Martyn James Snow was born on 25 January 1968[3] in Indonesia.[4][5] His parents worked with the church in Indonesia and his grandparents were missionaries in China.[6] His grandfather was James O. Fraser who pioneered work among the Lisu people of Southwestern China and is credited with developing the Fraser script for their language.[7]
In May 2016 Snow was one of six bishops cited in the Guardian and Church Times as subject of Clergy Disciplinary Measure complaints owing to their alleged inaction on a disclosure by a sexual assault survivor.[19][20] The bishops contested the complaints.[21][22]From October that year, Snow sat on the Church of England's National Safeguarding Steering Group (NSSG).[23][24]He resigned in 2020.[25]
Between 2017 and 2024, Snow was chair of the College of Archbishops' Evangelists.[26] In April 2021, Snow became the Bishop Protector for the Third Order of Franciscans known as the Third Order Society of St Francis (T.S.S.F.)[27] Snow is also Sponsoring Bishop for the Church of England project to grow the number of children and youth ministers in the church to 30,000.[28] He is also a member of the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns.[29]
In Leicester, Snow is also chair of the Oversight Group for Leicester Homelessness Charter, an umbrella organisation for businesses, charities and statutory agencies who work with people who have experienced homelessness. [30]
Snow has been outspoken on issues of racial justice including 'taking the knee' outside Leicester Cathedral in July 2020[32] and speaking at a conference on the subject of Whiteness.[33]
In February 2023, Snow voted to approve blessings for same-sex couples in the Church of England.[34] In November 2023, Snow abstained during a vote on introducing "standalone services for same-sex couples" on a trial basis during a meeting of the General Synod; the motion passed.[35][36] In February 2023, he had spoken of his willingness to implement the votes of the General Synod on the Prayers of Love and Faith even though he had not voted for them,[37] and in November that year he became the lead bishop for the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) process involving the introduction of "Prayers of Love and Faith" for same sex couples. [38]
Snow has been active in campaigning for the government to scrap the two-child limit on benefits.[39][40]
Works
Coaching in the Church: leadership and growing the skills of those around you., Grove Books Ltd, 2008 ISBN1851746986
Leading Change in the Church: and involving everyone in the process., Grove Books Ltd, 2009 ISBN1851747338
Mission Partnerships: parishes working together in mission., Grove Books Ltd, 2013 ISBN1851748598
Reflections for Daily Prayer: Advent 2015 to Christ the King 2016., Church House Publishing, 2015 ISBN071514457X
Pilgrim: The Creeds., Church House Publishing, 2015 ISBN0715144448
^"Whiteness". Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"GENERAL SYNOD NOVEMBER 2023 GROUP OF SESSIONS BUSINESS DONE AT 5 P.M."(PDF). churchofengland.org. The Church of England. 13 November 2023. Archived(PDF) from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023. 7. The motion (as amended) 'That this Synod, conscious that the Church is not of one mind on the issues raised by Living in Love and Faith, that we are in a period of uncertainty, and that many in the Church on all sides are being deeply hurt at this time, recognise the progress made by the House of Bishops towards implementing the motion on Living in Love and Faith passed by this Synod in February 2023, as reported in GS 2328, encourage the House to continue its work of implementation, and ask the House to consider whether some standalone services for same-sex couples could be made available for use, possibly on a trial basis, on the timescale envisaged by the motion passed by the Synod in February 2023.' was carried following a counted vote by Houses.