Tony Palmer (bishop)

{{Short description|South African Catholic bishop}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| honorific-prefix = 
| name = Tony Palmer
| image = 
| caption = 
| birth_name = Anthony Joseph Palmer
| birth_date = 4 February 1966
| birth_place = 
| occupation = Pastor
| residence = 
| children = 
| footnotes = 
| title = Bishop
| death_date = {{d-da|20 July 2014|4 February 1966}}
| death_place = 
| church = [[Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches]]
| type = Bishop
| see = 
| coat_of_arms = 
| ordained_by = 
| ordination = 
| consecration = 
| consecrated_by = 
| education = 
| retired = 
| honorific_prefix = The Right Reverend
}}'''Tony Palmer''', born '''Anthony Joseph Palmer''', (4 February 1966 – 20 July 2014) was a British-born [[South Africa]]n theologian, missiologist, missionary and author.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tony Palmer: The New Face of Anglicanism|url=http://www.patheos.com/blogs/standingonmyhead/2014/02/tony-palmer-the-new-face-of-anglicanism.html|accessdate=25 February 2014}}</ref> He served as a bishop within the [[Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches]], and held informal ecumenical dialogue with the Catholic Church through [[Pope Francis]] until his death.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Gledhill |first=Ruth |date=2014-07-22 |title=Christians mourn death of bishop Tony Palmer, friend of Pope Francis |url=https://www.christiantoday.com/article/christians-mourn-death-of-bishop-who-was-friend-of-pope-francis/38973.htm |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=Christian Today |language=en}}</ref>

== Biography ==
Palmer was born in the [[United Kingdom]] and moved to South Africa when he was 10 years old. He and his wife maintained a website, called the Ark Community, which is described as "an internet-based, Inter-denominational [[Convergence Movement|Christian Convergent Community]], drawing our spirituality from the “Early Church” (33-600AD), in particular, [[Celtic Christianity|Celtic Christian]] spirituality."<ref>{{cite web|title=Who We Are|url=http://thearkcommunity.org/who-we-are/|accessdate=11 March 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309062325/http://thearkcommunity.org/who-we-are/|archive-date=9 March 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> On the Ark Community website he was known as "Father Tony Palmer" instead of using the style ''[[The Right Reverend]]'' or the title "bishop."<ref>{{cite web|title=Ark Community|url=http://thearkcommunity.org/|accessdate=12 March 2014}}</ref> Through this religious community, Palmer served as a bishop of the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches.

In January 2014, he was sent by Pope Francis to a charismatic conference hosted by televangelist [[Kenneth Copeland]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gledhill |first=Ruth |date=2014-07-22 |title=Christians mourn death of bishop Tony Palmer, friend of Pope Francis |url=https://www.christiantoday.com/article/christians-mourn-death-of-bishop-who-was-friend-of-pope-francis/38973.htm |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=Christian Today |language=en}}</ref> Bishops Palmer and [[Emilio Alvarez (bishop)|Emilio Alvarez]] participated in "The Miracle of Unity.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2017-09-28 |title=The Miracle of Unity Has Begun |url=https://wau.org/archives/article/the_miracle_of_unity_has_begun/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123195228/https://wau.org/archives/article/the_miracle_of_unity_has_begun/ |archive-date=2022-11-23 |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=The Word Among Us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=McPhail |first=Carol |date=2014-10-31 |title=Pope Francis 'called us his brother bishops,' says Protestant pastor from Mobile, who lunched, swapped caps with the pontiff |url=https://www.al.com/living/2014/10/pope_francis_is_like_one_of_th.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123195434/https://www.al.com/living/2014/10/pope_francis_is_like_one_of_th.html |archive-date=2022-11-23 |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=al |language=en}}</ref> On 20 July 2014, after injuries sustained in a motorbike accident,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pope’s Protestant friend dies, but push for unity lives |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2014/08/07/pope-protestant-friend-dies-but-push-for-unity-lives/v7y0x8NglzPe6oNWoXIKdJ/story.html |website=The Boston Globe}}</ref> Palmer died.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-07-22 |title=Pope and Late Evangelical Bishop were Like 'Father and Son' |url=https://www.americamagazine.org/content/all-things/pope-and-late-evangelical-bishop-were-father-and-son |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=America Magazine |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-07-20 |title=Pope Francis’s Friend, Who Brought Video to Evangelicals, Dies After Motorcycle Accident |url=https://aleteia.org/2014/07/20/pope-franciss-friend-who-brought-video-to-evangelicals-dies-after-motorcycle-accident/ |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=Aleteia — Catholic Spirituality, Lifestyle, World News, and Culture |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palmer, Tony}}

[[Category:1966 births]]

[[Category:2014 deaths]]

[[Category:Road incident deaths in the United Kingdom]]


[[Category:South African theologians]]
[[Category:20th-century British people]]
[[Category:Convergence Movement]]
[[Category:Charismatics pastors]]