[3] He received a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 2001 from the University of Bristol.

[4][5][6] His doctoral thesis was titled "Oversight and authority in the nineteenth century church of England: a case study of Bishop Samuel Wilberforce".

[6] Redfern was ordained a deacon at Petertide 1976 (27 June)[7] and a priest the following Petertide (26 June 1977), both times by Kenneth Skelton, Bishop of Lichfield, at Lichfield Cathedral.

He was ordained and consecrated to the episcopate on 2 December 1997 at Southwark Cathedral[11] (by George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury)[12] to become suffragan Bishop of Grantham.

[15] who at the time worked for the Church of England as the Archbishops' Secretary for Appointments.