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Fisher was a Church of England priest known for his pastoral leadership and contributions to Anglican-Roman Catholic ecumenical dialogue through the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission.
He served as the minute-taker for the WCC Faith and Order Commission, and notably as principal of Queen’s College Birmingham, where he led training in ecumenical theology to future ministers. He also served in parish ministry, often preaching on themes of faith, stewardship, and salvation.
Fisher’s academic roles included serving as sub-warden at Lincoln Theological College from 1978-1983, a position that involved tutoring ordinands and contributing to the institution's doctrinal teaching programs.
During his tenure, Fisher emphasized curriculum reforms to adapt to contemporary pastoral needs, fostering ecumenical partnerships with other denominations and incorporating practical training in community engagement to address social issues such as urban deprivation. In 1983, he assumed the rectorship of St Michael and All Angels, Houghton-le-Spring, marking a shift from academic administration to parish ministry, while leaving a legacy of resilient theological education that contributed to the college's operations until its closure in 1995.
Fisher served as principal of the Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education in Birmingham from 1994 to 2002. Established as a collaborative venture between the Church of England, Methodist Church, and United Reformed Church, Queen’s emphasized ecumenical theological training for ordinands and lay ministers across denominations. Under Fisher's leadership, the foundation continued to nurture this interdenominational environment, supporting part-time and full-time programs that integrated Anglican, Methodist, and United Reformed Church perspectives on ministry formation.
Throughout his later career, Fisher played a significant role in international ecumenical dialogues, particularly those addressing authority and unity among Christian denominations. Fisher made notable scholarly contributions to theology, particularly in ecclesiology and Mariology. He co-authored key sections of the Church of England's official response to Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission’s 2005 agreed statement “Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ,” providing biblical analysis of Mary's role in the New Testament and critiquing harmonizations in ecumenical texts. Earlier, he edited “Unpacking the Gift: Anglican Resources for Theological Reflection on The Gift of Authority” (Church House Publishing, 2002), a volume offering essays to guide Anglican engagement with church authority, unity, and governance. These works highlight his focus on scriptural foundations for Christian unity and the exercise of authority in the church.
Rev. Dr Susan Durber, WCC president from Europe, remembered Fisher as a humble servant of God who quite naturally welcomed serving in a local parish after having been a college principal.
“He was an inspiring example of what it is to be a priest or a minister, and the best possible ambassador for the Church of England,” said Durber. “Peter was gracious and lovely, funny and tender.”
Durber added that Fisher was was the very best of the Anglican tradition: faithful, disciplined in prayer, pastoral, and a scholar priest.
“He was easy and delightful company, both gentle and serious in challenging false thinking and completely diligent in work and in friendship,” she said. “His commitment to ecumenism was very deeply rooted and he gave himself willingly to the hard graft of meetings, minute-taking and drafting, eschewing any ecumenical limelight.”
He wrote many significant words, many of them remaining perforce unattributed in ecumenical texts, noted Durber.
“His most beautiful book, in his own compassionate voice and published in 2009 by SPCK, is ‘Outside Eden: Finding Hope in an Imperfect World’ – actually a perfect testimony to his grounded, constant faith,” said Durber. “May his memory be eternal.”
Fisher died peacefully on 17 March, St Patrick’s day.
His is survived by his widow Elizabeth Fisher, a New Testament scholar, and by his sons.
