The Archbishop of York has tweeted “Wonderful news that HM The Queen has appointed the Revd Canon Alison White as the Bishop Suffragan of the See of Hull”.
And here is the announcement from Number 10 (complete with misprint – Hull is in the diocese of York).
Suffragan Bishop of Hull: Reverend Canon Alison Mary White
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
First published: 25 March 2015
Part of: Arts and culture and Community and societyThe Queen has approved the nomination of Reverend Canon Alison Mary White, for election as Bishop of Hull in the Diocese of Newcastle.
The Queen has approved the nomination of the Reverend Canon Alison Mary White, MA, Priest-in-Charge of St James’ Church, Riding Mill in the diocese of Newcastle and Diocesan Adviser for Spirituality and Spiritual Direction in the Diocese of Newcastle, in succession to the Right Reverend Richard Michael Cokayne Frith, MA, on his translation to the See of Hereford on the 22 November 2014.
Notes for editors
The Reverend Canon Alison White aged 58, studied first at St Aidan’s College, Durham and then at Leeds University. She trained for the ministry at Cranmer Hall, Durham. She served her curacy as an NSM at Chester-le-Street in the Diocese of Durham from 1986 to 1989.
From 1989 to 1993 she was Diocesan Advisor in Local Mission and also Honorary Parish Deacon at Birtley. From 1993 to 1998 she was Director of Mission and Pastoral Studies at Cranmer Hall, Durham. From 1998 to 2000 she was Director of Ordinands in the Diocese of Durham. From 2000 to 2004 she was a Springboard Missioner. From 2005 to 2010 she was an Adult Education Officer in Peterborough Diocese where from 2009 to 2010 she was also Honorary Canon at Peterborough Cathedral.
Since 2010 she has been Honorary Canon Theologian at Sheffield Cathedral. In 2011 she was appointed as Priest-in-Charge of St James’, Riding Mill in Newcastle Diocese and Diocesan Adviser for Spirituality and Spiritual Direction.
Alison White is married to Frank, Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Newcastle. They have family in England and South Africa. Alison has an interest in literature and the arts, enjoys the theatre and is an avid reader. She likes to travel and be in the company of good friends. She enjoys the outdoors, walks and gardening. She is a school governor.
The York diocesan website has this news item: New Bishop of Hull [also available on the Archbishop of York’s website].
The Newcastle diocesan website has this: Alison White appointed Bishop of Hull.
The first husband-and-wife bishops?
So the first two bishops who happen to be women (in the CofE) are both in the northern province and both trained at Cranmer Hall! As a former Cranmer staff member, I am of course delighted, though I did not teach either +Libby or soon to be + Ali.
Ali White is a splendid person whom I first met when she was Durham DDO (a very good DDO) and I had just arrived at Cranmer. She will be an excellent bishop.
What will Frank do now and where will they live? These are of course the really important questions….
Charles — according to the Newcastle website linked above, “the Whites are moving their family home to Hull and Bishop Frank will continue to serve the Diocese of Newcastle from the office of the Assistant Bishop of Newcastle in Jesmond.”
Northern Province 2 – Southern Province Nil
Cranmer Hall… people like us… any need to guess what her position on equal consecration for LGBT clergy or equal marriage will be? I have no doubt that Alison White is an able priest who will make a good bishop. But… we ARE beginning to see the predicted pieces of the archiepiscopal strategic jigsaw fall into place, aren’t we?
Dunwich anyone? Or – sit down for this one – Kensington or Edmonton?
While I rejoice in the appointment of Alison White to the See of Hull; I can’t help but be left disappointed that a Traditionalist was not appointed to this post. While the appointment of female bishop is a thing to rejoice; the CofE made a promise to provide a secured and thriving space for those who cannot accept the ministry of women and I believe that this should be on all levels of ministry (Diaconate, Priesthood and the Episcopate). When +Philip Burnley’s appointment was announced, there was all this talk that his appointment will be last Traditionalist appointment in the… Read more »
If Kensington should be a woman – I would hope that it would be Ven Rachel Treweek. Very able and well liked amongst the people
Keeps it in the families (inc Cranmer) anyway. So important to have a pure blood line for a healthy community.
Cranmer Hall seems to be the new Cuddesdon.
Funny how neither of the first two episcopal posts to go to women have gone to any of the ‘celebrity’ women that everyone predicted. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing – just an observation.
I like Alison and she will make an excellent bishop but I shall be very sad if none of the women who have struggled long. and hard are appointed.We also need a liberal or liberal/catholic to balance all the open evangelicals who now dominate the House of Bishops.
I want to see a Bishop Rose and a Bishop Lucy.
If a “liberal” bishop is appointed, odds are they’ll do what every other “liberal” bishop does, and keep the omertà on any subject the House of Bishops deems too hot to handle.
The one English bishop to speak out, Alan Wilson, doesn’t, SFAIK, consider himself a liberal. Perhaps we need more evangelical bishops who just happen to hold liberal positions. I’ll say this for evangelicals, disagree as I might, they’ve the courage of their convictions.
Excellent sentiments, Mo (Revd) Christine. This is the inescapable logic of ‘mutual flourishing’. It’s a difficult logic – and one that seems far above the power-crazed antics of our Archbishops. It is also a logic that requires reciprocation – stand up, Father David! ‘Liberals’ (of a certain kind) and ‘Traditionalists’ (of a certain kind) need (in certain contexts) to fight together for fair representation.
“..we only have 4 bishops who are against compared to the number of Liberal Catholic and Evangelical Bishops that we have.” – Mother Christine – Perhaps that reflects the reality of the non-GAFCON provinces of the Anglican Communion. Why should the Church of England be any different? Obviously the Canterbury Province will soon have to make up the deficiency of Women Bishops in that Southern part of the Church of England – hopefully, some who will not be averse to Gay people worshipping and ministering in their patch. By the way, Reverend Mother, I appreciate your use of the feminine… Read more »
The “celebrity” women were/are those the press knew and wrote about. As many of us have been saying for some time, there are many women with the experience, skills and gifts for episcopacy so it was highly likely that the first women appointed would not be known across the nation. Also worth noting that these are suffragan appointments.
Think on – of the last four Bishops of Hull, three were translated to become Diocesans. Geoffrey Paul to Bradford, James Jones to Liverpool and Richard Frith to Hereford.
May God bless her episcopal ministry. 🙂
As for Libby Lane, her two immediate predecessors at Stockport both became Diocesans. Nigel Stock – St. Edmundsbury and Ipswich and Robert Atwell – Exeter. It’s Bishop Frank White that I feel sorry for having to move to Hull. The all round journey from Kingston upon Hull to Berwick upon Tweed in order to Lay Hands on the Confirmands is over 400 miles! Still, the present Government has promised to make the A1 Dual Carriageway throughout Northumberland. That should assist Bishop Frank and also warm the heart of Alan Beith M. P. who has been campaigning for this to be… Read more »
Bishops in Hull (where I live) either seem to disappear or want to be in a better place elsewhere (Hull a stepping stone). It will be an achievement towards normality if, with all the current newness of female Anglican bishops, this next one also ‘disappears’.
Pluralist, the last Bishop of Hull to stay put and not to “disappear” or become a Diocesan was Donald Snelgrove, who retired over twenty years ago. He crossed the Bridge to reside in Barton-upon-Humber on the far side of the estuary and is an Assistant Bishop in the Lincoln diocese. Next month he will become a nonagenarian.