Stephen Whitefield Sykes (1 August 1939 – 24 September 2014) was aChurch of England bishop and academic specialising indivinity. He wasVan Mildert Professor of Divinity atDurham University from 1974 to 1985, andRegius Professor of Divinity atCambridge University from 1985 to 1990. Between from 1990 and 1999, he served as theBishop of Ely, thediocesan bishop of theDiocese of Ely. He was thePrincipal ofSt John's College, Durham from 1999 to 2006. He served as anHonorary Assistant Bishop in theDiocese of Durham during his time as head of St John's College and in retirement.

Sykes was born on 1 August 1939 inBristol, England; his father wasprincipal of one of the city'stheological colleges.^[1] He was educated atMonkton Combe School, then an all-boysprivate school inBath, Somerset.^[2] He matriculated intoSt John's College, Cambridge in 1958 to study theology. He graduated from theUniversity of Cambridge with afirst class Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree 1961.^[3][4] He then trained for ordination atRipon Hall, Oxford.^[3]

Sykes was ordaineddeacon in 1964 and priest in 1965.^[5] In 1964, he returned toSt John's College, Cambridge, his alma mater, as dean of thecollege chapel.^[6] When he moved toDurham in 1974, he became aresidentiary canon ofDurham Cathedral. Having returned to Cambridge in 1985, he was given a corresponding honorary canonry atEly Cathedral.^[4] He served as acurate ofSt John the Evangelist's Church, Cambridge, from 1985 to 1990.

On 2 May 1990,^[7] he was consecrated as theBishop of Ely.^[8] He became aLord Spiritual through seniority and served in theHouse of Lords from 31 August 1996 to 31 July 1999.^[9] He stepped down from this position on 1 September 1999^[7] and returned to education.^[10] From 1999 to 2014, when he was head of St John's College and during retirement, he served as anhonorary assistant bishop in theDiocese of Durham.^[11]

From 1991 he was a member of theDoctrine Commission of the Church of England. He served as its chairman from 1996 to 2002.

In addition to serving as dean ofSt John's College, Sykes was a member of theFaculty of Divinity at theUniversity of Cambridge.^[4] He was anassistant lecturer indivinity from 1964 to 1968, then a lecturer in divinity from 1968 to 1974.^[11] In 1974, he was appointed as theVan Mildert Professor of Divinity atDurham University. In 1985, he returned to Cambridge University to take up the chair ofRegius Professor of Divinity. During a break from academia he served as a bishop: he wasBishop of Ely from 1990 to 1999. In 1999, he was appointed the principal ofSt John's College, Durham. St John's is both acollege of Durham University and anAnglicantheological college. He retired in 2006.^[11]

Following his retirement, Sykes remained living in Durham.^[4] In his later years, he developed a neurological condition that confined him to a wheelchair.^[1]

Sykes died on 24 September 2014, aged 75.^[4][12] He was survived by his wife and children, though his wife died eight weeks later.^[1] His funeral was held in Durham Cathedral on 10 October 2014.^[13] He was later buried inCambridge at a woodland burial site.^[1][14]

In 1962, Sykes married Marianne Hinton, known as Joy. Together they had three children; one son and two daughters. Their son, Richard, is a barrister and both daughters, Joanna and Juliet, trained as teachers.^[1]

• 1939 births
• 2014 deaths
• Fellows of St John's College, Cambridge
• Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge
• Regius Professors of Divinity (University of Cambridge)
• English Anglican theologians
• Academics of Durham University
• Bishops of Ely
• Anglican suffragan bishops in the Diocese of Durham
• Alumni of Ripon College Cuddesdon
• 20th-century Church of England bishops
• People educated at Monkton Combe School
• Principals of St John's College, Durham
• Ecclesiologists

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