David Walker

Ordained ministry Walker was ordained in the Church of England: made a deacon at Petertide 1983 (3 July) and ordained a priest the Petertide following (1 July 1984), both times by David Lunn, Bishop of Sheffield, at Sheffield Cathedral. Walker's ordained ministry began as a curate at St Mary Handsworth, after which he was a team vicar at Maltby, then Bramley before ordination to the episcopate.

Walker was consecrated as a bishop on 30 November 2000 by George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury, at St Paul's Cathedral. During his time as Bishop of Dudley, Walker was Acting Bishop of Worcester (as the sole suffragan of the diocese) during the 2007 interregnum between the retirement of Peter Selby and confirmation of John Inge.

Walker's nomination to be the next Bishop of Manchester was announced on 5 June 2013; his canonical election to the see was confirmed on 7 October 2013; and he was enthroned at Manchester Cathedral on 30 November 2013. Walker was awarded a doctorate in 2014 after research, at Warwick University, on how people belong to their churches, particularly in rural Anglicanism.

Since 2014, Walker has been vice-president of Affirming Catholicism. He is a member of the Third Order of the Society of St Francis (TSSF).

Walker was introduced into the House of Lords on 7 September 2020. He was additionally appointed Convenor of the Lords Spiritual in 2025, and has served since 1 June 2025.

Views Walker supports the introduction of same-sex marriage in the Church of England: "I would be delighted to serve as bishop in a church that fully celebrated the committed, exclusive and faithful love of two adults, regardless of whether they were of same or different sexes".

In November 2023, he was one of 44 Church of England bishops who signed an open letter supporting the use of the Prayers of Love and Faith (i.e. blessings for same-sex couples) and called for "Guidance being issued without delay that includes the removal of all restrictions on clergy entering same-sex civil marriages, and on bishops ordaining and licensing such clergy".

Personal life Walker is a keen hill walker. He married Susan in 1980 and together they have two children;

Styles The Reverend David Walker (1983–2000) The Right Reverend David Walker (2000–2014) The Right Reverend Doctor David Walker (2014–present)