Libby Lane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Right Reverend Libby Lane |
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|---|---|
| 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 December 8, 1966, is a British Anglican bishop. She is also a Lord Spiritual, which means she is one of the senior bishops who sit in the House of Lords in the UK Parliament. Since February 2019, she has been the Bishop of Derby in the Church of England. This means she leads the Diocese of Derby, which is a church area. Before that, from January 2015 to 2019, she was the Bishop of Stockport.
Libby Lane made history as the first woman to be chosen as a bishop by 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, called a consecration, took place on January 26, 2015, at York Minster.
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Early Life and Education
Libby Lane was born Elizabeth Jane Holden on December 8, 1966. Her birthplace was in Wycombe Rural District, Buckinghamshire, England. She grew up in Glossop, Derbyshire. For her schooling, she attended Manchester High School for Girls, which is a private school for girls.
In 1986, she started studying theology at St Peter's College, Oxford. She earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Arts (BA), in 1989. Later, this degree was updated to a Master of Arts (MA Oxon). From 1991 to 1993, she continued her studies at Cranmer Hall at Durham University. This training prepared her to become a priest.
Church Ministry and Leadership
Libby Lane was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1993. The next year, in 1994, she became a priest. This was a significant year because it was the first time women could be ordained as 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. During this time, she became the vicar for the churches of St Peter's Hale and St Elizabeth's Ashley starting in 2007. She also held a special role as the Dean of Women in Ministry for the diocese from 2010.
In 2013, Libby Lane was chosen as one of eight "participant observers" for the House of Bishops. These observers were senior female priests. They could attend and take part in meetings of the House of Bishops. This was a temporary role until more women became full members of the house. She attended her first meeting in December 2013. When she became a bishop herself in 2015, she became a full member of the House of Bishops.
Becoming a Bishop
On December 17, 2014, it was announced that Libby Lane would become the Bishop of Stockport. This is a type of bishop called a suffragan bishop, who helps the main bishop in a diocese. The British Prime Minister at the time, David Cameron, called her appointment "historic." He said it was an important step for the Church towards more equality in its top jobs.
Her consecration ceremony took place at York Minster on January 26, 2015. John Sentamu, who was then the Archbishop of York, led the service. During the ceremony, when the archbishop asked if Lane should be consecrated, there was a brief interruption. However, the service continued after the legality of the act was explained.
One of Libby Lane's first duties as a bishop was to be part of the consecration service for Philip North as the Bishop of Burnley on February 2, 2015. Bishop North holds traditional views and does not accept the ordination of women. Because of this, Libby Lane and most other bishops did not place their hands on him during the ceremony. Instead, they prayed around him, while only three bishops who shared his views laid their hands on him. She officially began her ministry as Bishop of Stockport on March 8, 2015, which is International Women's Day.
On December 18, 2018, it was announced that Libby Lane would become the eighth Bishop of Derby. This was a return to the area where she grew up in Glossop. She officially became the Bishop of Derby on February 11, 2019. At that time, the Diocese of Derby became the first Church of England diocese to have both a woman leading it (a diocesan bishop) and a woman helping her (a suffragan bishop, Jan McFarlane was then the Bishop of Repton). She was formally welcomed at Derby Cathedral on May 25, 2019. On July 2, 2019, she was introduced as a Lord Spiritual in the House of Lords.
Her Beliefs
In November 2023, Libby Lane was one of 44 Church of England bishops who signed an open letter. This letter supported the use of "Prayers of Love and Faith," which are blessings for same-sex couples. The letter also asked for rules to be changed so that clergy (church leaders) could enter same-sex civil marriages without restrictions. It also called for bishops to be able to ordain and license such clergy.
Family Life
Libby Lane married her husband, George Lane, in 1990. They met while they were both students at St Peter's College, Oxford, in the late 1980s. George Lane is also an Anglican priest. He currently works as a chaplain at Manchester Airport. They were among the first married couples in the Church of England to be ordained at the same time. 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, which was her old university. In July 2015, she received an honorary Doctor of Divinity (DD) degree from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. Later, in July 2017, she was given an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree by the University of Bath.
