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Reverend Libby Lane has been announced as the first female bishop for the Church of England, just a month after a historic change to canon law. She will become the new Bishop of Stockport, a post that has been vacant since May.Mrs Lane has been the vicar at St Peter’s Hale and St Elizabeth’s Ashley, in the diocese of Che ster, since 2007. The general synod voted to back plans for female bishops in July and formally adopted legislation on 17 November. The appointment will end centuries of male leadership of the Church and comes 20 years after women became priests. Mrs Lane was ordained a deacon in 1993 and a priest in 1994, serving her curacy in Blackburn, Lancashire. Since 2010 she has also held the role of Dean of Women in Ministry for the diocese of Chester. After being schooled in Manchester and then the University at Oxford, she trained for ministry at Cranmer Hall in Durham, according to her church’s website.
Junior appointment
Her husband George – a chaplain at Manchester Airport – is also a priest, and they were one of the first married couples in the Church of England to be ordained together. Her church website also said that her interests included being a school governor, supporting Manchester United and learning to play the saxophone. Before she gave her acceptance speech Mrs Lane asked the audience at the press conference to stand for a prayer in memory of the schoolchildren who lost their lives in a Taliban attack in Pakistan on Tuesday. She said: “It is a remarkable day for me and an historic day for the Church.” She added that she was honoured and thankful to be chosen for the appointment.
Her husband George – a chaplain at Manchester Airport – is also a priest, and they were one of the first married couples in the Church of England to be ordained together. Her church website also said that her interests included being a school governor, supporting Manchester United and learning to play the saxophone. Before she gave her acceptance speech Mrs Lane asked the audience at the press conference to stand for a prayer in memory of the schoolchildren who lost their lives in a Taliban attack in Pakistan on Tuesday. She said: “It is a remarkable day for me and an historic day for the Church.” She added that she was honoured and thankful to be chosen for the appointment.
Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: “Congratulations to Revd Libby Lane on becoming the first woman bishop in the Church. An historic appointment and important day for equality.” The first women priests were ordained in 1994, but to date women have not been able to take on the Church’s most senior roles. Legislation to fast track women bishops into the House Of Lords will be introduced to Parliament on Thursday. But Mrs Lane will not be able to enter the House of Lords as the post is a junior or suffragan appointment within the Diocese of Chester, the BBC’s religious correspondent Caroline Wyatt said. The first women bishop eligible to take up a seat in the Lords is expected to be announced in the new year. Interviews for the vacancy as bishop for the Southwell and Nottingham diocese took place at the start of December. Gloucester, Oxford and Newcastle are also among the dioceses where new bishops will also soon be appointed.
Source: BBC
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