Saxophone-playing vicar’s wife is UK’s f irst woman bishop
A SAXOPHONE- playing mother of two was yesterday revealed as the surprise choice to be the Church of England’s first woman bishop.
Parish priest Libby Lane will become the Right Reverend Libby Lane, Bishop of Stockport, a suffragan or junior bishop in the Chester diocese.
Mrs Lane, married to the Reverend George Lane for 25 years, has seen her career blossom since her husband decided to forego his own promotion chances in favour of hers.
She trained for the Anglican priesthood alongside her husband and later became a stay-at-home mother and part-time chaplain while her husband was a Yorkshire vicar.
Yesterday Mrs Lane, whose interests include playing the saxophone and supporting Manchester United, won praise from the Prime Minister and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
However, there were warnings from evangelicals who oppose the elevation of women to be bishops.
The Reverend Rod Thomas, of the conservative Reform group, said the Bishop of Chester, the Right Reverend Dr Peter Forster, should ‘ enable the many thriving conservative evangelical churches in the diocese to continue to serve their communities with theological integrity under the oversight of a male bishop’.
Mrs Lane, 48, who was not the bookmakers’ favourite for the role, said it was a ‘great honour’. ‘This announce- ment has been a long time coming,’ she added. ‘I am very conscious of those who have gone before me – men and women whose prayers and work in ministries have laid the ground for today.
‘I’ve no doubt that many will follow on from me and I look forward to the time when I’m still the first, but not the only, woman to be nominated as a bishop in the Church of England.’
She said her husband and two children – Connie, 20, and Benedict, 18 – were ‘incredibly proud’.
Mrs Lane added: ‘I know there will be those rejoicing, and there will be those who have been distressed and disturbed by the announcement.
‘I am committed to the Church’s principles of mutual flourishing, and my ministry will serve all those, churches and people in this diocese, whatever their views.’
Mrs Lane and her husband were ordained as priests at the same ceremony in 1994, when she became one of the CofE’s first women priests.
David Cameron said Mrs Lane’s promotion was ‘an historic appointment’ on an ‘important day for equality’.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, said: ‘Her Christ-centred life, calmness and clear determination to serve the Church and the community make her a wonderful choice.’