Anne Hollinghurst

The Right Reverend

Anne Hollinghurst

Principal of The Queen's Foundation, Edgbaston
Church| Church of England
In office| 2024–present
Other post(s)| Vicar of St Peter's Church, St Albans (2010–2015)
Bishop of Aston (2015–2024)
Honorary assistant bishop (Lichfield, 2024–present)
Orders
Ordination| 1996 (deacon)
1997 (priest)
Consecration| 29 September 2015
by Justin Welby
Personal details
Born|

Anne Elizabeth Bailey

(1964-03-04) 4 March 1964 (age 60)
Nationality| British
Denomination| Anglican
Spouse|

Steve Hollinghurst

(m. 1984)​

Alma mater| Trinity College, Bristol
University of Bristol
Hughes Hall, Cambridge

Anne Elizabeth Hollinghurst (born 4 March 1964) is a Church of England bishop currently serving as Principal of The Queen's Foundation, Edgbaston. She previously served as Bishop of Aston, the suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Birmingham, from September 2015 until September 2024.

## Early life

[edit]

Hollinghurst was born on 4 March 1964 to William and Audrey Bailey.[1] She was educated at Range High School, a coeducational secondary school and sixth form in Formby, Merseyside.[2]

Her childhood faith was nurtured in the Church of England in the Anglo-Catholic tradition,[3] at St Peter's Church, Formby.[4] Her early ministry was as a youth worker in suburban Sussex at Holy Trinity Cuckfield and then in inner-city Nottingham at St Stephen's Hyson Green with St Leodegarius Basford.[3][5] She entered Trinity College, Bristol, an  Open Evangelical Anglican theological college, to train for ordained ministry and graduated from the University of Bristol with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) Theology degree in 1996.[6]

## Ordained ministry

[edit]

Hollinghurst was ordained in the Church of England: made a deacon at Petertide 1996 (30 June) by Patrick Harris, Bishop of Southwell at Southwell Minster[7] and ordained a priest the Petertide following (28 June 1997), by Alan Morgan, Bishop of Sherwood at Christ Church, Chilwell.[8] From 1996 to 1999, she served her curacy at St Saviours in the Meadows, Nottingham.[5] She shared this curacy with her husband, Steve Hollinghurst, who is also a Church of England priest.[3] From 1999 to 2005, she was jointly the Anglican chaplain for the University of Derby and a chaplain of Derby Cathedral.[6] During this time, she also lectured on religion and gender in the Religious Studies Department of Derby University.[9]

In 2005, she moved to Manchester. She was appointed domestic chaplain to the Bishop of Manchester, Nigel McCulloch, and a residentiary canon of Manchester Cathedral.[3][5] She completed a Master of Studies (MSt) degree in Jewish Christian Relations at Hughes Hall, Cambridge in 2010.[6] Her dissertation was titled "The soul's longing for God: allegorical and symbolic readings of the Song of Songs in 12th and 13th century western Europe, and the relationship between evolving forms of Christian and Jewish mystical piety".[10] On 12 January 2010, she became Vicar of St Peter's Church, St Albans in the Diocese of St Albans.[11] In 2011, she was elected a member of the House of Clergy of the General Synod.[12]

### Episcopal ministry

[edit]

On 2 July 2015, Hollinghurst was announced as the Bishop of Aston, a suffragan bishopric in the Diocese of Birmingham.[5] On 29 September 2015, she was consecrated a bishop by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, during a service at St Paul's Cathedral, London;[13][14] she became the tenth Bishop of Aston.[3] She holds a particular brief for mission, ministry and vocations in the diocese.[15]

As bishop, she has served on the Faith and Order Commission of the Church of England.[15] She is a member of the Birmingham Faith Leaders Group supporting interfaith relations across the city.[16] Since 2020, she has been Bishop Visitor to the Anglican Religious Community of men and women at Mucknell Abbey.[17]

She was Acting Bishop of Birmingham between October 2022 and March 2024.[18][19]

On 10 April 2024, her appointment was announced as Principal of the Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham -- a diverse, ecumenical theological training and research institution serving the Church of England, Methodist Church, Black Majority/ Black Pentecostal churches, and many independent students. She took up the role in September 2024, resigning her See around that same time.[20] On 20 September 2024, she was additionally commissioned an honorary assistant bishop of the neighbouring Diocese of Lichfield (and a member of the diocesan House of Bishops).[21]

### Views and Interests

[edit]

Hollinghurst has spoken on areas relating to the church’s mission including a recorded series on the Five Marks of Mission and at various conferences. [22] [23]

Other past and present research interests include feminist theology, gender and the language of God,[24] Environmental Theology and Christian Spirituality.[25] Hollinghurst has contributed a chapter on Franciscan spirituality and nature to the book Earthed.[26]

In the public square Hollinghurst has spoken out on a number of issues. She was one of the 31 Church of England bishops who called on the Government to sign the United Nations’ Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. [27]

She has campaigned on environmental issues, taking part in the Big One Climate Protest April 2023 as part of Christian Climate Action, stating – “it’s time to act on what we know about the effects of burning of fossil fuels and how this continues to accelerate rapidly rising global warming and the environmental disaster that follows, impacting especially the poorest communities across our world.” [28] Other interests include education, housing and modern slavery. [29]

As Acting Bishop of Birmingham she led the Diocese from October 2022 through key stages of the Church of England’s Living in Love and Faith process supporting the proposals for the Prayers of Love and Faith, which include enabling prayers for God’s blessing to be prayed for same-sex couples. She was one of 44 bishops who signed an open letter in November 2023 which recognised “the complexities of Pastoral Guidance in relation to ministry, and also the need for a swift end to the current uncertainty for LGBTQIA+ clergy and ordinands”, calling for “the removal of restrictions on clergy entering same-sex civil marriages, and on bishops ordaining and licensing such clergy, as well as granting permissions to officiate”. It expressed a longing that “we will find a way that will recognise and honour our different perspectives and the gift we are to each other within the life of the Church of England, such that no one is expected to act against their conscience or theological conviction”.[30]

A letter signed by over 85 church leaders across the Diocese of Birmingham was published in December 2023 expressing their gratitude to Hollinghurst for her leadership and modelling of the Pastoral Principles. [31]

## Personal life

[edit]

In 1984, she married Steve Hollinghurst.[32] He is a priest in the Church of England who worked with the Church Army.[33] from 2003 to 2019.He is currently Diocesan Mission Enabler, Environment, with Hereford Diocese. [34]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Hollinghurst, Anne Elizabeth". Who's Who. Vol. 2016 (November 2015 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 24 July 2016. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
2. ^ "✠ The Rt Revd Anne Elizabeth HOLLINGHURST". The Church of England Year Book. Church House Publishing. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
3. ^ a b c d e Squires, Steve (2 July 2015). "The Revd Anne Hollinghurst announced as next Bishop of Aston". The Church of England - Birmingham. Anglican Diocese of Birmingham. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
4. ^ "Dear Friends" (PDF). St Peter’s Church Magazine. October 2017. p. 4\. Archived from the original (pdf) on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
5. ^ a b c d "Suffragan Bishop of Aston: The Reverend Anne Hollinghurst". Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street. GOV.UK. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
6. ^ a b c "Anne Elizabeth Hollinghurst". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
7. ^ "Ordinations". Church Times. No. 6960\. 5 July 1996. p. 18\. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 7 May 2019 - via UK Press Online archives.
8. ^ "Petertide ordinations". Church Times. No. 7012\. 4 July 1997. p. 13\. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 7 May 2019 - via UK Press Online archives.
9. ^ Hollinghurst, Anne (Spring 2001). "Unlocking Eden's barred gate" (PDF). The Bible In Transmission. Bible Society. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
10. ^ Hollinghurst, Anne Elizabeth (1901). The soul's longing for God: allegorical and symbolic readings of the Song of Songs in 12th and 13th century western Europe, and the relationship between evolving forms of Christian and Jewish mystical piety (MSt thesis). Cambridge University. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
11. ^ "St Peter's Welcomes New Bishop and New Vicar" (PDF). The Key. St Peter's Church, St Albans. Winter 2009. p. 1\. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
12. ^ "St Albans General Synod Representatives". Governance. Diocese of St Albans. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
13. ^ "New women bishops ordained at St Paul's Cathedral". St Paul's Cathedral. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
14. ^ "St Albans Vicar to be Bishop of Aston". Diocese of St Albans. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
15. ^ a b "Bishop of Aston". Church of England Birmingham. Diocese of Birmingham. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
16. ^ Martin, Francis (18 November 2022). "Countrywide events held for Inter Faith Week". Church Times. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
17. ^ Jonathan, Br (4 September 2020). "September 2020". Mucknell Abbey. Retrieved 2 November 2023. "This piece of news strictly belongs in last month's mlog (monastic blog), but I didn't want it to get missed. On the 25 August Bishop Anne Hollinghurst of Aston became our new Bishop Visitor. Bishop John of Worcester, whose term as Visitor has come to an end, has been our Visitor for the last ten years. The Visitor's job is to provide oversight and support and make sure we don't go way off-piste."
18. ^ "UK news in brief". Church Times. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2024. "Episcopal oversight will be exercised by the Bishop of Aston, the Rt Revd Anne Hollinghurst, until a new bishop is appointed"
19. ^ Preece, Rebecca (2 March 2024). "Celebrating the installation of the tenth Bishop of Birmingham". Birmingham Cathedral. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
20. ^ "Anne Hollinghurst is announced as the new Principal of Queen's". Diocese of Birmingham. 10 April 2024. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
21. ^ "New Assistant Bishop from next-door diocese". Diocese of Lichfield. 9 September 2024. Archived from the original on 26 September 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
22. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjxPNirBAR4
23. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=wgdb8lowbZs
24. ^ Hollinghurst, Anne (Spring 2001). "Unlocking Eden's barred gate - Feminism, hermeneutics and the recovery of the Bible as Scripture" (PDF). Bible Society.
25. ^ "Suffragan Bishop of Aston: The Reverend Anne Hollinghurst". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
26. ^ Hollinghurst S. & Stanley B. (eds) Earthed: Christian Perspectives on Nature Connection, Mystic Christ Press 2014 http://www.mysticchrist.co.uk/blog/post/earthed_christian_perspectives_on_nature_connection
27. ^ https://www.birminghamchurches.org.uk/bishop-of-aston-in-call-to-prohibit-nuclear-weapons/
28. ^ https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/16987/catholics-and-other-faiths-join-the-big-one-climate-protest https://www.birminghamworld.uk/news/extinction-rebellion-protests-london-birmingham-leaders-4115991
29. ^ https://www.cofebirmingham.com/bishop-of-aston
30. ^ 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.
31. ^ https://thisestate.blogspot.com/2023/12/cofe-leaders-across-birmingham-express.html
32. ^ "The Church of England - Birmingham". Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
33. ^ "Hollinghurst". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
34. ^ https://www.crockford.org.uk/people/14131/the-revd-stephen-patrick-hollinghurst

Church of England titles

Preceded by

Andrew Watson

|  Bishop of Aston
2015–2024  | TBA

* v
* t
* e

Bishops of Aston

* Michael Parker
* David Porter
* Mark Green
* Michael Whinney
* Colin Buchanan
* John Austin
* Andrew Watson
* Anne Hollinghurst

* v
* t
* e

Diocese of Lichfield

* Lichfield Cathedral
* Bishop's House, Lichfield
* St Mary's House, Lichfield
* Area scheme (1992–present)

Office holders|

* Michael Ipgrave, Bishop of Lichfield
* Sarah Bullock, area Bishop of Shrewsbury
* Matthew Parker, area Bishop of Stafford
* area Bishop of Wolverhampton (vacant; bishop-designate: Tim Wambunya)
* Jan McFarlane, Dean-designate, Canon and honorary assistant bishop
* Anne Hollinghurst, Principal of The Queen's Foundation and honorary assistant bishop
* AEO: the Bishop suffragan of Oswestry & Rob Munro, Bishop suffragan of Ebbsfleet
* Sue Weller, Archdeacon of Lichfield
* Megan Smith, Archdeacon of Stoke
* Archdeacon of Salop (vacant)
* Archdeacon of Walsall (vacant)

Provincial episcopal visitors|

* Paul Thomas, Bishop suffragan of Oswestry

Historic offices|

* Archdeacon of Chester (12th century - 1541; erected into Chester diocese)
* Archdeacon of Stafford (12 C. - 1980; renamed to Lichfield archdeaconry)
* Archdeacon of Coventry (12 C. - 1837; moved to Worcester then erected into Coventry diocese)
* Archdeacon of Derby (12th C. - 1884; moved to Southwell then erected into Derby diocese)

*[m.]: married
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template