predecessor religion consecration birth_place title other_post nationality article_title birth_date ordination diocese name church alma_mater
tom butler anglican 21 april 2005 hampton , middlesex bishop of southwark bishop present -rrb- area bishop of woolwich -lrb- 2005 -- 2011 for -rrb- urban life and faith -lrb- 2009 -- british christopher chessun
 5 august 1956 1983 diocese of southwark christopher chessun church of england university college , oxford
christopher chessun

christopher thomas james chessun -lrb- born 5 august 1956 -rrb- is the bishop of southwark in the church of england .
having served as the area bishop of woolwich for over five years the bishopric of southwark was confirmed before a congregation at st mary-le-bow , cheapside on 17 january 2011 .
his southwark cathedral enthronement took place on 6 march 2011 .
chessun was educated at hampton school and university college , oxford .
ordained a priest in 1984 , he served curacies at all angels ' sandhurst and st mary 's portsea and was then successively a chaplain at st paul 's cathedral , london , rector of st dunstan 's , stepney , archdeacon of northolt -lrb- 2001-2005 -rrb- and , on being ordained to the episcopate , bishop of woolwich in 2005 .
he is a passionate advocate of overseas church links and has an identical twin brother .
chessun 's modestly tolerant beliefs on homosexuality were cited by him as the technical reason for declaring the ordinations of three clergy in his diocese to be `` valid but irregular '' .
in may 2011 , the church of england declared that three members of the diocese participating in the anglican mission in england , ordained in kenya , were in an impaired state of communion with chessun due to a conflict of views on homosexuality .
these `` irregular '' clergy would have to seek other bishops to ordain their candidates .
his views are similar to those of his predecessor , tom butler .
in march 2011 he began public ministry as the 10th bishop of southwark .
he is a strong advocate for the parish system as the most effective means of church presence and engagement in the life of local communities , including the need to proclaim the gospel afresh amid the rapid changes in church and community life .
chessun is also the lead bishop for urban life and faith for the church of england .
this offers him an opportunity to contribute to debates and discussions on the importance of the churches ' contribution to urban and public policy within society .
chessun attracted controversy in 2012 with the appointment of seven liberal catholics to his leadership team .
