IN the last few hours of his life, Bishop Kenneth drank champagne from a plastic cup and conducted his favourite music by Bach - surrounded by his loving family.

So it was entirely appropriate that his funeral began with music by JS Bach and ended with champagne served in plastic cups.

Hundreds of mourners packed our cathedral for the Funeral Eucharist for the Rt Rev Dr Kenneth Stevenson, Eighth Bishop of Portsmouth. The service had been designed by Kenneth and reflected his personality – including prayers in Danish, a poem read by his oldest friend and even instructions for the preacher.

Queues started forming long before the cathedral opened at 9.45am for the 10.45am service (pictured below). Handfuls of purple-shirted bishops were among those who arrived, friends from Kenneth’s 14 years as a diocesan bishop.

As the cathedral bells tolled a half-muffled peal, friends and family, clergy colleagues, former diocesan staff, ecumenical colleagues, civic and community leaders gathered inside the cathedral. Once all 800 seats were full, some perched on stone steps and some stood at the back.

The Funeral Eucharist was led by the Rt Rev Dr David Tustin, Kenneth’s brother-in-law and the former Bishop of Grimsby.

Actress Patricia Routledge read a lesson from the prophet Isaiah, and Major-General Martin White, Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight, read from the second letter of Timothy. And the gospel was also read in Danish by the Rev Else Hviind, pastor at the Danish church in London.

The Rt Rev John Gladwin, former Bishop of Guildford and Bishop of Chelmsford, preached, recalling with affection Kenneth’s instructions three years ago: “He said: ‘I want you to preach at my funeral. You must not talk about me. Just tell them the gospel’. Well, dear Kenneth, I am going to follow your example and take not the blindest bit of notice of your instructions – except that the gospel will shine through as we remember you.

“His faith was rooted into the heart of his life. That sense of the mystery of the love of God in Jesus brought him to a pattern of daily prayer and Eucharist in parish and bishopric.

“Although Kenneth was at ease and enjoyed the establishment, he was never co-opted by it. There was something in him that connected to those on the outside, especially those threatened with exclusion from the church. His sense of Anglican identity was essentially open and exclusive.

“He was one of those maddening people who seemed to write books in an afternoon! Books and articles poured out of him like sweat on a hot summer’s day! What great literature he produced, combining his scholarship with a sense of the spiritual journey of our Christian lives and ministries.

“One of the multitude of his achievements is at the heart of this occasion. When the Church of Denmark did not sign the Porvoo Agreement, Kenneth was naturally deeply disappointed. But long before Barack Obama, Kenneth lived the phrase ‘Yes we can!’ So working in building relationships and conversation, Kenneth quietly set to work.

“Only he, with his exceptional understanding of the north European Lutheran experience and love of Denmark could do it. What a joy it was to him but weeks before he died to know that the Church of Denmark and the Church of England had arrived at full communion.

“How we shall miss him! A dearly-loved husband, father and grandfather, a wonderful Father in God in church and society, a fun person and, speaking personally and for many – a dearly-loved friend and colleague.

“On the evening before he died he did one last thing – he drank a glass of champagne. He was a champagne bishop! May God give the Church more bishops like this, and may he enjoy the heavenly banquet and the company of saints in the presence of the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

After the sermon, Kenneth’s oldest friend, the Rev Dr Laurence Whitley, Minister of Glasgow Cathedral, read Listen Sweet Dove, by George Herbert.

The prayers of intercession were written by Kenneth’s daughter Kitty, and were said by the Rt Rev Peter Forster, Bishop of Chester and Kenneth’s brother-in-law, the Rt Rev David Stancliffe, former Bishop of Salisbury, and the Very Rev Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster.

And the Eucharist was concelebrated by Bishop David Tustin and Bishop Karsten of Viborg, representing the Bishop of Copenhagen. The deacon was the Rev Dr Jamie Hawkey, Minor Canon of Westminster Abbey, who was ordained by Kenneth in 2007.

The commendation and farewells were said by the Rt Rev Peter Hancock, Bishop of Basingstoke and former Archdeacon of the Meon, and the Rev Else Hviid.

Then champagne and Danish biscuits were served in the cathedral as the family attended a private committal at the crematorium. Guests signed the book of condolence that has been available at the cathedral since Kenneth died on January 12.

The tributes by his family included the following:

Elisabeth: “My father the bishop – the Viking adventurer who loved being at home.”

Kitty: “Danish dude, funny.
legendary eyebrows – my
father the Bishop.”

James: “His text messages were indecipherable and his choice in TV truly awful, but I will miss his knowing eyes and his warm heart.”

Alexandra: “I had nearly 27 years of bursting with pride for my darling Pops. Daddy gave me and nurtured my music and taught me do much just by being himself."

The offertory collection was split between Ministry Development in our diocese, and the Red and White Appeal at Southampton General Hospital, where Kenneth received most of his treatment after he was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2005.

Contributions can be made via Portsmouth Diocesan Board of Finance. Bank transfers to a/c 40431761, sort code 20-12-75 with ‘Kenneth Stevenson Memorial Fund’ in the reference field. Cheques need to be made payable to Portsmouth Diocesan Board of Finance and accompanied by a direction that this is to be credited to the ‘Kenneth Stevenson Memorial Fund’.

Condolence books are in place at Portsmouth Cathedral and at Newport Minster, Isle of Wight

Kenneth had prepared material on the Transfiguration for the Day of Prayer at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey, on Saturday 29 January at 10am. Those addresses will be read by the Dean of Westminster, and all are welcome.

For more tributes to Bishop Kenneth, click here.

For the order of service, click here.

To read the special edition of the diocesan newspaper, the Pompey Chimes, featuring more tributes, click here.