate of St Helier, in Southwark, until 1973. Ordained as priest in 1971, he worked in Abingdon in Berkshire from 1973 to 1977. Between 1973 and 1975, he was Tutor at Ripon Hall, and between 1975 and 1977 at Ripon College Cuddesdon. In the following, Packer was Vicar of Wath-upon-Dearne with Adwick-upon-Dearne until 1986, and from 1986 to 1991 team rector at Sheffield Manor. He was twice Rural Dean, firstly of Wath from 1983 to 1986, and secondly of Attercliffe in 1990 and 1991. Until 1996, he was Archdeacon of West Cumberland, having been also priest-in-charge in Bridekirk in 1995 and 1996.