14 Facts About Wallace Benn

Wallace Parke Benn was born on 6 August 1947 and is a bishop of the Church of England.

Wallace Benn was the area Bishop of Lewes in the Diocese of Chichester from May 1997 until his retirement in October 2012.

Wallace Benn was educated at St Andrew's College, Dublin, then an all-boys school in Dublin.

Wallace Benn studied at University College, Dublin, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1969.

Wallace Benn was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1972 and as a priest in 1973.

Wallace Benn's ordained ministry began with curacies at St Mark's New Ferry, Wirral and St Mary's Cheadle, after which he was Vicar of St James the Great, Audley, Staffordshire and finally St Peter's Harold Wood.

On 1 May 1997, Wallace Benn was consecrated a bishop at Southwark Cathedral, by George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Wallace Benn then served as the Bishop of Lewes, an area and suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Chichester.

Wallace Benn retired from full-time ministry on 31 October 2012.

Wallace Benn has written two books and numerous pamphlets, including The Last Word: Jesus' Teaching in The Upper Room and Jesus Our Joy: Learning about True Spirituality.

Wallace Benn is a council member of Reform, a conservative evangelical grouping in the Church of England opposed to women priests and to the consecration of women as bishops.

Wallace Benn has held leadership roles in a number of conservative evangelical organisations.

Wallace Benn was president of Fellowship of Word and Spirit from 1998 to 2018, president of the Church of England Evangelical Council from 2000 to 2014, and president from 2016 to 2018 then vice-president from 2018 to 2020 of the Church Society.

In 2002, Wallace Benn appeared on the popular BBC television motoring series Top Gear, placing third in the first "Fastest Faith" competition.