Malcolm George Richards[3] (born 1959/1960) is an Australian bishop in the Anglican Church of Australia. He has served as an assistant bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, as the Bishop for International Relations, since July 2019.[4]


Malcolm Richards
Assistant bishop for International Relations, Anglican Diocese of Sydney
ChurchAnglican Church of Australia
DioceseSydney
Installed6 July 2019[1]
Orders
Consecration6 July 2019
by Glenn Davies
Personal details
Born1959 or 1960 (age 64–65)[2]
NationalityAustralian
DenominationAnglican
SpouseElizabeth[2]
Children3[2]
Alma materMoore Theological College

Richards grew up in Canberra, and originally trained and worked as an optometrist. He and his wife pledged to become missionaries, and from 1988 to 1994 they moved to what was then Zaire with their children to carry out youth work. He lived in Goma on the Rwandan border during the Rwandan genocide.[2]

On returning to Australia, Richards trained at Moore Theological College, then worked in parish ministry in the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn, where he planted a church. He then returned to the now-Democratic Republic of Congo in 2005 where he worked for a further five years for the Anglian Diocese of Kindu.[2]

In October 2010, Richards was appointed as General Secretary of the Church Missionary Society, New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory branch,[5] a position he remained in for eight years until he became bishop.[4] He was a canon of St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney between 2012 and his consecration as bishop in 2019.[3]

In April 2019, Richards was named by Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Glenn Davies as Bishop for International Relations, replacing Peter Tasker who had held the role since 2009.[4] He was consecrated bishop on 6 July 2019.[1] Richards was the first person to hold the role without a concurrent diocesan bishop responsibility. Instead, Richards took up a position as Director of the Centre for Global Mission at Moore Theological College.[1]

Richards is married to Elizabeth and has three children.[2] He is fluent in Swahili and French.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Powell, Russell (6 July 2019). "New Bishop told 'Go with God's plan'". Sydney Anglicans. Anglican Diocese of Sydney. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Cauchi, Stephanie (5 February 2018). "Bringing light to Congo's heart of darkness". The Melbourne Anglican. Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Officials of The Cathedral Church of St Andrew Sydney" (PDF). St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney. Anglican Diocese of Sydney. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d Powell, Russell (16 April 2009). "Missions boss named as new International Bishop". Sydney Anglicans. Anglican Diocese of Sydney. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  5. ^ "New CMS NSW General Secretary announced". Anglican Church League. 8 October 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2020.