Thinking Anglicans

Olivia Graham to be next Bishop of Reading

Press release from Number 10

Queen has approved the nomination to the Suffragan See of Reading: 15 July 2019

Queen approves nomination of the Venerable Olivia Josephine Graham to the Suffragan See of Reading.

Published 15 July 2019
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street

The Queen has approved the nomination of the Venerable Olivia Josephine Graham, BA, Archdeacon of Berkshire, in the Diocese of Oxford, to the Suffragan See of Reading, in the Diocese of Oxford, in succession to the Right Reverend Andrew John Proud, BD, AKC, MA, who resigned on 1st May 2019.

The Oxford diocesan website has more details. The new bishop will be consecrated on 19 November 2019.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

15 Comments
Oldest
Newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Father David
Father David
5 years ago

18 and falling.

Philip Hobday
Philip Hobday
Reply to  Father David
5 years ago

18 what?

Father David
Father David
Reply to  Philip Hobday
5 years ago

18 dioceses without a female bishop.

Nick
Nick
Reply to  Father David
5 years ago

Hallelujah! I will rejoice when it is at or near zero.

David Exham
David Exham
Reply to  Nick
5 years ago

If we reach the presumably happy situation when the sex of candidates to be bishop is no longer taken into consideration, the proportion of dioceses without a male bishop is most unlikely to reduce to zero. Given 42 dioceses, and assuming for the sake of simplicity that every diocese has three bishops, we should expect about one eighth of dioceses only to have male bishops and one eighth of dioceses only to have female bishops. The remaining three quarters will be either FFM or MMF!

Incidentally in all these calculations don’t forget that Derby Diocese now has only female bishops!

Andrew Lightbown
5 years ago

A good appointment. Delighted that Oxford Diocese has grown one of our own. Yes, it’s good when new bishops are appointed from outside the diocese but it’s also good when they are appointed from within.

Fr John Emlyn Harris-White
Fr John Emlyn Harris-White
5 years ago

Fr David, Fully agree. We shall be an endangered specie!

Anne Stevens
Anne Stevens
Reply to  Fr John Emlyn Harris-White
5 years ago

Or just half the human race, same as you’ve always been.

Malcolm Dixon
Malcolm Dixon
5 years ago

There was a time when discussion in threads following the appointment of a bishop often touched on the relevance or otherwise of being informed which football team the new prelate supported. Although I am glad that we have been spared such irrelevant ephemera in this case, I am surprised that we have also been denied any information on where the nominee received her theological training, which I think is highly relevant to any such announcement.

Crockford reveals that it was SAOMC (the St. Albans and Oxford Ministry Course, to save anyone else needing to look it up). Homegrown indeed!

Tom
Tom
Reply to  Malcolm Dixon
5 years ago

… which sounds like a load of crock , like most courses.

Bernard Silverman
Reply to  Tom
5 years ago

Assuming that “crock” isn’t here an abbreviation for “Crockfords” would “Tom” be so good as to provide evidence for their assertion? [And also could Tom explain why they prefer to shelter behind anonymity when making a remark that could be regarded as insulting and offhand?]

Bill Broadhead
Bill Broadhead
5 years ago

Is this a good appointment? Without the mandatory imprimatur from Anthony Archer we customarily get every time a female bishop is announced, we lack the decisive seal of approval at this stage. You can understand why this leaves an element of doubt in my mind, can’t you?

Anthony Archer
Anthony Archer
Reply to  Bill Broadhead
5 years ago

No pressure then! I am trying to withdraw from comments on all matters CofE for a while, especially appointments, but am happy to say something about this nomination, not having had any involvement, nor indeed knowing the bishop-designate or ever having met her. Olivia Graham has an excellent blend of experience, including gained from her pre-ordination work in education and international development. She trained, as has been noted, on SAOMC, a well-regarded course in its time, of which my diocese was part-sponsor. Her ministry experience is broad, including parish ministry, diocesan roles in parish development, and latterly six years as… Read more »

Father David
Father David
Reply to  Anthony Archer
5 years ago

A fairly rare internal appointment when it comes to female suffragan bishops. I’m not sure if I can think of another such internal diocesan suffragan appointment? Certainly of all the recent nominations, Jarrow, Penrith, Huntingdon, Shrewsbury, Stepney, Southampton and Dover have all been external appointments. The vast majority of female bishops served previously as Archdeacons.

Anthony Archer
Anthony Archer
Reply to  Father David
5 years ago

A survey of the backgrounds of the now 24 women bishops in the Church of England reveals that 11 were archdeacons, three were deans or residentiary canons, six were parish priests (including +Dover, in her role as Speaker’s Chaplain), and four came from theological training institutions/academia, being +Penrith, +Lancaster, +Ripon, and +Dorking (in her case having been on the staff at Lambeth before her consecration).

15
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x