David Bentley (bishop of Gloucester)

David Edward Bentley (7 August 1935 – 4 March 2020) was an English bishop. He was first the Bishop of Lynn and, subsequently, the Bishop of Gloucester in the Church of England.

The Rt Revd David Bentley
Bishop of Gloucester
Diocese	Diocese of Gloucester
Installed	1993
Term ended	2003 (retirement)
Predecessor	Peter Ball
Successor	Michael Perham
Other post(s)	Bishop of Lynn (1986–1993)
Orders
Ordination	1961
Consecration	July 1986[1]
Personal details
Born	(1935-08-07)7 August 1935
Died	4 March 2020(2020-03-04) (aged 84)
Denomination	Anglican
Spouse	Clarice Bentley
Children	Katharine Gorick, Simon Bentley, Rachel Harrison, Matthew Bentley
Alma mater	University of Leeds

Early life and education

Bentley was educated at Great Yarmouth Grammar School and the University of Leeds. He studied for ordination at Westcott House, Cambridge.^[2]

Ordained ministry

Bentley was ordained in 1961. He began his ordained ministry as a curate at St Ambrose's Bristol and Holy Trinity with St Mary in Guildford;^[3] after which he was rector of Headley, East Hampshire,^[4] Rural Dean of Esher and (his final position before ordination to the episcopate) Warden of the Community of All Hallows, Ditchingham.^[5]

He was consecrated as a bishop on 22 July 1986, by Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Southwark Cathedral.^[6] On retirement he moved to Lichfield where he was an Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Lichfield. His two sons in law are Suffragan Bishops.^[7]

He died on 4 March 2020 at the age of 84.^[8]