Joanne Grenfell

Last updated

The Right Reverend

Joanne Grenfell
Bishop of Stepney
Church Church of England
Diocese Diocese of London
In office2019 to present
Other post(s) Lead bishop for safeguarding (2023–present)
Previous post(s) Archdeacon of Portsdown (2013–2019)
Orders
Ordination2000 (deacon)
2001 (priest)
Consecration3 July 2019
by  Justin Welby
Personal details
Born (1972-05-27) 27 May 1972 (age 53)
Denomination Anglicanism
Spouse
James
​
(m. 1998)​
Children3
Alma mater Oriel College, Oxford
University of British Columbia
Westcott House, Cambridge

Joanne Woolway Grenfell (born 27 May 1972) is a British Anglican bishop. Since 2019, she has served as Bishop of Stepney, an area bishop of the Church of England's Diocese of London. [1] In June 2025, it was announced that she would be the next Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.

Contents

Early life and education

Grenfell was born on 27 May 1972 in Enfield, Middlesex, England to John and Christine Woolway. [2] She was educated at Egglescliffe School, a comprehensive school in Eaglescliffe, County Durham. She studied at Oriel College, Oxford, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1993. [3] She then moved to Canada, where she studied English literature at the University of British Columbia: she graduated with a Master of Arts (MA) degree in 1994. [4] She returned to Oriel to undertake a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) degree on the writing of Edmund Spenser. [5] Her doctoral thesis was titled "Spenser and the culture of place", and her DPhil was awarded in 1997. [6]

Grenfell was a lecturer in English Literature at Oriel College, Oxford until 1998. [3] She then trained for ordained ministry in the Church of England at Westcott House, Cambridge, from 1998 until 2000. [7]

Ordained ministry

She was ordained deacon (alongside her husband James Grenfell) in Liverpool Cathedral, at Petertide (2 July) 2000, by John Packer, Bishop of Ripon and Leeds (who had been Bishop of Warrington until shortly beforehand). [8] They were both ordained priest the following Trinity Sunday (10 June 2001) by James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool, at Liverpool Cathedral. [9]

Following a curacy in Kirkby in the Diocese of Liverpool, she was appointed Priest in charge in the Sheffield Manor ecumenical team ministry. [10] Following this she was a residentiary Canon at Sheffield Cathedral, [11] Diocesan Director of Ordinands and Dean of Women's Ministry in the Diocese of Sheffield. She was installed as Archdeacon of Portsdown in the Diocese of Portsmouth during a service at Portsmouth Cathedral on 14 April 2013, [12] serving until 2019. [13]

Episcopal ministry

Her consecration as bishop, and start of her tenure as Bishop of Stepney, was on 3 July 2019 at St Paul's Cathedral; [14] the principal consecrator was Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury. [15] Since April 2023, she also been lead bishop for safeguarding and chair of the National Safeguarding Steering Group, having succeeded Jonathan Gibbs. [16]

On 27 June 2025, it was announced that she would be the next Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, in succession to Martin Seeley. [17] [18] She will take up the appointment "in the Autumn". [19] [20]

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". [21]

Personal life

In 1998, she married James Grenfell, a fellow Anglican priest and chaplain. [22] [23] Together they have two sons and one daughter. [22]

References

  1. ↑ "Suffragan Bishop of Stepney: 7 May 2019". Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street.
  2. ↑ "Grenfell, Joanne Woolway" . Who's Who . Vol. 2016 (November 2015 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 24 July 2016.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  3. 1 2 "Stepney, Area Bishop of, (Rt Rev. Dr Joanne Woolway Grenfell) (born 27 May 1972)". Who's Who 2021 . Oxford University Press. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  4. ↑ Crockfords on line accessed by subscription Saturday 20 April 2013
  5. ↑ "Joanne Grenfell". Diocese of London. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  6. ↑ Woolway, Joanne (1997). "Spenser and the culture of place". E-Thesis Online Servie. The British Library Press. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  7. ↑ "Joanne Woolway Grenfell" . Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing . Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  8. ↑ "Ordinations" . Church Times . No. 7168. 7 July 2000. p. 18. ISSN   0009-658X . Retrieved 15 July 2019– via UK Press Online archives.
  9. ↑ "Ordinations" . Church Times . No. 7220. 6 July 2001. p. 21. ISSN   0009-658X . Retrieved 15 July 2019– via UK Press Online archives.
  10. ↑ "Church web page". Manorparish.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  11. ↑ "Sheffield Anglican". Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  12. ↑ @CofEPortsmouth magazine 'Archdeacon Joanne is new Bishop of Stepney' Number 6 June 2019 p4
  13. ↑ Diocese of Portsmouth (17 December 2012). "Portsmouth Anglican". Portsmouth Anglican. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  14. ↑ "New Bishop of Stepney announced | Diocese of London". London.anglican.org. 7 May 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  15. ↑ "New Bishop of Stepney consecrated at St Paul's | Diocese of London". London.anglican.org. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  16. ↑ "Bishop of Stepney to be new lead safeguarding bishop". The Church of England. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  17. ↑ "Appointment of Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich: 27 June 2025". GOV.UK. Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street. 27 June 2025. Archived from the original on 27 June 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  18. ↑ "No. 64798". The London Gazette . 17 July 2025. p. 14274.
  19. ↑ "New Bishop announced today - Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich". www.cofesuffolk.org. Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. 27 June 2025. Archived from the original on 27 June 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  20. ↑ "Bishop Joanne to be the next Bishop of Edmundsbury and Ipswich". Diocese of London. 27 June 2025. Archived from the original on 27 June 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  21. ↑ 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.
  22. 1 2 "Area Bishop of Stepney since 2019 (Rt Rev. Dr Joanne Woolway Grenfell)". Who's Who 2025 . Oxford University Press. 1 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  23. ↑ "James Christopher Grenfell" . Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing . Retrieved 9 December 2024.
Church of England titles
Preceded by Archdeacon of Portsdown
2013–2019		Succeeded by
Preceded by Bishop of Stepney
2019–present		Incumbent
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.