Dalby commenced training for the priesthood at
St Barnabas College, Adelaide, in 1992 and obtained a Bachelor of Theology degree. He became curate at St Michael's
Mitcham in
Adelaide before being a parish priest in
Timboon and
Warracknabeal in
Victoria in the
Diocese of Ballarat from 1997 and
Gordon in the
Diocese of Sydney from 2004.
Episcopal ministry In June 2019, Dalby was announced as the fifth
diocesan bishop of the
Diocese of The Murray in South Australia. He was consecrated as bishop at
St Peter's Cathedral, Adelaide, on 16 August 2019 and enthroned as Bishop of The Murray on 17 August 2019 at
St John the Baptist Cathedral,
Murray Bridge. Dalby stepped aside as Bishop of The Murray effective 9 December 2023. It was later revealed that he had secretly married newly ordained priest Alison Dutton in August 2023, and that a controversy had since arisen in the diocese in relation to the marriage. A spokesperson for the diocesan council said that the diocese, in line with the procedures and protocols of the Anglican Church of Australia, was working through the controversy, in a manner sensitive to Dalby and Dutton.
Ordination of women In 2022, Dalby followed through with a decade-old commitment by a previous synod to allow a discussion on the ordination of women as priests. During 2022 and 2023 consultations and workshops were held with clergy and lay people and Dalby sought advice from
Stephen Pickard, former assistant Bishop in Adelaide and the canon theologian of the diocese. Dalby mentioned the mentorship of Bishop
David McCall and circulated discussion papers written by
Kevin Giles. He allowed a canon to be put to the next synod in 2023 which enabled the ordination of women as priests. The vote was 57–4 in favour with no debate. On 12 August 2023, Dalby ordained three women and one man to the priesthood, Margaret Holt, Carol Cornwall, Alison Dutton and Rodney Fopp. ==References==