Donald Arden

The Right Reverend                    Donald Arden
Archbishop of Central Africa
Church	Church of the Province of Central Africa
In office	1971 (elected)–1981 (resigned)
Predecessor	Oliver Green-Wilkinson
Successor	Walter Khotso Makhulu
Other posts	Bishop of Nyasaland (1961–1964 {name of see changed}); Bishop of Malaŵi (1964–1971 {see split}); Bishop of Southern Malaŵi (1971–1981); priest-in-charge of St Margaret's, Uxbridge (1981–1986); honorary assistant bishop, Diocese of London (1981–2011); honorary assistant priest, St Alban's, North Harrow (1986–2011)
Personal details
Born	(1916-04-12)12 April 1916 Boscombe, Hampshire, United Kingdom
Died	Romsey, Hampshire, United Kingdom
Nationality	British-Australian
Denomination	Anglican
Parents	Stanley & Winifred
Spouse	Jane Riddle 1962 (married)–2014 (his death)
Children	2 sons
Occupation	missionary
Alma mater	University of Leeds (BA) Mirfield (ministerial formation)

Ordination history of Donald Arden
Diaconal ordination
Date of ordination	1939
Priestly ordination
Date of ordination	1940
Episcopal consecration
Date of consecration	30 November 1961

Donald Seymour Arden CBE (12 April 1916–18 July 2014) was an Anglican archbishop, and campaigner for issues of justice and equality.

Ministry

Arden was educated at St Peter's College, Adelaide and the University of Leeds. He was ordained deacon in 1939 and priest in 1940 after studying at the College of the Resurrection, Mirfield. His first posts were curacies in Hatcham and Nettleden. In 1944 he joined the Pretoria African Mission, eventually becoming Director of the Usuthu Mission in Swaziland.

From 1961 to 1971 he was the Bishop of Nyasaland/Malawi – as Bishop of Nyasaland until Malawian independence in 1964 and as Bishop of Malawi thereafter. When the diocese split in 1971, he became bishop of one of the two new dioceses as Bishop of Southern Malawi. Also in that year, he became Archbishop of Central Africa, and held both posts until retiring in 1980.

Having given up the archbishopric, Arden returned to the UK to become priest in charge of St Margaret's church Uxbridge, where he served from 1981 to 1986.

Arden had a great love of Africa and campaigned tirelessly for the rights of indigenous African people. Within the Church he made widespread provision for the education of indigenous black African priests, and campaigned for the appointment of indigenous bishops. It was a matter of pride to him that he was the last white Archbishop of Central Africa.

Retirement

In retirement Arden served as an hononary assistant priest at St Alban’s Church in North Harrow, and as an honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of London. He gave up these roles in 2011 and moved to Romsey, Hampshire, where he lived the final years of his life. In December 2011, Arden celebrated 50 years of episcopal ministry with his family at St Paul's Cathedral, London. He was consecrated (as Bishop of Nyasaland) on 30 November 1961.

He died at home in Romsey, Hampshire on 18 July 2014, aged 98. His family announced that he would be cremated in an African banana leaf coffin on 31 July 2014.

References

Church of England titles
Preceded by Frank Thorne	Bishop of Nyasaland 1961–1964	Succeeded by Himself as Bishop of Malawi
Preceded by Himself as Bishop of Nyasaland	Bishop of Malawi 1964–1971	Diocese split
New diocese	Bishop of Southern Malawi 1971–1980	Succeeded by Dunstan Ainani
Preceded by Oliver Green-Wilkinson	Archbishop of Central Africa 1971–1980	Succeeded by Walter Khotso Makhulu