Gavin Collins

Gavin Andrew Collins (born 31 December 1966) and grew up in Sussex, England. He read law at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1989, automatically progressing to a Master of Arts (MA Cantab) in 1993.

Having attended the College of Law, Guildford, he qualified as a solicitor and worked in the City of London. He served his curacy at St Barnabas, Cambridge from 1997 to 2002. He was additionally rural dean of Rickmansworth from 2006 to 2011.

Collins has been a member of the General Synod of the Church of England since 2013. He contributed a chapter to Journeys in Grace and Truth: Revisiting Scripture and Sexuality, a book of essays from Anglican evangelicals who hold a positive view of same-sex relationships.

Episcopal ministry Collins's appointment as the next Bishop of Dorchester, the area bishop for the whole county of Oxfordshire outside the cathedral city itself, was announced in November 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, his consecration as a bishop was postponed from 28 January, and instead he was licensed as episcopal vicar for the area ad interim; a role more common in the Roman Catholic Church and almost unique in the Church of England. His consecration was planned for 12 April, but because of the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh that weekend, the service was held privately at Lambeth Palace on 14 April 2021 with a limited congregation under COVID restrictions, and it was not live-streamed. He was consecrated a bishop by Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London, in a service which began at 9:45am.

Views In November 2022, Collins endorsed Steven Croft's call that clergy in the Church of England should be free to bless or marry same-sex partners and to enter into a same-sex marriage themselves; this is in contrast to the Church's current official position.

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".

Family He is married to Christina and they have three children. He has a twin brother who is an Elder in the Baptist Church and a sister who is a Methodist Lay preacher.

Selected works

Styles The Reverend Gavin Collins (1998–2009) The Reverend Canon Gavin Collins (2009–2010) The Venerable Gavin Collins (2011–2021) The Right Reverend Gavin Collins (2021–present)