Colin Bazley


Colin Frederick Bazley is a retired bishop in the Church of England. He was a bishop in Chile from 1969 until his retirement in 2000.

Early life, education and family

The son of Reginald Samuel Bazley and Isabella Davies, Bazley attended Birkenhead School before matriculating at St Peter's Hall, Oxford then training for ministry at Tyndale Hall, Bristol. He was ordained at Liverpool Cathedral by Clifford Martin, Bishop of Liverpool — deacon at Michaelmas 1959 and priest at Michaelmas 1960 —, serving his Title at St Leonard’s, Bootle. In 1960, he married Barbara Helen Griffiths; they have three daughters, two of whom had married Chileans and had six of Bazley's grandchildren between them. Their youngest daughter lives in Bebington and had their other two granddaughters.

Missionary and bishop

In 1962, Bazley left for central Chile as a missionary with the South American Mission Society, in which general region he stayed until 2000.
As a missionary priest, he also served as Rural Dean of Chol-Chol until 1966 and then as Archdeacon of Temuco or of Cautin and Malleco until his appointment to the episcopate. He was consecrated on Whitsun 1969 as Assistant Bishop for Cautin and Malleco, which See he served until 1975, when he was translated to become Assistant Bishop for Santiago. He remained in that post until 1977, when he became diocesan bishop for the Diocese of Chile, Bolivia and Peru — the Bishop of Chile, Bolivia and Peru. In October 1977 and October 1981 the diocese was twice split, and twice Bazley remained as bishop in Chile: first as Bishop of Chile and Bolivia then Bishop of Chile. While bishop diocesan in Chile, he also served as the Presiding Bishop of the Consejo Anglicano de Sud América, 1977–1983 and as the Primate of the Province of the Southern Cone of America, 1989–1995; and as a member of the Inter-Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission, 1994–1997. In 1999, Bazley was one of the Primates to sign a letter of warning to Frank Griswold, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church.

Retirement

Following his retirement back to his native Wirral in 2000, he has been licensed as an honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of Chester and served as Warden of Readers, 2000–2005, and as Rural Dean of Wallasey, 2009–2011. During his retirement he has been identified by the secessionist Anglican Mission in England as one of five Church of England bishops ready to support them in 2011.