Ray Pentland

Summary

Raymond Jackson Pentland, CB, QHC (born 14 July 1957) is a British Church of England priest. He is a retired military chaplain, having served as Chaplain-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force and head of its Chaplains Branch from 2009 to 2014.


Ray Pentland

Pentland in 2013
Born (1957-07-14) 14 July 1957 (age 66)
Greenock, Scotland
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Air Force (1990–2014)
Royal Auxiliary Air Force (2014–present)
Years of service1990–present
RankAir Vice Marshal
Service number5207651M
Commands heldChaplains Branch
AwardsCompanion of the Order of the Bath

Early life edit

Pentland was born on 14 July 1957 in Greenock, Scotland, to Adam Jackson Pentland and Edith Henderson Pentland.[1][2] He was educated at Cowdenknowes High School.[1]

Career edit

Civilian ministry edit

Pentland attended the William Booth Memorial Training College from 1977.[2] Upon graduation in 1979, he became an Officer of The Salvation Army.[1] He served in number of inner city locations throughout the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1986.[2][1]

In 1986, Pentland left The Salvation Army to enter St John's College, Nottingham and train for ordination into the Church of England.[2] He was ordained a deacon in 1988, in Southwell Minster, Nottinghamshire.[1][2] He then became Assistant Curate of St. Jude's Church, Mapperley, Nottingham.[2] He was ordained a priest in 1989.[1]

Military career edit

In 1990, Pentland attended the Specialist Entrant and Re-entrant Course at RAF Cranwell.[2] On 26 August 1990, he was commissioned into the Chaplains Branch of the Royal Air Force as a chaplain with the relative rank of flight lieutenant. He was given the service number 5207651M.[3] On 26 August 1991, he was promoted to the relative rank of squadron leader.[4] He transferred from a short service commission to a permanent commission on 1 November 1993.[5] As part of the half-yearly promotions, he was promoted to the relative rank of wing commander on 1 January 2003.[6]

Pentland was member of the House of Clergy in the General Synod of the Church of England from 2005 to 2014.[7] On 27 March 2006, he was appointed Principal Anglican Chaplain, Archdeacon for the Royal Air Force and Honorary Chaplain to the Queen (QHC).[8] He was also made an Honorary Canon of Lincoln Cathedral.[7] On 1 April 2009, he was selected to succeed Peter Mills as Chaplain-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force: he took up the appointment on 1 October in addition to his role as Archdeacon, becoming the 21st Chaplain in Chief.[2] In the 2013 New Year Honours, he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).[9]

Pentland retired in 2014, and was succeeded as Chaplain-in-Chief by Jonathan Chaffey.[7][10]

Later life edit

Having retired from full-time ministry when he retired from the Royal Air Force in 2014, Pentland held permission to officiate in the Dioceses of Oxford and of London from 2014 to 2019.[11][12] He continues his link with the military, having transferred his commission from the RAF to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) on 24 November 2014 in the rank of air commodore.[13] From 2015 to 2018, he also served as an honorary assistant curate at St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe and St James Garlickhythe.[14] From 2019 to 2021, he was a non-stipendiary minister at Holy Trinity Church, Aylesbury in the Diocese of Oxford.[14][12] Since 2021, he has held permission to officiate in the Diocese of Lichfield.[12]

Personal life edit

In 1979, Pentland married Christine Ann Lyth.[1] Together they have one son, Jackson, (born Adam) and one daughter, Elizabeth.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "PENTLAND, Ven. Raymond Jackson". Who's Who 2013. A & C Black. November 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "The Venerable (Air Vice-Marshal) Ray J Pentland CB QHC BA DPS MTh RAF". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  3. ^ "No. 52295". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 October 1990. p. 15789.
  4. ^ "No. 52672". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 September 1991. p. 14861.
  5. ^ "No. 53580". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 February 1994. p. 1921.
  6. ^ "No. 56811". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 January 2003. pp. 129–132.
  7. ^ a b c "Pentland, Ven. Raymond Jackson". Who's Who 2018. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2017. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.70908. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4.
  8. ^ "No. 57939". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 March 2006. p. 4355.
  9. ^ "No. 60367". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 2012. p. 2.
  10. ^ "Chaplain-in-Chief". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  11. ^ "Raymond Jackson Pentland". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  12. ^ a b c "Raymond Jackson Pentland". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  13. ^ "No. 61160". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 March 2015. p. 3803.
  14. ^ a b "Pentland, Ven. Raymond Jackson, (born 14 July 1957), Archdeacon, 2006–14, and Director General Chaplaincy Services Headquarters Air Command and Chaplain-in-Chief, 2009–14, Royal Air Force". Who's Who 2020. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
Church of England titles
Preceded by Archdeacon for the Royal Air Force
2006–2014
Succeeded by
Military offices
Preceded by Chaplain-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force
2009–2014
Succeeded by
Jonathan Chaffey