Libby Lane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Right Reverend Libby Lane |
|
|---|---|
| Bishop of Derby | |
Lane in 2019
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| Church | Church of England |
| Diocese | Derby |
| In Office | 11 February 2019 – present |
| Predecessor | Alastair Redfern |
| Other posts |
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| Orders | |
| Ordination | |
| Consecration | 26 January 2015 by John Sentamu |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Elizabeth Jane Holden |
| Born | 8 December 1966 Wycombe Rural District, Buckinghamshire, UK |
| Nationality | British |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Spouse |
George Lane
(m. 1990) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | |
Elizabeth Jane Holden Lane, born on 8 December 1966, is an important leader in the Church of England. She is a bishop, which is a senior role in the church. Since 2019, she has been the Bishop of Derby.
Before this, from 2015 to 2019, she was the Bishop of Stockport. Libby Lane made history as the first woman to be appointed as a bishop in the Church of England. This happened after the church's main decision-making body, the General Synod, voted in July 2014 to allow women to become bishops. Her special ceremony to become a bishop took place on 26 January 2015 at York Minster.
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Early Life and Education
Libby Lane was born Elizabeth Jane Holden on 8 December 1966. Her birthplace was in Wycombe Rural District, Buckinghamshire, England. She grew up in Glossop, which is in Derbyshire.
For her education, she attended Manchester High School for Girls. This was a private school just for girls. In 1986, she went to St Peter's College, Oxford, a famous university. There, she studied theology, which is the study of religious faith. She earned her first degree in 1989. Later, she studied at Cranmer Hall, Durham, from 1991 to 1993. This was to prepare her for becoming a priest.
Becoming a Church Leader
Libby Lane began her journey as a church leader in the Church of England. She was ordained as a deacon in 1993. Then, in 1994, she became a priest. This was a very important year because it was the first time women were allowed to become priests in the Church of England.
She worked as a curate at St James's Church in Blackburn from 1993 to 1996. From 2000 to 2014, she served in the Diocese of Chester. She was the vicar for the churches of St Peter's Hale and St Elizabeth's Ashley starting in 2007. She also helped lead women in ministry in the diocese from 2010.
In 2013, Libby Lane was chosen to be one of eight observers for the House of Bishops. This group of senior female priests could attend and take part in meetings. They would do this until more women became full members of the House. She attended her first meeting in December 2013.
Becoming a Bishop
On 17 December 2014, it was announced that Libby Lane would become the Bishop of Stockport. This role is a suffragan bishop, which means she helps the main bishop in the Diocese of Chester. The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, called her appointment "historic." He said it was a big step for the Church towards more equality.
Her special ceremony, called a consecration, happened at York Minster on 26 January 2015. John Sentamu, who was the Archbishop of York at the time, led the ceremony. During the service, a priest briefly spoke out against a woman becoming a bishop. However, the ceremony continued after the Archbishop explained that it was legal.
One of Libby Lane's first duties as a bishop was to help with another bishop's consecration. This was for Philip North, who became the Bishop of Burnley. Bishop North holds traditional views and does not accept the ordination of women. So, Libby Lane and most other bishops did not place their hands on him during the ceremony. Instead, they prayed around him. Only three bishops who shared his views laid their hands on him. This showed how the Church handles different beliefs.
She officially started her work as Bishop of Stockport on 8 March 2015. This was International Women's Day, which made the event even more special.
On 18 December 2018, it was announced that Libby Lane would become the eighth Bishop of Derby. This was a special move for her because she grew up in that area, in Glossop. She officially became the Bishop of Derby on 11 February 2019. The Diocese of Derby then became the first Church of England diocese to have both a woman diocesan bishop and a woman suffragan bishop. She was installed at Derby Cathedral on 25 May 2019. On 2 July 2019, she was introduced as a Lord Spiritual in the House of Lords. This means she is one of the bishops who sits in the UK Parliament.
Her Views
In November 2023, Libby Lane was one of 44 bishops in the Church of England who signed an open letter. This letter supported the use of blessings for same-sex couples in the church. They also asked for rules to be changed so that clergy (church leaders) in same-sex civil marriages could be ordained and licensed without restrictions.
Personal Life
Libby Lane married her husband, George Lane, in 1990. They met while they were both students at St Peter's College, Oxford. George Lane is also an Anglican priest. He currently works as a chaplain at Manchester Airport. They were one of the first married couples to be ordained as priests at the same time in the Church of England. They have two children, Connie and Benedict.
Awards and Recognition
In June 2015, Libby Lane was made an honorary fellow of St Peter's College, Oxford. This is her old university. In July 2015, she received an honorary Doctor of Divinity (DD) degree from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. In July 2017, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) by the University of Bath.
