Chris McLeod

Chris McLeod is an Australian bishop in the Anglican Church of Australia. He has served as an assistant bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Adelaide, as the Bishop for Aboriginal Ministry, since April 2015. McLeod is the second Australian National Aboriginal Bishop,[4] and is only the third Aboriginal person to be appointed as bishop in Australia (and the first in South Australia).[2]

McLeod is a Gurindji man whose country is located within the Northern Territory, southwest of Katherine.[5] His mother and grandmother were part of the Stolen generation, and his mother was brought to Adelaide by a priest who had set up a number of places for Aboriginal people to come to.[2] Prior to becoming bishop, McLeod worked alongside Indigenous people for over 20 years. His appointment immediately prior to being appointed as bishop was as Rector of St Jude's Church in Brighton in Adelaide.[5]

McLeod was appointed assistant bishop in the Diocese of Adelaide in 2015. He became only the third Indigenous person in Australia to become a bishop,[2] after Arthur Malcolm who served in the Diocese of North Queensland from 1985 to 2000, and Jim Leftwich who served in the same diocese from 2001 to 2010. He is the second National Aboriginal bishop (after Leftwich).

McLeod has encouraged Christians to incorporate acknowledgements of country into their gatherings as an "acceptable and respectful practice".[6]