10 Downing Street has announced that Sarah Bullock, Archdeacon of York in the Diocese of York, is to be the next Bishop of Shrewsbury in the diocese of Lichfield.
The Queen has approved the nomination of The Venerable Sarah Ruth Bullock, BA, Archdeacon of York in the Diocese of York, to the Suffragan See of Shrewsbury, in the Diocese of Lichfield, in succession to the Right Reverend Mark Rylands, MA who resigned on 31st July 2018.
Background
Sarah was educated at Surrey University and she trained for ministry at Cranmer Hall, Durham. She served her title at St Paul, Kersal Moor in the Diocese of Manchester and was ordained Priest in 1994.
Sarah was appointed Priest-in-Charge of St Edmund, Whalley Range in 1998 and later additionally became Priest-in-Charge of St James with St Clement, Moss Side in 1999, before becoming Rector of the joint benefice in 2004. She also held the role of Diocesan Vocations Adviser from 1998 until 2005. Sarah was made an Honorary Canon of Manchester Cathedral in 2007, and took on the additional roles of Bishop’s Adviser for Women’s Ministry in 2009, Borough Dean for the City and Borough of Manchester in 2010 and Area Dean of Hulme in 2012. In 2013, Sarah was appointed Archdeacon of York.
The diocese of Lichfield website carries this story here.
Congratulations to Sarah. I wa supposed to mentor her for a year when she was first ordained deacon – but it quickly became clear she didn’t need any mentoring. Her ability was obvious.
All eyes now turn towards Horsham
… or Reading? It is vacant now. Stockport is apparently in abeyance pending a new diocesan at Chester (and a review of provision by the Dioceses Commission) and Horsham and Dudley do not fall vacant until as yet unknown dates “in the autumn”.
And Dudley. Though facing Horsham is a prayer practice I had not encountered before. Still can’t get used to their strange ways in the southern province.
And by the way, Sarah is an excellent person. She was curate in the next door parish to me in Salford and we got to know her well. I then was guest speaker etc. at couple of parish weekends from where she was incumbent in Moss Side / Whalley Range and saw how she has stimulated ministry and mission there. She nurtured the vocations of several Readers and had ordinands on placement – all of whom will attest to her skills in enabling ministry. She also did much to make the rhetoric of racial equality a reality in those churches… Read more »
I remember her from next door parish of St Brides Old Trafford.
I think we can all safely say that Horsham will not follow the ‘prevailing orthodoxy.’ Bishop Martin is far too perceptive and original a diocesan to inflict ‘more of the same’ on his Diocese.
Mind you, I am beginning to wonder how good these three episcopal appointments are. We’ve not heard a peep from Anthony Archer.
The nomination of bishops is always a cause for celebration as the Church discerns the next generation of its episcopal leaders. The announcement of three at one time by Downing Street is thought to be without precedent, and it raises the total number of women bishops in the Church of England to 22. However, I need to disappoint those who are seeking further comment, not least as I participated in one of the nominations. I might add that I am reassured by the robust processes now adopted in these suffragan appointments by the relevant diocesans. The Church has come a… Read more »