Speaker praises ‘steely resolve’ of area’s new bishop
New leader comes from House of Commons
A former Chaplain to The Queen and the Speaker of the House of Commons has been appointed as the new Bishop of Dover. Jamaican-born Reverend Prebendary Rose Hudson-Wilkin will take up the role following the retirement of the Rt Rev Trevor Willmott in May.
Having received her early education in the Caribbean country, she later studied at Birmingham University.
Her religious training started with the Church Army, later progressing to the Queens Theological College.
Ordained as a deacon in 1991, she became a priest in 1994 and served her title at St Matthew’s Church, Willenhall Road in the Diocese of Lichfield.
The mother-of-three then moved to Hackney and priested there for 16-and-a-half years, before being selected as a Chaplain to Her Majesty the Queen in 2007.
Three years later, the Rev Hudson-Wilkin became the first female appointed to the position of the Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons. Alongside this role, she took on the position of Priest in Charge at St-Mary-at-Hill Church in the City of London.
The eminent ecclesiastic has also served as a member of the General Synod of the Church of England also as one of the Panel of Chairs of the Synod.
She has twice represented the Church of England at the World Council of Churches and served as its priest representative on the Anglican Consultative Council for nine years.
Rose, whose husband Kenneth is a prison chaplain, was a member of the Broadcasting Standards Commission and has wide experience of media engagement including some religious broadcasting.
Her new position will see her lead religious operations in an area covering Maidstone, the Isle of Sheppey, Canterbury, Romney Marsh, Ashford, Faversham, Thanet, Sittingbourne and Dover.
John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons, said: “Rose is one of the warmest, kindest and most loving people I have ever met, so she will be sorely missed by Members across the House, the staff and especially, by me.
“She has an unfailing sense of duty and an ability – more than she would herself ever know – to bring comfort in times of tragedy. “Furthermore, her steely resolve when confronted with loss and evil, following the death of our dear colleague Jo Cox and in the wake of the Westminster Bridge attack, was plain for all to see.
“Both in the celebration of happiness and in condolence and prayer, she has the most reassuring, fortifying presence anyone could want.”
The reverend said: “I am excited to have been called to be the next bishop of Dover in the Diocese of Canterbury with its long history of Christian witness. “I am looking forward to journeying with the people of Kent, celebrating the good work that is already happening there and working together with its religious and secular leaders to ensure that the good news of hope, love and justice remains at the heart of our changed lives together.”
She will be consecrated at St Paul’s Cathedral on November 19 and installed at Canterbury Cathedral on November 30.