Christopher Russell Campling (4 July 1925 – 9 December 2020) was a British Anglican priest who was the Dean of Ripon."Campling, Very Rev. Christopher Russell", Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012; online edn, Nov 2012 accessed 23 Sept 2013
Early life and education Campling was born on 4 July 1925 and educated at Lancing College and St Edmund Hall, Oxford.Who's Who 2008: London, A & C Black, 2008
Ordained ministry Ordained in 1952 he began his career with a curacy in BasingstokeDebrett's People of Today: (1992, London, Debrett's) after which he was a Minor Canon at Ely Cathedral.Crockford's clerical directory Lambeth, Church House, 1976 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.The Times, Wednesday, 8 May 09, 1984; p. 16; Issue 61826; col G New Dean of Ripon 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.
An eminent author,Amongst others he wrote “The Way, The Truth and The Life” (Vol. 1, The Love of God in Action, 1964; Vol. 2, The People of God in Action, 1964; Vol. 3, The Word of God in Action, 1965; Vol. 4, God's Plan in Action, 1965); “Words of Worship”, 1969; “The Fourth Lesson” (Vol. 1 1973, Vol. 2 1974); and The Food of Love, 1997 he retired to WorthingChurches Together in Sussex No. 81 (2013, Brighton) where he wrote his memoir, I Was Glad. He continued to preach and lecture occasionally in retirement.Ripon Cathedral News, January 2011
He died on 9 December 2020 at the age of 95.Campling
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