Revd Canon Alison White has been appointed as the Bishop Suffragan of Hull, the second woman to take up the post of bishop in the Church of England since legislation was passed last year.
White will be consecrated on July 3 at York Minster, where first female bishop Right Revd Libby Lane was consecrated in February. Currently the priest-in-charge of St James', Riding Mill in the Diocese of Newcastle and diocesan adviser for Spirituality and Spiritual Direction, she succeeds the Rt Revd Richard Frith, who became Bishop of Hereford last November.
White has said she "can't wait to be part of loving God and growing the Church in this great part of Yorkshire".
Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, has said he is "delighted" with her appointment. "This is a joyous day!" he said in a statement.
"Whilst she will be working with others across the Diocese of York encouraging faith in urban life, she will have particular responsibilities for the vibrant city of Hull and the glorious coastline and countryside of the East Riding.
"Alison is a person of real godliness and wisdom – it is fantastic that she has accepted God's call to make Christ visible together with all of us in this Diocese of York."
Wonderful news that HM The Queen has appointed the Revd Canon Alison White as the Bishop Suffragan of the See of Hull@DioceseofYork @c_of_e
— John Sentamu (@JohnSentamu) March 25, 2015 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">The recently retired Bishop of Newcastle, Rt Revd Martin Wharton, has also welcomed White's appointment. "I am thrilled that Alison's priestly and personal gifts have been recognised by the wider church and believe she will be an outstanding bishop who will quickly endear herself to the people of Hull and the East Riding," he said.
"As the second woman to be appointed Bishop in the Church of England, we rejoice with her and pray for her."
Rev Jody Stowell, Media Officer for WATCH, a campaign group for women in the Church, told Christian Today that they are delighted at today's announcement.
"We're delighted that she's the right person for the job, and the fact that a woman can be the right person for the job is to be celebrated," Stowell said. "We're really glad that it's now part of normal life in the Church of England, and will be pleased to hear of many more appointments to come in the future."
Labour MP for Hull, Diana Johnson, recommended her city as an ideal starting place for the first woman bishop in October. Today, she said she is "overjoyed" that White will be following Libby Lane into the order of bishops.
"I'm overjoyed that Revd Canon Alison White is to be the new Bishop of Hull and I look forward to working with her in Hull," she said in a statement.
"This will be the country's second woman appointed to the role of Bishop in the Church of England and means that Hull's tradition as a pioneering city is burning bright today. After the long campaign we've fought, the stained glass ceiling holding back women is being broken in the Church of England."
Johnson continued: "It's great news for women and men of every faith and no faith in our society, for our Established Church and for communities all over the country who will benefit from the talents of some fine women."
White studied Theology at Cranmer Hall in Durham, where she later worked as director of mission and pastoral studies. She has served the Church in several roles since the late 1980s, most recently moving to the Diocese of Newcastle in 2011. She is married to Assistant Bishop of Newcastle, Frank White.
