User:Mystery Merrivale/CI

Early life
Christopher Idle was born in Bromley, Kent in 1938. He studied at Eltham College, and after leaving school spent three years working in an office, a hospital and a shop. During this time, he was involved in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. He went on to study at St Peter's College, Oxford, graduating in 1962. He then undertook theological training at Clifton Theological College in Bristol.

Career
Idle was ordained as a deacon in the Church of England in 1965, and then as a priest in 1966. His first curacy was at St Mark's, Barrow-in-Furness, and his second at Christ Church, Camberwell, where he served from 1968 to 1971. In 1971, he became the priest-in-charge of St Matthias', Poplar, and in 1976 became the rector of Limehouse. In 1989, he moved to Suffolk and became the rector of seven churches. He returned to London in 1995, and returned to Christ Church, Camberwell as Associate Minister in 1997.