Bill B. Burnett

The Most Reverend Bill Burnett
Archbishop of Cape Town and Primate of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa
Burnett's portrait by James Eddie
Church	Anglican
See	Cape Town
In office	1974–1981
Predecessor	Robert Selby Taylor
Successor	Philip Russell
Orders
Ordination	1946 and 1947
Consecration	1967
Personal details
Born	1917 Koffiefontein
Died	23 August 1994 Grahamstown
Previous post	Bishop of Grahamstown
Signature

Bill Bendyshe Burnett (1917–1994) was a South African Anglican bishop and archbishop.

Bill Burnett was born in Koffiefontein on 31 May 1917 and died in Grahamstown, South Africa on 23 August 1994 was archbishop of Cape Town from 1974 to 1981. He grew up speaking Afrikaans and English, at a time when racial discrimination was growing toward Apartheid. Burnett called racial segregation morally indefensible.

Burnett married Sheila Fulton Trollip at the end of World War II in 1945 when he was 28 years old. Together, they raised a family of two sons (Andrew and Stephen) and a daughter (Mary).

Burnett was made deacon in 1946 and ordained priest in 1947. He served as chaplain at Michaelhouse from 1950 to 1954. He was vicar of Ladysmith 1954- 57. In 1957 he was consecrated as Bishop of Bloemfontein and served there until 1967; he was General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches 1967-69; Assistant Bishop of Johannesburg 1967-69; Bishop of Grahamstown 1969-74; Archbishop of Cape Town and Metropolitan for Southern Africa 1974-81.

He became Anglican Bishop of Bloemfontein in 1957, and later served as the first general secretary of the South African Council of Churches when it was formed in 1967 from the old Christian Council of South Africa. In 1969 he became Bishop of Grahamstown, and was Archbishop of Cape Town from 1974 – 1981.

During his time as Bishop of Grahamstown he became involved in the charismatic renewal movement in the Anglican Church.