Rose Hudson-Wilkin

Last updated

The Right Reverend

Rose Hudson-Wilkin

CD MBE KHC
Bishop of Dover
Keith Palmer's funeral (002) (cropped, Rose Hudson-Wilkin).jpg
Revd Preb Hudson-Wilkin in April 2017
Church Church of England
Diocese Canterbury
Elected19 November 2019
In office2019–present
Predecessor Trevor Willmott
Other post(s)
Orders
Ordination
Consecration
Personal details
Born
Rose Josephine Hudson

(1961-01-19) 19 January 1961 (age 63)
Montego Bay, Jamaica
NationalityFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Denomination Christian
Residence Old Palace, Canterbury, Kent
SpouseRevd Kenneth Wilkin [1]
Children3
Occupation Cleric
Alma mater Montego Bay High School
MBE ribbon Order of the British Empire (Civil) Ribbon.svg
CD ribbon Order Of Distinction.gif

Rose Josephine Hudson-Wilkin CD MBE KHC (born 19 January 1961), is a British Anglican prelate, who serves as Suffragan Bishop of Dover in the diocese of Canterbury - deputising for the Archbishop - since 2019: she is the first black woman to become a Church of England bishop. She was previously Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons from 2010 to 2019, having trained with the Church Army before entering parish ministry.

Contents

Early life

Born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Hudson-Wilkin was raised by her father, an enthusiastic cricketer, [2] and aunt Pet, her mother having departed for England when she was born. [3] She did not meet her mother again until she was nine. [4] She was educated at Montego Bay High School, an all-girls secondary school in Montego Bay. [5] [6] She was 14 when she decided to join the ministry and, in a 2012 interview in The Daily Telegraph , she said: "I simply had this overwhelming sense that this was what I was called to do." [7]

Ordained ministry

In 1982, Hudson-Wilkin travelled to the UK and settled in the West Midlands where she studied at the Church Army college. [8] [7] After training at the West Midlands Ministerial Training Course in preparation for ordained ministry, she was made a Deacon in the Church of England at Petertide 1991 (30 June) by Keith Sutton, Bishop of Lichfield, at Lichfield Cathedral. [9] From 1991 to 1994, she served as the Deacon of St Matthew's Church, Wolverhampton. She was ordained a priest on 23 April 1994 (by Bishop Sutton, at Lichfield Cathedral), [10] in the first few weeks that the Church of England ordained women to the priesthood. Remaining at St Matthew's Church, she served her curacy from 1994 to 1995. [11]

From 1995 to 1998, she was Assistant Curate of St Andrew's Church, West Bromwich. During this time, she also worked with the Committee on Black Anglican Concern. [11] It was founded after the Faith in the City report was published in 1985 and worked to combat racism in the Church of England. [12] It has since been replaced by the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns. [13]

In 1998, she took up the role as Vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Dalston, and All Saints Church, Haggerston, an inner-city parish in Hackney, London. [11] She was appointed a Chaplain to the Queen in 2008. [7] In 2010, she was appointed Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons in addition to her parish work. [8] In March 2013, she was installed as a Prebendary of St Paul's Cathedral in recognition of "her service to the Church, community and most recently as Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons". [14] In October 2014, it was announced that she was to become Priest-in-Charge of St Mary-at-Hill, London EC3. She moved to her new parish in November 2014, while maintaining her additional appointments. [15]

From November 2014, Hudson-Wilkin served as Priest-in-Charge of St Mary-at-Hill in the City of London, [15] until late 2019, additionally holding the role of Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, as well as Priest Vicar at Westminster Abbey and a Chaplain to the Queen. [8] In 2012, she was tipped as likely to be one of the first women to become bishops in the Church of England. [16] [17] On 28 June 2019 she was announced as the next Bishop of Dover, to run the diocese of Canterbury on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury. [18]

On 19 May 2018, she was one of several religious leaders to lead prayers at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in St George's Chapel, Windsor.

Bishop of Dover

On 28 June 2019, it was announced that Hudson-Wilkin was to become Bishop suffragan of Dover. As a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Dover has authority delegated by the Archbishop of Canterbury to oversee the diocese of Canterbury on behalf of the diocesan bishop; she took up her see immediately before her consecration, which was scheduled for 19 November 2019 at St Paul's Cathedral. [19] Press coverage of the announcement noted that she would be the first black woman to become a Church of England bishop; [20] Guli Francis-Dehqani was the first ethnic minority woman to become a bishop, in 2017. [21]

On 19 November 2019, Hudson-Wilkin was consecrated a bishop by Archbishop Justin Welby at St Paul's Cathedral. [22] She was installed as Bishop of Dover during a service at Canterbury Cathedral on 30 November 2019. [23]

Hudson-Wilkin was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for "services to young people and the Church", [24] having received the Order of Distinction (CD) from the Jamaican Government in 2019. She was also listed in the 2020 and 2021 Powerlist , of the 100 most influential people in the UK of African/African-Caribbean descent. [25]

On 6 February 2023, she was appointed an Honorary Bencher of Lincoln's Inn [26] and, on 23 March 2023, she gave the Haberdashers' Golden Lecture at St Bartholomew-the-Less Church in the City of London. [27]

In May 2023, she took part in the Coronation, one of three female Bishops to do so. [28] She is a vicar at St Mary and St Eanswythe's Church in Folkestone. [29]

Public attention

After taking up her parish role in Hackney, Hudson-Wilkin staged a rooftop protest on the church with her curate to highlight the need for funds to repair the fabric of the building. [7] Speaking on Desert Island Discs in January 2014, she said that with so much development going on in Hackney, she was trying to draw attention to the plight of the church, which had a leaking roof, adding that she wished she could have stayed a little longer on the roof as the protest attracted donations for its repair. [30]

Hudson-Wilkin came to wider attention as the first black female to hold the role of Queen's Chaplain. [31] When she was appointed to the Commons some people alleged that this was an act of political correctness on the part of the Speaker John Bercow. Ultimately, the traditional role was split in two with Hudson-Wilkin remaining in her Hackney parish and attending the Commons to lead prayer and services at the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, while Andrew Tremlett took up the post of Canon of Westminster and Rector of St Margaret's, Westminster. [32]

Revd Preb Hudson-Wilkin processing in Parliament when Chaplain to Speaker Bercow UK Commons Chamber 2012.jpg
Revd Preb Hudson-Wilkin processing in Parliament when Chaplain to Speaker Bercow

In an interview in The Observer a year after her appointment to the Commons, Hudson-Wilkin commented that she would like to see a more civil attitude among MPs: "That's my secret prayer actually: the world is looking on and I just believe that I would like to see a change there in the way they handle listening to each other and the way they speak to each other." [33] Hudson-Wilkin has updated the traditional 17th-century prayers before parliamentary debates by introducing mention of topical events, also saying a prayer on behalf of International Women's Day in 2010 that reportedly attracted complaints to the Speaker by some MPs. [33]

A critic of what she has described as institutional racism in the church, she has also spoken on the subject of gay marriage, telling The Times that the church is "obsessed with sex" and there are many more important issues. [16]

During her interview on Desert Island Discs, Hudson-Wilkin was asked about the proposed ordination of women as bishops and said: "I believe that we hold certain prejudices about certain things and we believe them to be true ... What I want is for people to be open to the possibilities that their minds might be changed." She added: "I think the church has been the poorer actually for not having the gifts of women – men and women – in its leadership." [30]

In an episode of the BBC programme The Big Questions aired January 2015, discussing the lack of legal recognition for humanist marriages, Hudson-Wilkin repeatedly characterised humanists as "anti-religion" and expressed bewilderment that humanists would want to get married, saying "Marriage is a sacred act. We see it as a gift from God, so it is not something we think anybody just gets up and, stands in front, and says I'm marrying you. If humanists are anti-religion I don't understand why you want to keep and do all of the things that religion does." [34]

Personal life

She met her husband, the Revd Kenneth Wilkin, whilst training at the Church Army College. He currently serves as Chaplain to HM Prison Wandsworth. [35] The couple have two daughters and a son. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

A royal peculiar is a Church of England parish or church exempt from the jurisdiction of the diocese and the province in which it lies, and subject to the direct jurisdiction of the monarch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diocese of Canterbury</span> Diocese of the Church of England

The Diocese of Canterbury is a Church of England diocese covering eastern Kent which was founded by St. Augustine of Canterbury in 597. The diocese is centred on Canterbury Cathedral and is the oldest see of the Church of England.

The Bishop of Stepney is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of London, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name after Stepney, an inner-city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The post is held by Joanne Grenfell whose consecration as bishop, and start of her tenure as Bishop of Stepney, was on 3 July 2019 at St Paul's Cathedral; the principal consecrator was Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Inge</span> Bishop of Worcester; Bishop of Huntingdon (born 1955)

John Geoffrey Inge is a bishop in the Church of England. He is currently the Bishop of Worcester in the Diocese of Worcester. From 2003 to 2007, he was Bishop of Huntingdon, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Ely.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bishop of Dover</span>

The Bishop of Dover is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name after the town of Dover in Kent. The Bishop of Dover holds the additional title of "Bishop in Canterbury" and is empowered to act almost as if the Bishop of Dover were the diocesan bishop of Canterbury, since the actual diocesan bishop is based at Lambeth Palace in London, and thus is frequently away from the diocese, fulfilling national and international duties. Among other things, this gives the Bishop of Dover an ex officio seat in the church's General Synod. There is another suffragan, the Bishop of Maidstone, who has different responsibilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglican Diocese of Armidale</span> Diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia

The Anglican Diocese of Armidale is a diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia located in the state of New South Wales. As the Diocese of Grafton and Armidale, it was created by letters patent in 1863. When the Anglican Diocese of Grafton was split off in 1914, the remaining portion was renamed Armidale, retaining its legal continuity and its incumbent bishop.

Trevor Willmott is a British retired bishop in the Church of England. He was the Bishop of Basingstoke from 2002 to 2009 and then Bishop of Dover from 2010 until his retirement in 2019. In retirement, he remains bishop for the Channel Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglican Diocese of Belize</span>

The Anglican Diocese of Belize was established in 1883. The current bishop is Philip Wright.

An Honorary Chaplain to the King (KHC) is a member of the clergy within the United Kingdom who, through long and distinguished service, is appointed to minister to the monarch of the United Kingdom. When the reigning monarch is female, Honorary Chaplains are known as Honorary Chaplains to the Queen (QHC). As of 2008 there are 33 appointees. They are also known as Honorary Chaplains to the Sovereign.

Alfred Carey Wollaston Rose was the sixth Bishop of Dover, England, in the modern era, from 1935 to 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Treweek</span> Anglican bishop in England

Rachel Treweek is an English Anglican bishop who sits in the House of Lords as a Lord Spiritual.

Stephen Ronald Taylor, is a senior priest in the Church of England formerly Archdeacon of Maidstone and is currently the Diocesan Secretary in the Diocese of Canterbury.

Ruth Elizabeth Worsley, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Trinity Church, Dalston</span> Church in London Borough of Hackney, United Kingdom

Holy Trinity Church, Dalston, also known as the Clowns’ Church, is a Church of England parish church in Beechwood Road in the London Borough of Hackney. It is in the parish of Holy Trinity with St Philip Dalston and All Saints Church, Haggerston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Saints Church, Haggerston</span> Church in London Borough of Hackney, United Kingdom

All Saints Church, Haggerston, also Church of All Saints, is an Anglican church in Livermere Road, near the junction with Haggerston Road, in Haggerston in London Borough of Hackney, east London. It is part of a parish with Holy Trinity Church and St Philip Dalston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jan McFarlane</span> British bishop and former speech and language therapist

Janet Elizabeth "Jan" McFarlane is a British Church of England bishop and former speech and language therapist. She has been a Canon Residentiary of Lichfield Cathedral and honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of Lichfield since 2020. In April 2023 she was appointed interim Dean of Lichfield Cathedral. She previously served as Bishop of Repton since her consecration as a bishop on 29 June 2016; and (additionally) Acting Bishop of Derby from 31 August 2018 to February 2019.

Andrew Tremlett is a British Church of England priest. Since 2022, he has served as Dean of St Paul's, and is therefore the head of the Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral and the most senior priest in the Diocese of London. Previously, he was a canon residentiary of Bristol Cathedral (2008–2010), a canon residentiary of Westminster Abbey (2010–2016) and Dean of Durham (2016–2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jo Bailey Wells</span> Bishop, priest and academic

Joanne Caladine Bailey Wells is a British Anglican bishop, theologian, and academic. Since January 2023, she has served at the Anglican Communion Office in London as "Bishop for Episcopal Ministry". Previously, she was a lecturer in the Old Testament and biblical theology at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, and then associate professor of Bible and Ministry at Duke Divinity School, Duke University, North Carolina; From 2013 until 2016, she had served as Chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury; she was then Bishop of Dorking, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Guildford, 2016–2023.

Emma Gwynneth Ineson is a British Anglican bishop and academic, specialising in practical theology. Since 2023, she has served as Bishop of Kensington, the area bishop for West London. From 2014 to 2019, she was Principal of Trinity College, Bristol, an evangelical Anglican theological college; from 2019 to 2021, she was Bishop of Penrith, the suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Carlisle; and from 2021 to 2023, she served as "Bishop to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York", i.e. assistant bishop on the staffs of both archbishops.

Howard Kingsley Ainsworth Gregory has served the Anglican Diocese of Jamaica as its bishop since 2012.

References

  1. ↑ www.churchtimes.co.uk
  2. ↑ The Cricketer
  3. ↑ The Jamaican Blogs
  4. ↑ Simpson, Trudy (16 March 2008). "A rose in the Queen's garden". Jamaica Gleaner. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  5. ↑ "Chaplain to Queen of England, House of Commons honoured by MoBay High Alumnae Association". Jamaica Observer. 8 October 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  6. ↑ "School History". Montego Bay High School International Alumnae Association. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Moreton, Cole (5 February 2012). "Rose Hudson-Wilkin: could she be the Right Rev?". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 "Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin". Church of England. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  9. ↑ "Ordinations" . Church Times . No. 6699. 5 July 1991. p. 6. ISSN   0009-658X . Retrieved 15 July 2019– via UK Press Online archives.
  10. ↑ "Ordinations" . Church Times . No. 6846. 29 April 1994. p. 5. ISSN   0009-658X . Retrieved 15 July 2019– via UK Press Online archives.
  11. 1 2 3 "Rose Josephine Hudson-Wilkin" . Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing . Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  12. ↑ Parsons, Gerald (1993). The Growth of Religious Diversity: Traditions. Psychology Press. p. 262. ISBN   0415083265.
  13. ↑ "Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns". Home and Community Affairs. Church of England. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  14. ↑ "New Prebendaries installed at special St Paul's". St Paul's Cathedral. 6 March 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  15. 1 2 "Clergy Moves October 2014". Diocese of London. 20 October 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  16. 1 2 "Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, First Black Female Chaplain To Queen Hits Out Over Women Bishops, Gay Marriage". The Huffington Post . 22 December 2012.
  17. ↑ Moore, Suzanne (21 November 2012). "The Church of England can no longer continue as an arm of the state". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  18. ↑ "Rose Hudson-Wilkin to be the next Bishop of Dover". Church Times. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  19. ↑ "Rose Hudson-Wilkin named Bishop of Dover | The Diocese of Canterbury". Archived from the original on 16 February 2020.
  20. ↑ "Church of England appoints first black female bishop". BBC News. 28 June 2019.
  21. ↑ "First Church of England female bishop from a minority ethnic community". Anglican Communion News Service. Anglican Communion Office. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  22. ↑ "First black female bishop consecrated". BBC News. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  23. ↑ "Rose Hudson-Wilkin consecrated as Bishop of Dover". The Diocese of Canterbury. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  24. ↑ "No. 62866". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 2019. p. N23.
  25. ↑ Mills, Kelly-Ann (25 October 2019). "Raheem Sterling joins Meghan and Stormzy in top 100 most influential black Brits". mirror. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  26. ↑ Lincoln's Inn
  27. ↑ Haberdashers' Company
  28. ↑ "Coronation order of service in full". BBC News. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  29. ↑ "William Brown: Funeral takes place for boy killed in crash". BBC News. 13 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  30. 1 2 "Desert Island Discs". BBC Desert Island Discs. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  31. ↑ "Jamaican woman appointed Queen Elizabeth's chaplain". Jamaica Gleaner. 27 January 2008. Archived from the original on 22 March 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  32. ↑ "The Reverend Andrew Tremlett, Canon of Westminster". Westminster Abbey. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  33. 1 2 Boffey, Daniel (27 November 2011). "First female Commons chaplain tells laddish MPs: grow up, boys". The Observer. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  34. ↑ "The Demonic Humanists and the Insecure Christians". 11 January 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  35. ↑ www.churchtimes.co.uk
Church of England titles
Preceded by Bishop of Dover
2019 to 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.