Church of England to ordain first female bishop

 

 

The first woman bishop in the history of the Church of England was today officially consecrated during a ceremony at York Minster.

The Reverend Libby Lane became the Bishop of Stockport in a service conducted by the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu.

The service was briefly interrupted by a protester who appeared to object to the consecration of women - shouting 'Not in the Bible' as she was presented to the congregation.

Mrs Lane, an Oxford-educated mother of two, was appointed as a bishop last month, in a historic move which ends five centuries of all-male leadership in the church.

 

She entered the cathedral through the south door in a procession with other ministers and members of the clergy.

The Archbishop of York introduced the service and welcomed Mrs Lane and her family before she was presented to be ordained and consecrated by the Bishops of Exeter and Chester.

She spoke to affirm her faith and swore oaths of allegiance and canonical obedience, followed by hymns, Bible readings and psalms. 

As Dr Sentamu asked the congregation if they wanted Ms Lane to be ordained, an unidentified man stepped forward to the altar and shouted: 'No. Not in the Bible.'

The Archbishop read out a pre-prepared legal statement then repeated his question, 'Is it now your will that she should be ordained?'

The congregation replied, 'It is,' and the service continued despite the disruption.

At the time of her appointment, Mrs Lane said it was a 'great honour' to be the first female bishop - but insisted that she would not simply be a token face.

'This moment is significant, but it is not simply a gesture,' she said. 'I'm the first, but I won't be the only.

'And I follow in the footsteps of women across the Anglican Church and globally.'

The announcement prompted fears that it could lead to a split in the Anglican community, as traditionalists have long fought against the prospect of women becoming bishops.

However, Mrs Lane said she wanted to 'heal and not to hurt, to build up and not to destroy'. 

Her husband George is also a reverend, while the couple have two children - Connie, 20, and Benedict, 18.

Mrs Lane, originally from the Peak District, was already a pioneer as one of the first female priests in the Church of England, having been ordained in July 1994 after studying theology at St Peter's College, Oxford.

Her last job was as vicar of St Peter's, Hale and St Elizabeth's, Ashley - both in the North-West - and she was appointed to her new post after initially serving on the committee trying to find a bishop.

In her spare time she is an avid Manchester United supporter who has learned to play the saxophone and enjoys solving cryptic crosswords.

FROM SUPPORTING MANCHESTER UNITED TO DOING CRYPTIC CROSSWORDS: HOW REV LIBBY LANE MADE CHURCH OF ENGLAND HISTORY  

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Rev Lane said she was excited by the possibilities

Rev Libby Lane comes from an Anglican, but not particularly church-going, family. She became interested in the church after attending a small Anglican church community in rural Derbyshire.

Rev Lane studied theology at St Peter's College, Oxford, where she met her husband and trained for the ministry at Cranmer Hall, Durham.

The 48-year-old was ordained as a deacon in 1993 and a priest in 1994 - the first year that women were ordained into the priesthood. Mrs Lane was ordained with her husband and they were one of the first married couples to do so. 

She has held a number of roles in the north of England in the dioceses of Blackburn, York and Chester.

She was team Vicar in the Stockport South West Team and Assistant Diocesan Director of Ordinands in the Diocese of Chester. 

Rev Lane has been vicar at Hale in Greater Manchester and Ashley in Cheshire since 2007.

She is married to the Rev George Lane, coordinating chaplain at Manchester Airport. They were one of the first married couples in the Church of England to be ordained together. 

The couple have two children, Connie, 20, and Benedict, 18.

Her interests include being a school governor, encouraging social action initiatives, learning to play the saxophone, supporting Manchester United, reading and doing cryptic crosswords. 

Mrs Lane was originally part of a committee tasked to find a candidate for the bishopric but was invited to apply herself following the vote in the Synod last month. 

Her position at the Bishop of Stockport makes her an assistant in the Chester Diocese. 

But because the post is fairly junior she will not be allowed to sit in the House of Lords.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2926611/Libby-Lane-female-bishop-Church-England.html#ixzz3PvrMuqA2