Nick Mercer
- Selwyn College, Cambridge
- Spurgeon's College
- London Bible College
- Cranmer Hall, Durham
Nicholas Stanley Mercer (born 25 December 1949) is a British Anglican priest who was the Vicar general for the Diocese of London from 2007 to 2017;[1] he was additionally Archdeacon of London from 2014 until 2016.[2]
Early life and education
Mercer was born on Christmas Day 1949 and raised at Shoreham-by-Sea, one of seven children in a family living in a small three-bedroom home, and was a member of the town's local Baptist church.[3] He was named Nicholas after Saint Nicholas of Myra, Santa Claus.[3] He was educated at primary school in his home town, Worthing High School,[3] and Selwyn College, Cambridge, graduating Bachelor of Arts in 1972 (and Master of Arts in 1976).[4] Remaining at Selwyn College, he studied for, and was awarded, the Postgraduate Certificate in Education as a qualified teacher in 1973.[4]
Early career
Following a short spell of teaching at Lancing College,[3] an independent boarding school located close to his family home, he enrolled at Spurgeon's College, graduating with a second BA degree in 1978.[4] He entered the ministry of the Baptist denomination,[3] beginning as a student minister at a large Baptist church in Enfield, north London,[5] and subsequently as Assistant Minister at Upton Vale Baptist Church, Torquay; later studying at London Bible College (where he was the Laing Scholar), obtaining a Master of Philosophy degree in 1986.[4][3]
Church of England
Mercer's theological studies eventually led him from the Baptist Union into the Church of England, where he self-identified as an anglo-catholic, later stating that he had been a "closet anglo-catholic" since his university days at Selwyn College.[3] Following training at Cranmer Hall, Durham, he was ordained as a deacon in 1995, and as a priest shortly afterwards, in the same year.[4] In his autobiography, published in the anthology "The post-evangelical debate" (1997), Mercer speaks of a growing realisation that he was no longer a conservative evangelical, despite his continued deep Biblical faith.[3] After curacies in Northwood Hills and Pimlico he was Director of Ministry for the Diocese of London from 2003 to 2007. He was Diocesan Director of Ordinands (overseeing a team of Directors) from 2007 to 2017. He was a Prebendary of St Paul's Cathedral from 2008 (around the time of his appointment as Vicar general) to 2017. He was also honorary priest in charge of St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate in the City of London from 2015 to 2016.[6]
He retired in 2017, on reaching the customary Church of England retirement age of 68 years.[4] He was appointed an emeritus Prebendary of St Paul's cathedral, and an emeritus Archdeacon of London, on his retirement.[7]
References
- ^ called "Vicar General to the London College of Bishops" > Diocese of London – Vicar General to the London College of Bishops, the Revd Preb Nick Mercer (Archive accessed 10 April 2016)
- ^ London Anglican
- ^ a b c d e f g h Cray, Graham (1997). The post-evangelical debate (First ed.). Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. ISBN 0281051089.
- ^ a b c d e f "The Ven Nicholas Stanley MERCER". Crockford's Clerical Directory. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ "History". Suffolks Baptist Church. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ "Nicholas Stanley Mercer". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
- ^ Mercer, Nicholas. "Words in a particular order". Nick Mercer. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
Church of England titles | ||
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Preceded by | Archdeacon of London 2014–2015 | Succeeded by |
- v
- t
- e
- Edward
- Reinger
- William de Beaumis
- Hugh de Mareni
- Nicholas
- Peter de Waltham
- Alard de Burnham
- Peter of Blois
- Walter
- Gilbert de Plesseto
- William of Sainte-Mère-Église
- Geoffrey de Lucy
- William de Rising
- Peter de Newport
- John Chishull
- William Passemer
- Geoffrey de Mortuo Mari
- Richard Swinefield
- Robert de Ros
- Richard de Gravesend
- John de Bedford
- John de Sancto Claro
- Peter de Dene
- Bego de Cavomonte
- Reginald de Sancto Albano
- Hélie de Talleyrand-Périgord
- Richard de Aston
- Pontius de Podio Barzaco
- Itherius de Concoreto
- Edmund Howard
- John of Thoresby
- Richard Kilvington
- Peter Cardinal du Cros
- James de Beaufort
- John Barnet
- Fortanerius Vassalli, Patriarch of Grado
- Adam de Hertington
- Thomas Baketon
- Thomas Stowe
- Reginald Kentwood
- John Snell
- Richard Moresby
- William Fallan
- Richard Martyn
- John de Gigliis
- John Forster
- Pedro de Ayala
- William Horsey
- John Young, suffragan bishop
- Geoffrey Wharton
- William Cliffe
- Thomas Bedyll
- Richard Gwent
- Edward Moylle
- John Wymmesley
- John Harpsfield
- John Mullins
- Theophilus Aylmer
- Thomas Paske
- John Dolben
- Thomas Lamplugh
- Edward Stillingfleet
- Thomas Tenison
- William Stanley
- Robert Tyrwhit
- Edward Cobden
- John Jortin
- Anthony Hamilton
- Richard Beadon
- William Bingham
- Joseph Pott
- William Hale
- Piers Claughton
- Edwin Gifford
- William Sinclair
- Ernest Holmes
- Ernest Sharpe
- Oswin Gibbs-Smith
- George Appleton
- Martin Sullivan
- Sam Woodhouse
- Frank Harvey
- George Cassidy
- Peter Delaney
- David Meara
- Nick Mercer
- Luke Miller
- John Klyberg
- Bill Jacob
- Rosemary Lain-Priestley, Archdeacon for the Two Cities
- Adam Atkinson
- Katherine Hedderly