A photo was tweeted today of the Rt Revd Sara Mullally, the Bishop of Crediton, a suffragan See in the Diocese of Exeter, leading an ordination service. She will be the first female Church of England bishop to ordain priests for the church. +Sarah ordained the Revd Leisa McGovern and the Revd Sheila Walker in the town of Ottery St Mary.
Bishop Sara has hit the ground running since coming to Dio Exeter. She attended the ordination of 16 deacons on 13 SEP, lead by the Rt Revd Robert Atwell, bishop diocesan of Dio Exeter and also attended by her fellow bishop suffragan, the Rt Revd Nick McKinnel, the Bishop of Plymouth. She was then installed as Bishop of Crediton on 16 SEP. Now 10 days later she is leading the ordination of new priests. Ipso facto, the Revds McGovern and Walker may also lay claim to the title of being the first female priests ordained by a female bishop in the Church of England.
The lone tweet back is from someone who doesn’t approve of the ministry of women in the Church of England. (Perhaps he fears the taint!) He responded that there are no women bishops in Christ’s Church.
Could anyone please check back later in the week to verify that indeed the towers of St Mary’s church haven’t fallen in!
Ordination photos from Dio Exeter’s Facebook page.
Tweet is a screenshot of Dio Exeter’s Twitter page.
Photo of St Mary’s Church is from the Ottery St Mary entry in Wikipedia.