Ruth Worsley
Ruth Worsley | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Taunton | |
| Church | Church of England |
| Diocese | Diocese of Bath and Wells |
| In office | 2015–present |
| Other post(s) | Archdeacon of Wiltshire (2013–2015) Honorary Chaplain to the Queen |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1996 (deacon) 1997 (priest) |
| Consecration | 29 September 2015 by Justin Welby |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1962 (age 61–62) |
| Spouse | Howard |
| Children | Three |
| Alma mater | University of Manchester St John's College, Nottingham |
Ruth Elizabeth Worsley, QHC (born 1962) is a Church of England bishop. Since September 2015, she has been the Bishop of Taunton, a suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Bath and Wells. From 2013 to 2015, she was Archdeacon of Wiltshire.
Early life[edit]
Worsley was born in 1962 in Hampton, Middlesex.[1][2] She studied English literature, theology and biblical studies at the University of Manchester. She was training to be a nurse when she felt the call to ministry and left to take up a position as a lay minister.[2] She trained for ordained ministry at St John's College, Nottingham, an Anglican theological college.[3]
Ordained ministry[edit]
Worsley was ordained in the Church of England: made a deacon at Michaelmas 1996 (29 September) by Patrick Harris, Bishop of Southwell at St Mary's Church, Nottingham[4] and ordained a priest the Michaelmas following (5 October 1997), by Alan Morgan, Bishop of Sherwood at St Peter's Church, Ravenshead.[5] She served curacies at St Leodegarius Church, Basford (1996 to 1998) and St Stephen's Church, Hyson Green (1998 to 2001) in Nottingham.[1] From 2001 to 2008, she was priest-in-charge of the benefice of Hyson Green (St Stephen's Church) and Forest Fields.[1][6] She was also Area Dean of Nottingham North between 2006 and 2008.[1]
From 2007 to 2010, Worsley was Dean of Women's Ministry in the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham and an honorary canon of Southwell Minster.[7] In 2009 she was appointed an Honorary Chaplain to the Queen;[8] and in 2010 to the post of Parish Development Officer for the Woolwich Area of the Diocese of Southwark.[9] In February 2013, she was appointed Archdeacon of Wilts.[10] She stood down as archdeacon upon becoming a bishop.
Episcopal ministry[edit]
On 30 June 2015, she was announced as the next Bishop of Taunton, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Bath and Wells.[3][11] On 29 September 2015, she was consecrated a bishop by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, during a service at St Paul's Cathedral, London.[12][13] She was installed as Bishop of Taunton at Wells Cathedral on 2 October.[14] Her first act as a bishop was to admit and licence nine people as readers.[15]
On 13 September 2023, it was announced that Bishop Ruth would be seconded as Acting Bishop of Coventry.[16]
Views[edit]
In November 2023, she was one of 44 Church of England bishops who signed an open letter supporting the use of the Prayers of Love and Faith (i.e. blessings for same-sex couples) and called for "Guidance being issued without delay that includes the removal of all restrictions on clergy entering same-sex civil marriages, and on bishops ordaining and licensing such clergy".[17]
Personal life[edit]
Worsley is married to Howard who is also ordained in the Church of England.[6][18] Together, they have three children; Nathanael, Jonathan and Benjamin.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d "Ruth Elizabeth Worsley". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- ^ a b c "Bishop Ruth Worsley". Diocese of Bath and Wells. Church of England. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
- ^ a b "Suffragan Bishop of Taunton: Ruth Worsley". Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street. Government of the United Kingdom. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
- ^ "Michaelmas Ordinations". Church Times. No. 6973. 4 October 1996. p. 4. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 7 May 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
- ^ "Ordinations". Church Times. No. 7026. 10 October 1997. p. 4. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 7 May 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
- ^ a b "TAUNTON, Bishop Suffragan of,". Who's Who 2017. Oxford University Press. November 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- ^ Southwell Anglican
- ^ "Chaplain to the Queen is new archdeacon". The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ^ The Times
- ^ Ford, Michael (23 October 2012). "New Archdeacon of Wilts Appointed". Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ^ Diocese of Bath & Wells — Ruth Worsley announced as next Bishop of Taunton (Accessed 2 July 2015)
- ^ "New women bishops ordained at St Paul's Cathedral". St Paul's Cathedral. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ Diocese of Bath & Wells — Bishops & Archdeacons (Accessed 4 September 2015)
- ^ "First female Bishop of Taunton to be officially installed in Wells Cathedral this weekend". Western Gazette. 29 September 2015. Archived from the original on 2 October 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "Ruth Worsley installed as new Bishop of Taunton". BBC News. 3 October 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
- ^ "Bishop Ruth seconded to the role of Acting Bishop of Coventry". www.bathandwells.org.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
- ^ Martin, Francis (1 November 2023). "Don't delay guidance allowing priests to be in same-sex marriages, say 44 bishops". Church Times. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ "Howard John Worsley". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
