John Hepworth

John Anthony Hepworth (born 1944) is an Australian bishop. He is currently the Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion, an international body of continuing Anglican churches, and Bishop Ordinary of the Diocese of Australia in the Anglican Catholic Church in Australia.
In 1968 Hepworth was ordained to the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church for the Archdiocese of Adelaide. In 1976 he was received into the Anglican Church of Australia. From 1976 to 1977 he had permission to officiate in the Anglican Diocese of Ballarat. From 1977 to 1978 he was the assistant priest in the Colac parish and, from 1978 to 1980, was Rector of South Ballarat, based in Sebastopol.Crockford's Clerical Directory (1980-1982): 457.
In 1992 Hepworth joined the Anglican Catholic Church in Australia. In 1996 he was consecrated as an assistant bishop and in 1998 he became the diocesan bishop. In 2002 he was elected primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion in succession to Louis Falk. 
Hepworth has a degree in political science and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Adelaide in 1982 with a thesis about Catholic Action entitled "The Movement Revisited: A South Australian Perspective". He later received a doctorate. For five years he was lecturer in politics at Northern Territory University before becoming co-ordinator of international studies at the University of South Australia.Peter Gleeson, "The Head of his Church", Gold coast Bulletin (5 July 2003). In 1998 he was elected to the Australian Constitutional Convention as a member of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy.Gabrielle Chan, "No stones cast as clerics strike deal", The Australian (14 February 1998). He was formerly chair of the Australia-Vietnam Human Rights Committee in South Australia."Bishop to speak on human rights", Adelaide Advertiser (7 December 1998).
Hepworth can be heard regularly on Adelaide's 5AA radio station where he acts as a political commentator on the conservative Leon Byner Show. He has recently been vigorously promoting the views of a climate change skeptic, Lord Christopher Monckton, on the program.
Hepworth has been married twice.Ed West, "Pope wants personal prelature for ex-Anglicans", The Catholic Herald (6 February 2009). He has three children and lives in the Adelaide suburb of Blackwood, South Australia.
==References==
==Sources and references==
* 2003 Interview with David Virtue
* 2005 Interview with David Virtue
* 2008 Interview with David Virtue
==External links==
*Traditional Anglican Communion website
* Diocesan officers webpage
Category:Primates of the Traditional Anglican Communion
Category:Anglo-Catholics
Category:Anglo-Catholic bishops
Category:Living people
Category:1944 births
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