Ruth Worsley

The Right Reverend
Ruth Worsley
Bishop of Taunton
Church Church of England
Diocese Diocese of Bath and Wells
In office 2015 to present
Other posts 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 5354)
Hampton, Middlesex, United Kingdom
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

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

Worsley was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon on 29 September 1996 and as a priest in 1997.[1][2] Following curacies in Nottingham she was Dean of Women's Ministry in the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham [4] from 2007 to 2010. In 2009 she was appointed an Honorary Chaplain to the Queen;[5] and in 2010 to the post of Parish Development Officer for the Woolwich Area of the Diocese of Southwark.[6] In February 2013, she was appointed Archdeacon of Wilts.[7] She stood down as archdeacon upon becoming a bishop.

Episcopal ministry

On 30 June 2015, she was announced as the next Bishop of Taunton, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Bath and Wells.[3][8] On 29 September 2015, she was consecrated a bishop by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, during a service at St Paul's Cathedral, London.[9][10] She was installed as Bishop of Taunton at Wells Cathedral on 2 October.[11] Her first act as a bishop was to admit and licence nine people as readers.[12]

Personal life

Worsley is married to Howard. Together, they have three children; Nathanael, Jonathan and Benjamin.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 "R E Worsley". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 30 November 2015. (subscription required)
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Bishop Ruth Worsley". Diocese of Bath and Wells. Church of England. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Suffragan Bishop of Taunton: Ruth Worsley". Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street. GOV.UK. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  4. Southwell Anglican
  5. This is Wiltshire
  6. The Times
  7. Salisbury Anglican
  8. Diocese of Bath & Wells — Ruth Worsley announced as next Bishop of Taunton (Accessed 2 July 2015)
  9. "New women bishops ordained at St Paul's Cathedral". St Paul's Cathedral. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  10. Diocese of Bath & Wells — Bishops & Archdeacons (Accessed 4 September 2015)
  11. "First female Bishop of Taunton to be officially installed in Wells Cathedral this weekend". Western Gazette. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  12. "Ruth Worsley installed as new Bishop of Taunton". BBC News. 3 October 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
Church of England titles
Preceded by
John Wraw
Archdeacon of Wiltshire
2013 to 2015
Succeeded by
Sue Groom
Preceded by
Peter Maurice
Bishop of Taunton
2015 to present
Incumbent
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