Christopher Campling

Christopher Russell Campling (4 July 1925 – 9 December 2020) was a British Anglican priest who was the Dean of Ripon.^[1]

The Very Reverend Christopher Campling
Dean of Ripon
Church	Church of England
Diocese	Diocese of Ripon
In office	1984 – 1995
Predecessor	Edwin Le Grice
Successor	John Methuen
Other post(s)	Archdeacon of Dudley (1976–1984)
Orders
Ordination	1952
Personal details
Born	Christopher Russell Campling 4 July 1925
Died	9 December 2020(2020-12-09) (aged 95)
Nationality	British
Denomination	Anglicism
Education	Lancing College
Alma mater	St Edmund Hall, Oxford

Early life and education

Campling was born on 4 July 1925 and educated at Lancing College and St Edmund Hall, Oxford.^[2]

Ordained ministry

Ordained in 1952 he began his career with a curacy in Basingstoke^[3] after which he was a Minor Canon at Ely Cathedral.^[4] He was then appointed Chaplain of his old school. Later Vicar then Rural Dean of Pershore, his next appointment was as Archdeacon of Dudley in 1975 — a post he held jointly with his role as director of education for the Anglican Diocese of Worcester and priest-in-charge of St Augustine's Church, Dodderhill, Droitwich. Then, in 1984, he was appointed Dean of Ripon.^[5] After 11 years as head of Ripon Cathedral, he retired from full-time ministry.

Campling belonged to the liberal wing of the Church of England. He was a supporter of ecumenism, the ordination of women, the remarriage of divorcees in church.^[6]

An eminent author,^[7] he retired to Worthing^[8] where he wrote his memoir, I Was Glad.^[9] He continued to preach and lecture occasionally in retirement.^[10]

He died on 9 December 2020 at the age of 95.^[11]