Leonard Beecher

Leonard James Beecher CMG, ARCS, FRAI (21 May 1906 – 16 December 1987) was an English-born Anglican archbishop.^[1] He was the first archbishop of the Province of East Africa, comprising Kenya and Tanzania, from 1960 to 1970.

The Most Reverend Leonard Beecher CMG, ARCS, FRAI
Archbishop of East Africa, Bishop of Nairobi
Beecher being blessed by Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury, after having been installed the first Archbishop of East Africa in 1960, at St Alban's Church, Dar es Salaam
Church	Church of the Province of East Africa
Elected	7 April 1960
Installed	3 August 1960
Retired	3 August 1970
Predecessor	Reginald Crabbe, as Bishop of Mombasa
Successor	Festo Olang', as Archbishop of Kenya John Sepeku, as Archbishop of Tanzania
Previous post(s)	Mombasa (asst.); IV Mombasa
Personal details
Born	(1906-05-21)21 May 1906 Deptford, London, United Kingdom
Died	16 December 1987(1987-12-16) (aged 81) Nairobi, Republic of Kenya
Spouse	Gladys Sybil Bazett Leakey ​ ​ (m. 1930; died 1982)​
Children	3
Education	Imperial College, University of London (BSc, MA) London Day Training College, University of London (Teacher's Certificate) Lambeth Degree (DD)
Ordination history
History Diaconal ordination Ordained by Richard Heywood Date 1929 Place Cathedral of the Highlands, Diocese of Mombasa Priestly ordination Ordained by Richard Heywood Date 1931 Place Cathedral of the Highlands, Diocese of Mombasa Episcopal consecration Principal consecrator Geoffrey Fisher Co-consecrators William Wand, Edward Woods, Christopher Chavasse, Bertram Simpson, John Jones, Hugh Gough, George Ingle, Richard Heywood; John Willis; George Wright; William Stanton Jones, and John Mann. Date 25 July 1950 Place St Paul's Cathedral, Diocese of London

Education and training

He was educated at St. Olave's Grammar School and Imperial College London, ordained deacon in 1929 and priest in 1931.^[2][3][4] He became an Associate of the Royal College of Science (ARCS) in 1926 and made a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute (FRAI) in 1928.

Missionary in Africa

He was a missionary of the Church Mission Society in the Diocese of Mombasa from 1930, working in the Highlands.^[5] He was appointed Archdeacon of Mombasa and a Canon (both 1945–1953)^[6] and an Assistant Bishop of Mombasa:^[7] he was consecrated a bishop on St James's Day 1950 (25 July) by Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury, at St Paul's Cathedral.^[8] He became diocesan Bishop of Mombasa in 1953^[9] and — additionally — Archbishop of the Province of East Africa, from 1960 to 1970:^[10] he was elected (by the House of Bishops of the province-to-be)^[11] to serve as the first archbishop in April 1960^[12] and installed by Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury, at the new province's inauguration service on 3 August 1960 at Dar-es-Salaam.^[13]

Later life

A prominent member of the Royal African Society,^[14] he retired in 1970 and died on 16 December 1987. He is buried in the cemetery at All Saints, Limuru.^[15]