Eric Kemp was not only the longest serving diocesan bishop of recent times but also the last “old-style” Anglican bishop who, once enthroned in his cathedral and ensconced in his palace, could retain his see for life. For centuries bishops were allowed, indeed expected, to hold their sees far into old age and die in office. Since 1975 the Church of England has required bishops to retire at 70, but the legislation did not apply to those already in post.
With the retirement of David Sheppard from Liverpool in 1997, Kemp alone remained. Hence it was something of an irony that Kemp, one of the Church’s leading canon lawyers and someone who played a large part in the revision of Anglican canon law, became the last vestige of the older order. He was Bishop of Chichester for 27 years from 1974 until 2001, 16 of them beyond the new retirement age, during which his contribution to the diocese, the Church of England and the wider Church was a particularly distinguished one.
A remarkable man, with deep piety and quite leadership. I doubt his like will be seen again in the CoE, to its great loss. RIP.
Thanks so much for posting this obit. I first came across Eric Kemp in my research for a biography of Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher. So many details of Kemp’s life, mentioned in this excellent obituary, of course lay at the heart of Fisher’s career also, especially canon-law reform. Also, Fisher was much involved (controversially so) in the debate over the Anglican-Methodist reunion scheme, which did indeed fall at a “late hurdle.” That matter came up under Michael Ramsey–a reason for the controversy of the involvement of Ramsey’s predecessor, who should have stayed quiet (or at least quieter) in Trent.
Anyway, that research led me to Kemp’s autobiography: Shy but not Retiring (2006). I’m glad the obit mentions it. Anyone reading this blog would enjoy this book very much–and learn from it. Kemp writes well, remembers a lot, and really punctuates this whole period of history with first-hand, warmly human accounts.
A dear, loving, wonderful man. May he rest in peace and light perpetual shine upon him.