Biographical Information<\/span><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/files\/2009\/02\/2015-09-07-19.24.29-300x225.jpg\")
Born in\u00a0Melbourne John Harrower graduated with honours in Chemical Engineering from Melbourne University\u00a0in 1970 and worked as a petroleum engineer with Mobil Oil from 1970-72. During these\u00a0years he pursued studies in economics and political science, completing a Bachelor of Arts.<\/p>\n
This growing interest in economic policy was furthered through joining the Industries\u00a0Assistance Commission, 1972-78. He became a Director leading research into the impact of\u00a0technological and demographic change on Australia’s industrial structure.<\/p>\n
A change of direction stemming from an invitation to work as a university lay chaplain took\u00a0him to the Church Missionary Society training college, St Andrew’s Hall in Melbourne over\u00a01977-79.<\/p>\n
With Gayelene and their two sons John lived in Argentina for nine years, 1979-88, working\u00a0with university students, growing a church, and publishing and distributing Christian\u00a0literature. Life in Argentina during the years of the so-called, ‘Dirty War’, 1976-83, was not\u00a0always easy! Nor was the Falkland Islands War, 1982, or annual inflation of 5000%! But in\u00a0all of this, God’s love both through Argentine friends and colleagues and the Australian\u00a0mission agency, CMS, led to a deeper understanding of community.<\/p>\n
The Bishop of the Diocese of Argentina ordained John a deacon in 1984, and a priest in 1986.\u00a0John became the Vicar of St Paul’s Glen Waverley, 1989-95, before being appointed Vicar of\u00a0the new parish of St Barnabas. This latter appointment involved restructuring three parishes\u00a0into one parish over 1995-2000. He was an archdeacon in the Melbourne Diocese, 1994-2000. Special interests included youth, ministry formation and relating the Gospel of Jesus\u00a0Christ to different cultures. Over these years he formalised his studies in mission and in 1996\u00a0gained an MA (Theology).<\/p>\n
On Australia Day, 2000, he was awarded a Medal of The Order of Australia ‘for service to the\u00a0community through the Anglican Church and as a missionary’.\u00a0On 25 July 2000 he was ordained a bishop and installed as the 11th Bishop of Tasmania.\u00a0The Governor-General of Australia awarded John a Centenary Medal in December 2002 in\u00a0recognition of his contribution to Australian Society.<\/p>\n
John’s leadership style is relational – while Bishop of Tasmania he sought to build a missionary diocese engaging with society and seeking ‘a healthy church…transformingLIFE’. He is strongly committed to social well being and justice. This is evidenced by his work in a number of social issues.<\/p>\n
Interests include relaxing with family and friends, reading, ‘pottering’ in the garden and\u00a0prayer in the Christian and Muslim traditions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
John Harrower OAM John Harrower, his wife and sons were missionaries in Argentina, 1979-88, during the \u2018Dirty War\u2019 1976-1983 and the Falkland Islands War of 1982. Returning to Melbourne he pastored two churches alongside interest in youth and Islam. As … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16191,"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2\/revisions\/16191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/files\/2009\/02\/John-H.-July-2017-225x300.jpg\")
John Harrower, his wife and sons were missionaries in Argentina, 1979-88, during the \u2018Dirty War\u2019 1976-1983 and the Falkland Islands War of 1982. Returning to Melbourne he pastored two churches alongside interest in youth and Islam. As Bishop of Tasmania, 2000-2015, he was a leader in the Anglican Church\u2019s response to child sexual abuse giving an apology to survivors on his first day of office and calling for a Royal Commission eleven years prior to its establishment. Now in Melbourne, he continues in ministry as Bishop Assisting the Primate (National Leader) of the Anglican Church of Australia.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/files\/2009\/02\/gaucho-235x300.jpg\")
Bishop John writes:<\/p>\n