Ambrose Reeves

Richard Ambrose Reeves (6 December 1899 23 December 1980) was an Anglican bishop and opponent of Apartheid in the 20th century.

Education and ordinations Reeves was educated at Great Yarmouth Grammar School, served in the Great War and priested the next Trinity Sunday (12 June 1927) — both times by Arthur Winnington-Ingram, Bishop of London, at St Paul's Cathedral. In 1931, he married Ada van Ryssan; they had four children. His first incumbency followed, in Scotland: he was Rector of St Margaret's, Leven, where he remained until 1935.

He next served as secretary of the World Student Christian Federation — the worldwide federation of national Student Christian Movements (SCMs) — based in Geneva; and was licensed by the Bishops of Gibraltar and of Fulham to function as a priest within continental Europe. He served as the third Bishop of Johannesburg (succeeding Clayton) until 1961 – his position became untenable when the government of South Africa deported him on 12 September 1960 and he resigned the see effective 31 March 1961. Both during and after his tenure as bishop, Reeves was remarkably outspoken against the South African government's policies of apartheid – he published on the subject in the 1960s (Shooting at Sharpeville: the Agony of South Africa, 1960; South Africa-Yesterday and Tomorrow, 1962; Let the facts speak (Christian Action), 1962; Calvary Now, 1965) and served as president of the Anti-Apartheid Movement from 1970 until his death. , and was also an Assistant Bishop of London until 1966. He then moved in 1966 to Lewes, East Sussex, to serve St Michael's parish as priest-in-charge until 1968, then as rector until his retirement in 1972; he was additionally licensed as Assistant Bishop of Chichester from 1966 until his death (functioning in retirement in Shoreham-by-Sea as what is now called an honorary assistant bishop).