Wilfred Wood (bishop)
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The Rt Rev Dr Wilfred Denniston Wood KA (15 June 1936, Barbados- ) was Bishop of Croydon from 1985 to 2003, the first black bishop in the Church of England. He came second in the 100 Great Black Britons list.
Born in Barbados to Wilfred Coward and Elsie Elmira Wood, Wood was ordained a deacon on the island, then as a priest in St Paul's Cathedral in 1962, first serving in Shepherd's Bush. He soon came to wider attention for speaking out on racial justice. In 1974 he joined the Diocese of Southwark, where he stayed until his retirement. In 1977 he was appointed Rural Dean of East Lewisham and Honorary Canon of Southwark Cathedral. He was Archdeacon of Southwark from 1982 until his consecration as Bishop of Croydon in 1985, where he oversaw the Croydon Episcopal Area and assisted the Bishop of Southwark.
Wood was always a champion for racial justice, launching several initiatives and serving on many committees. In 1968, Wood and colleagues submitted proposals for the planned replacement of the National Committee for Commonwealth Immigrants (NCCI) with a Community Relations Commission that came to be known as 'the Wood Proposals', calling for some members to be directly elected by minority ethnic associations.
In 1992 he sponsored with the then Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Rev David Sheppard, a new set of race equality principles for employers, which became known as the 'Wood-Sheppard Principles'. He was Moderator of the Southwark Diocesan Race Relations Commission from its foundation. He also served as Moderator of the World Council of Churches Programme to Combat Racism, known for its work on South African apartheid. In his last years as Bishop of Croydon, he protested at the honours given to Enoch Powell upon his death, and about the government and opposition's attitudes to asylum seekers.
Wood was very involved in Croydon life, serving as a board member for the local Mayday Hospital for over ten years, President of the Royal Philanthropic Society (now 'RPS Rainer') and even as Chair of the Tramlink Penalty Fares Appeals Panel.
On 30 November 2000 - Barbados Independence Day - Queen Elizabeth II appointed Wood as Knight of St Andrew (Order of Barbados) 'for his contribution to race relations in the United Kingdom and general contribution to the welfare of Barbadians living here'.
Wood retired as Bishop of Croydon on 30 September 2002 and was replaced in 2003 by the Rt Rev Nick Baines. In 2004, Wood was voted by the public in second place on the '100 Great Black Britons' list, after Mary Seacole, the 19th century nurse.
Wood is married to Ina, also from Barbados, and they have five children and three grandchildren. He and his wife have now returned to live in Barbados.
