The Right Reverend

Ruth Worsley

QHC
Bishop of Taunton
ChurchChurch of England
DioceseDiocese of Bath and Wells
In office2015–present
Other post(s)Archdeacon of Wiltshire (2013–2015)
Honorary Chaplain to the Queen
Orders
Ordination1996 (deacon)
1997 (priest)
Consecration29 September 2015
by Justin Welby
Personal details
Born1962 (age 61–62)
Hampton, Middlesex, United Kingdom
SpouseHoward
ChildrenThree
Alma materUniversity 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: 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

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

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

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

  1. ^ a b c d "Ruth Elizabeth Worsley". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "Bishop Ruth Worsley". Diocese of Bath and Wells. Church of England. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Michaelmas Ordinations". Church Times. No. 6973. 4 October 1996. p. 4. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 7 May 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
  5. ^ "Ordinations". Church Times. No. 7026. 10 October 1997. p. 4. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 7 May 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
  6. ^ a b "TAUNTON, Bishop Suffragan of,". Who's Who 2017. Oxford University Press. November 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  7. ^ Southwell Anglican
  8. ^ "Chaplain to the Queen is new archdeacon". The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  9. ^ The Times
  10. ^ Ford, Michael (23 October 2012). "New Archdeacon of Wilts Appointed". Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  11. ^ Diocese of Bath & Wells — Ruth Worsley announced as next Bishop of Taunton (Accessed 2 July 2015)
  12. ^ "New women bishops ordained at St Paul's Cathedral". St Paul's Cathedral. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  13. ^ Diocese of Bath & Wells — Bishops & Archdeacons (Accessed 4 September 2015)
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ "Ruth Worsley installed as new Bishop of Taunton". BBC News. 3 October 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  16. ^ "Bishop Ruth seconded to the role of Acting Bishop of Coventry". www.bathandwells.org.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ "Howard John Worsley". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
Church of England titles Preceded byJohn Wraw Archdeacon of Wiltshire 2013 to 2015 Succeeded bySue Groom Preceded byPeter Maurice Bishop of Taunton 2015 to present Incumbent
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