Church of England’s first female bishop named as Libby Lane

Even before her latest role, Lane had long been one of the most influential women in the church

The Guardian, Haroon Siddique, Wednesday 17 December 2014

Church of England's first female bishop named as Libby Lane

Libby Lane's interests include learning to play the saxophone, supporting
 Manchester United and doing cryptic crosswords. Photograph: Paul Ellis/
AFP/Getty Images

Libby Lane, who has been chosen by the Church of England as its first female bishop, has long been one of the most influential women in the church.

She is one of eight clergywomen from the church elected as participant observers in the House of Bishops, as the representative from the dioceses of the north-west, and has been a bishop’s selection adviser for 10 years, making recommendations to the church about candidates offering themselves for ordination.

She took up her post as vicar of St Peter’s Hale and St Elizabeth’s Ashley, in the diocese of Chester, in April 2007, and since January 2010 has also been dean of women in ministry for the diocese, a post created to reflect the growing number of Anglican women in the clergy as the prospect of women becoming bishops drew closer.

Lane was born in Glossop, Derbyshire and educated at Manchester High School for Girls and St Peter’s College, Oxford.

She trained for ministry at Cranmer Hall in Durham. She was ordained a deacon in 1993 and a priest in 1994, serving her curacy in Blackburn, Lancashire.

Lane has served in the diocese of York, as chaplain in a hospital and further education, and as family life officer for the committee for social responsibility in the diocese of Chester.

Her husband, George, is also a priest and they were one of the first married couples in the Church of England to be ordained together. They have two grown-up children.

Lane is a school governor and keen on social action initiatives, according to her profile on the St Peter’s Hale website. Her listed interests include learning to play the saxophone, supporting Manchester United, and doing cryptic crosswords.

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"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God/Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“… I gave you a channelling years ago when Pope John Paul was alive. John Paul loved Mary, the mother. Had John Paul survived another 10 years, he would have done what the next Pope [The one after the current one, Benedict XVI] will do, and that is to bring women into the Church. This Pope you have now [Benedict XVI] won't be here long.* The next Pope will be the one who has to change the rules, should he survive. If he doesn't, it will be the one after that.

There is a large struggle within the Church, even right now, and great dissention, for it knows that it is not giving what humanity wants. The doctrine is not current to the puzzles of life. The answer will be to create a better balance between the feminine and masculine, and the new Pope, or the one after that, will try to allow women to be in the higher echelon of the Church structure to assist the priests.

It will be suggested to let women participate in services, doing things women did not do before. This graduates them within church law to an equality with priests, but doesn't actually let them become priests just yet. However, don't be surprised if this begins in another way, and instead gives priests the ability to marry. This will bring the feminine into the church in other ways. It will eventually happen and has to happen. If it does not, it will be the end of the Catholic Church, for humanity will not sustain a spiritual belief system that is out of balance with the love of God and also out of balance with intuitive Human awareness.  …”