St Augustine's, Dumbarton - Scottish Episcopal Church

Scripture teaches: “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach” No one is more qualified to teach Anglicans about their tattoos than John McIntyre, the Bishop of Gippsland, Victoria. Not many Anglican bishops can boast a wife with tattoos and a daughter with a nose ring. When his wife Jan met Rowan Williams, the Archbishop said ‘I rather like your lovely illustrations‘. When the Bishop’s son turned 18 he was given a tattoo as a birthday present. “When we first came to Gippsland, grandmotherly-types came up to us and said if a bishop’s wife can have tattoos then it must be OK for their grand-daughters” says +John. Tattooed Anglicans with nose rings can be grateful to the godly Bishop’s fine example. If more of us had piercings we’d be closer to Our Lord.