Education
Hind attended Watford Grammar School for Boys and went to Leeds University where he studied theology before teaching in a secondary school and a college of education.
Hind attended Watford Grammar School for Boys and went to Leeds University where he studied theology before teaching in a secondary school and a college of education.
Following training for ordination at Cuddesdon College he was ordained in Southwark Cathedral in 1972. After parish ministry in the Diocese of Southwark. Street John"s Catford as a curate (1972-1976) and Christ Church, Forest Hill as vicar (1976-1982), Hind was appointed the Principal of Chichester Theological College in 1982.
Hind became the area (and suffragan) Bishop of Horsham in the Chichester diocese in 1991 and in 1993 became the Bishop in Europe ("Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe" in full).
On the retirement of Eric Kemp in 2001 after 26 years as Bishop of Chichester, Hind succeeded him in the see which had included Saint Wilfrid, Saint Richard of Chichester, Lancelot Andrewes and George Bell as its bishops. Although the Diocese of Chichester includes the city of Brighton and Hove, which has a disproportionately high percentage gay population, Hind has a history of opposition to initiatives such as (and including) civil partnership.
He has signed a petition organised by the Coalition for Marriage, opposing same-sex marriage. Hind was also was one of the bishops who signed a letter against Rowan Williams" decision not to block the appointment of Jeffrey John as Bishop of Reading in 2003, due to John being a self-identified homosexual.
In a statement published in response to this article, Hind stated that this "is not the case" and "that I would not be willing to deny the priesthood I have exercised hitherto."
In 2011 the Archbishop of Canterbury appointed an enquiry into the long running child protection issues in the diocese.
Because of concerns that safeguarding still remained dysfunctional, Lambeth Palace took over the oversight of clergy appointments and the protection of children and vulnerable adults in the diocese. On 7 July 2011, Hind announced his intention to retire in April 2012. He duly retired effective 30 April 2012 – his suffragan Mark Sowerby became Acting Bishop of Chichester (since the senior suffragan in the diocese, Wallace Benn was involved with an ongoing investigation into diocesan safeguarding procedures) and his successor (Martin Warner, Bishop of Whitby) was announced three days later.
On 28 May 2012 Hind was licensed as an honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of Portsmouth.
They have three children. John Hind Esq (1945–1972)
The Revd John Hind (1972–1991)
The Rt Revd John Hind (1991–2009)
The Rt Revd Doctor John Hind (2009–present).