Douglas Stevens

The Bishop of the Diocese of Riverina, one of the 23 Dioceses that make up the Anglican Church of Australia. He was consecrated on 29th November, 2005.

He was born in Wollongong in about 1952, and raised in Gateshead Newcastle. As a child he was part of the congregation of St Paul’s, Gateshead. I loved the liturgy, the scripture readings and being part of the Church had a great affect on him. He wanted a nautical career and in the school holidays gained experience as a seaman on BHP bulk carriers. Upon finishing high school he was offered an apprenticeship as a deck officer with BHP shipping but changed his mind at the last moment and was employed by a firm of chartered accountants for two years. It was during this time that he felt called to Christian discipleship and ministry, which led to a change of study from part-time economics and commerce to full-time arts - education, classics and philosophy. After university he moved to St. John’s Morpeth to study theology. It was here that he met his wife Denise whom he married a month after college ended. He was ordained a month after that. He was confirmed at St Alban’s, Charlestown (Newcastle) in 1963. The priest who prepared him was Rev Michael Clark, a founding member of the Brotherhood of St Laurence, who gave him a little book called “In His Presence” in which Clark wrote ‘be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee the crown of life’ (Revelations 2). Stevens felt this to be a personal challenge to him.

Since ordination and marriage he has lived and ministered in Newcastle, Merriwa, Wingham, Nambucca Heads and Tweed Heads. He travelled to Ireland in 1984/1985|85]] where he completed a masters degree in ecumenical theology. In the years immediately before his election as Bishop of Riverina he took a Doctor of Ministry Studies program at the Melbourne College of Divinity.